Wenn der Zirkus kommt

Originally broadcast as a "Movie of the Week" by CBS in 1981, "When The Circus Came to Town" is a thoughtful, lovely, quiet film about a woman nearing middle age, bored with a sheltered and sterile life, who suddenly decides to leave home and join the circus when it comes to her small town. In the process, her eyes are finally opened to life, for better and for worse, but she is awakened and, ultimately, content. Elizabeth Montgomery gives yet another of her patented superior performances; there isn't a false note. She is helped enormously by supporting players, sure-handed direction, and the kind of TV-movie writing that has sadly and completely disappeared over the years. Also to be lauded is the fact that this is the only film involving circus life in which its denizens aren't portrayed as sleazy, oversexed losers or out-and-out scumbags, though they ARE outside the "norm". It is refreshing to see a sensitive viewpoint. For all these reasons, this was quite a successful broadcast for CBS, and was thereafter often found on many a late-night-movie schedule, back in the days when they HAD late-night-movie schedules. Alas, those days are long gone and many worthwhile TV films from the Golden Age of the TV Movie - the 70's & early 80's - have disappeared altogether, without even the benefit of a video release. Such a shame. Perhaps amongst the glut of DVD's being released this, too, will find a new home and audience. It certainly deserves as much.

5.5 stars of 10. Somehow through the years, this made for TV movie has become an Underground Cult Classic Masterpiece according to many film historians. And I certainly don't want to take the complete wrong side of the argument, but this film is not great, but it is a fairly good film.

It stars Christopher Plummer and Eileen Brennan alongside Elizabeth Montgomery. Plummer and Brennan put on extremely good performances in this film, and there is a scene with just the 2 of them with about 10 minutes to go in the movie where Plummer and Brennan talk about a 'purple and green' jacket, and this scene is an absolute great performance by both of them.

Boris Sagal's Direction is competent and he does a fairly good job. Unfortunately, Sagal passed away at a very young age shortly after this film was released as he died in a tragic helicopter accident, the only movie Sagal directed after this was 'Dial 'M' For Murder' which was also released in 1981 and also starred Christopher Plummer. As tragic and unexpected as Sagal's death was, he was very prolific and left behind many films that he directed, including a lot of good films.

Elizabeth Montgomery is okay in her role, and I certainly don't want to bad mouth Montgomery because she isn't bad in the film, but she is not on the same wave as Plummer and Brennan, and it's apparently obvious in most scenes.

The best part here is Tommy Madden as the midget, who offers the only scenes of some interesting humanity. He becomes her first friend, as she runs away with a circus directly after her mother's funeral, the circus caravan and the funeral party actually collide, but nothing special is made of that scene. Christopher Plummer is excellent as always and fully convincing as the casual circus director, and Elizabeth Montgomery is always interesting and perfect in roles involving some maturing and developing. The story is casual however: she joins a circus just to get away from her humdrum home life and after a while leaves it to return home. There is no real drama in between, and the circus performances fall rather flat in comparison with more serious circus films, like Elia Kazan's and Carol Reed's, but this is just for the television, so it is excused for its short story character.

I had the opportunity to see this movie several years ago and have hoped to see it again, but as it is a made-for-TV-movie, we may not have that opportunity. This was a quiet movie but very profound. It about when the circus came to a small town and a woman who had always lived there and lived a normal, every day, routine life, went to the circus and decided to join it. This was quite a leap for a person like her, so it seems she must have been bored with her life and the every day goings on in her world. I am a Christopher Plummer fan and enjoy watching him every chance I get. It's too bad if this movie is not released on DVD.

When a small circus stops in Savannah, a bored 40-ish spinster (Montgomery) decides to enlist on a lark. Christopher Plummer plays the owner/ringleader while Eileen Brennan and Tommy Madden are on hand as members of the troupe.

"When the Circus Came to Town" (1981) is a drama with a few amusing touches set at a traveling circus. Elizabeth was 47 during shooting and, amazingly, still looks like she did on Bewitched (which ended 9 years earlier), not to mention she's appealing in a circus outfit.

There are the expected clowns, acrobats, high wire artists, elephants and big cats, but the focus is on the four characters noted above and the drama thereof, which is relatively realistic and, by the end, heartwarming. The flick's entertaining in the manner of "Roustabout" or "Circus of Horrors," minus the horror elements of the latter.

While a TV movie, it's worth checking out if you're in the mood for something along the lines of "Water for Elephants," "The Greatest Show on Earth," "The Big Circus," "Circus of Fear," aka "Psycho-Circus," "Trapeze" and those other two. Sure, it's lowkey in comparison to blockbusters like "Water for Elephants" and "The Greatest Show on Earth," but it has its points of interest and is well done, all things considered.

The film runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot in Savannah, Georgia.

GRADE: B-