The Devil's Circus
The Devil's Circus is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Danish director Benjamin Christensen, based upon his screenplay. The film stars Norma Shearer and Charles Emmett Mack. It was the first of seven films directed by Christensen in the United States, and one of only four of those films that have not been lost.
| The Devil's Circus | |
|---|---|
 Lobby card | |
| Directed by | Benjamin Christensen |
| Written by | Benjamin Christensen H.H. Caldwell (titles) Katherine Hilliker (titles) |
| Starring | Norma Shearer Charles Emmett Mack |
| Cinematography | Ben F. Reynolds |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 70 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
The film's sets were designed by the art director James Basevi.
Synopsis
Mary (Shearer) and Carlstop (Mack) are lovers; the former is a trapeze artist, while the latter is a pickpocket. Mary gets entangled in a nearly fatal situation with Lieberkind (Miljan), a lion-tamer, and his jealous wife Yonna (Myers), who victimizes Mary.
Cast
- Norma Shearer as Mary
- Charles Emmett Mack as Carlstop
- Carmel Myers as Yonna
- John Miljan as Lieberkind
- Claire McDowell as Mrs. Peterson
- Joyce Coad as Little Anita
- Charles Murray as Circus Member (uncredited)
Reception
From users of IMDb, the film has received a score of 6.8 out 10 from 62 votes.
Preservation status
Thought to have been lost,[1] a print of The Devil's Circus was rediscovered and has been preserved by George Eastman House.[2] Funding for the film's restoration was provided by The Film Foundation.
References
- "Museum of Modern Art press release/book review of Lost Films" (PDF). Museum of Modern Art. August 24, 1970. Retrieved May 19, 2015.
- "Archival Film Prints Available From George Eastman House" (PDF). George Eastman House (eastmanhouse.org). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 23, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2015.