absolutely detestable--and even cute
At The Circus isn't rated as one of the better Marx Brothers comedies; but I myself liked it very much. OK, so many there's not enough joking around between Groucho Marx and Margaret DuMont; but there are numerous great moments in the script and the plot moves along at a very good pace. The acting is very convincing and although the musical numbers could have been cut down a little they do add something when Chico plays the piano, for example.

The action begins when Jeff Wilson (Kenny Baker) forgets about his wealthy aunt's inheritance to run his own circus. Jeff also has plans to marry his sweetheart Julie Randall (Florence Rice). However, what Jeff doesn't know is that his partner John Carter (James Burke) is crooked and wants to own the circus all on his own. Carter wants to be sure that Jeff Wilson won't be able to repay the $10,000 loan he owes to John Carter. Look for a great performance by Eve Arden as "Peerless Pauline," Carter's accomplice in crime.

What happens when Carter sends Goliath (Nat Pendleton) and his buddy Little Professor Atom (Jerry Maren) to get the money from Jeff? Well, they're successful--they steal it.

The plot can go anywhere from here. How will Jeff Wilson get his stolen money back from Carter and his thugs to own the circus and marry his sweetheart Julie? Look to a lawyer named Loophole (Groucho Marx), Goliath's sidekick "Punchy" (Harpo Marx) and circus worker Antonio (Chico Marx) to help Jeff Wilson get the money back.

The scenes with Groucho and Margaret Dumont are good but all too brief; and the musical numbers don't truly fit in with the film. However, the movie is actually rather funny overall so I can give this movie a four star review.

The choreography is great in the final circus scenes and the cinematography works well in framing the characters on the screen.

After all is said and done, don't skip At The Circus. Sure, it's not the very best Marx Brothers film--but, then again, I've seen worse Marx Brothers films from their later years at MGM. The humor is great for an otherwise cloudy day and you won't regret watching this.

"Here is Captain Spaulding, exploring the Amazon."
AT THE CIRCUS is an improvement upon their previous movie (the regrettable ROOM SERVICE) but still a step below the heights they had previously enjoyed at Paramount and MGM. The biggest factor dragging this film down is the annoying and obtrusive romantic subplot. Yes, I know that many Marx Brothers' films suffered from this, but it's particularly annoying here. After having watched this, I'll never complain about the romance in A NIGHT AT THE OPERA again.

While the non-Marx sequences drag and drive me crazy, the Brothers themselves have some fairly decent material to work from here. The sequence with them in the too-small room trying to trick a circus midget into handing over some evidence recalls some of their earlier strong comedic set pieces. Chico and Harpo also raise some laughs when they try to search a strongman's room without waking him up.

On the other hand, I felt that Groucho was a bit shortchanged. His one-liners weren't quite as funny and sharp as some of the material from other films, though he makes the best of it. Oh, and what was up with his hair? Was he wearing a wig or something? Whatever was going on with those follicles, I found it distracting.

The movie brightens considerably once standard foil Margaret Dumont appears a little past the halfway point. What slightly shocked me at first was that her character initially doesn't know who Groucho is, which, although I hadn't realized it until that moment, is very unusual. Still, her charming outrage is always welcome, and I think I noticed that Groucho himself seemed to get a little more lively and funny once she showed up.

I can't say that AT THE CIRCUS is a particularly great film, but it certainly has its moments, and it isn't a waste of time. Even substandard Marx Brothers is usually worth it. And any movie that fires Margaret Dumont out of a canon can't be all bad. But please don't judge the Brothers on just this film. If you're only going to watch one Marx Brothers film, don't make it this one.

Funny,very funny
The title basiclly describes the whole movie. It`s not Duck Soup, or A Day At The Races, but it`s funny anyway. I enjoyed watching this movie very much, mostly for it`s musical numbers, and for it`s once in a while hilarious momensts.

Hey, I liked it!
I didn't see nothing wrong with this film. Anything that is Marx Brothers to me, I know there is going to be laugh after laugh. There are plenty of hilarious gags in this film. The writing isn't too bad. It actually makes some sense. Forget what major film buffs may say. This is one of those "just-for-laughs" films. Though it's true when they were working for Louis B. Mayer, he wouldn't let the trio try out some of their gags and jokes, so that the critics could decide what worked best, but don't let that stop you from watching this. The trio help a circus owner stay in business by taking it to his aunt played by the very funny Margaret Dumont. It's terrible that she only entered more than halfway through the film. It;s worth the wait though. The grand finale circus scene is incredible with a chase by a gorilla, Margaret Dumon't character fired out of a cannon and joining a whole group swinging like trapeze artists. It'll bowl you over.

No Clownin' Around
An above average Marx Brothers film...not in the likes of their best works like "A Day At The Races", "Duck Soup" or "A Night At The Opera"...but certainly better then the likes of "Room Service". It has it's shining moments...however falls a little flat at the end. Overall it's a pretty good comedy in it's own right. If you are a Marx Brothers fan I would recommend getting this movie, if not...then try the aforementioned three at the top.