Polly of the Circus

This is probably the weakest of Marion Davies' MGM talkies because of the story and the likely cuts (it runs only 70 minutes). But Davies is fine as the spunky circus girl who falls for a small-town parson (Clark Gable) despite all the warning signs.

Based on a 1906 Broadway play and the 1917 silent films version (which starred Mae Marsh), the story seems a tad old fashioned but in 1932 America was still largely rural and hick towns maintained their 19th century prejudices.

Anyway, Polly causes a sensation when the circus comes to town and the hicks cover up the pictures of her in her trapeze outfit with pieces of cloth. But they turn out for the show. When someone in the audience yells out something rude, she makes a mistake in her aerial act and falls to the ground. She's taken to the parson's house (because it's close by) to recuperate. They fall in love and get married.

But the hayseeds don't want a parson who's married to a circus girl and he loses his job. Convinced she's causing his career harm, she picks a fight and goes back to the circus. Will love win out over small-town prejudice?

Davies is very good and Gable (still a rising star at MGM) is ok as the parson. Raymond Hatton is snarky as the drunken caretaker, and Maude Eburne is good. There's also C. Aubrey Smith as Gable's uncle, David Landau as the circus manager, and Ray Milland has a small role as a church usher.

Worth a look.

Marion Davies and her famous sugar daddy William Randolph Hearst selected a curious item for this film. Polly Of The Circus was a Broadway play in the first decade of the last century which must have been quite a sight. Looking at the original stage cast included a family of acrobats for this circus story. This was many years before Rodgers&Hart produced the ultimate circus show extravaganza, Jumbo.

The play was authored by Margaret Mayo and it premiered on New Year's Eve and ran 160 performances in 1908. Nine years later a film version was done starring Mae Marsh. The story is about a circus trapeze artist whose legs are on prominent display in the poster advertising offending the moral sensibilities of the church folks. The setting is Oneonta, New York and the local bishop of the Episcopal church (and I'm guessing by the vestments the domination)is headquartered there and played by C. Aubrey Smith.

Smith has a young nephew starting out in his church and he's played by Clark Gable. Gable's no more believable here as a minister than he was as a Salvation Army Worker opposite Joan Crawford in Laughing Sinners. But Gable was cast for sex appeal not saintliness.

Davies takes a fall off the trapeze and Gable takes her to his and Smith's house to mend. Of course they fall for each other and a nasty house servant played by Raymond Hatton spreads some vicious gossip. Smith has to listen to it and it derails Gable's promising career in the church.

I imagine Polly Of The Circus was probably something W.R. Hearst saw back in 1908 on stage and liked it and kept in mind for Marion Davies when he started seeing her. It's a quaint old fashioned play, the stuff that Hearst liked for Davies. It was old fashioned in 1932 and certainly is in 2009.

After a bad fall from the trapeze, POLLY OF THE CIRCUS recuperates in the home of a handsome young clergyman.

Marion Davies uses her considerable talent to enliven this piece of inconsequential fluff, making it an enjoyable time waster. As the mistress of one of the country's most powerful men, she could have easily demanded a solemn spectacle to spotlight her skills. But her ego did not run in that direction and, as always, she's a delight to watch--even though the film itself (which she also produced) is exceedingly silly.

MGM&'s newest young leading man, Clark Gable, is quietly effective as the rector who wins Davies' heart. Cast somewhat against type, he gives an earnest portrayal of a man devoted to God above almost anything else. The macho mannerisms which later became such a dominate part of his screen roles are largely missing here. And it’s obvious that he never forgets that he's the co-star -- Marion Davies is the one who gets to shine.

Wonderful old Sir C. Aubrey Smith lends his grave dignity to the role of Gable's uncle, the bishop. Elderly Raymond Hatton steals a couple of scenes as the rectory's self-righteous, alcoholic servant. David Landau is effective as the goodhearted circus manager. Comic actress Maude Eburne appears all too briefly as Davies’ Irish nurse--but the viewer is treated to Davies' impersonation of her.

Movie mavens will recognize an unbilled Ray Milland as a church usher.

Although obviously using actual trapeze artists as stunt doubles, the aerial sequences under the circus big top are still nerve-wracking to watch.

Marion Davies and Clark Gable star in Polly of the Circus from 1932.

Davies plays Polly, a star trapeze artist with the circus. When the circus enters a small town, she is infuriated that her costume is covered with a skirt on all of the posters because the place is "conservative."

She visits the local minister, John Harley (Gable) and accuses him of ordering the change, but he says he didn't. And, intrigued, he visits the circus that night to see her perform.

Polly falls from the trapeze and suffers an injury. I'm not sure what it was - I assume it was her back, though I never saw her get any treatment. She was brought to the minister's house because it's nearby. She's told she will have to rest for up to several months. That's fine with her because she's falling for the minister.

In fact, they fall for one another and marry, to the chagrin of Hartley's uncle (C. Aubrey Smith), a higher up in the church who can't accept that John married a circus performer. John leaves his job in that parish, but finds he has been pretty much blacklisted. Polly decides on a course of action so he can be re-enstated.

I just saw "Mank" and I will admit I hated the portrayal of Marion Davies by Amanda Seyfried, though she received raves. She had a very exaggerated New York accent and, to me, projected none of the class Marion Davies did in her performances.

Davies is absolutely lovely here, funny, warm, and likeable. Gable in an early role is very sincere and pleasant.

There is some dazzling trapeze work.

Ray Milland has a walk-on.

Enjoyable.

POLLY OF THE CIRCUS (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1932), directed by Alfred Santell, stars Marion Davies in the title role taken from the 1907 play by Margaret Mayo. Previously filmed for Goldwyn Studios in the silent era (1917) starring Mae Marsh, this early sound retelling is better known more for the youthful presence of Clark Gable early in his career. Though Davies was a bigger marque name than Gable at the time, and deemed suitable as Mademoiselle Polly of the circus, many regard Gable miscast as the Episcopal minister. Having already played a man preaching the word of God as a Salvation Army officer in LAUGHING SINNERS (1931), the same year he enacted such villainous characters, namely in NIGHT NURSE (Warner Brothers), Gable was slowly developing from tough guy to man of romance without losing his he-man exterior. With material brought up to date, this 69 minute screen edition gives some idea as to how either the play or silent screen adaptation were earlier presented.

The story revolves around Polly Fisher (Marion Davies) a trapeze artist for the Nailor Circus on a train bound to the Vermont town of Oronta. Many in the troupe notice the passing billboards featuring Polly in tights with her legs covered by bloomers. Because Oronta is a conservative town where residents find Polly's poster indecent, Polly seeks to find the one responsible for disfiguring her posters. She heads over to the church to confront the Reverend John Hartley, mistaking the much elder Reverend James Northcutt (C. Aubrey Smith) for Hartley. She becomes surprised to find the real Hartley (Clark Gable), Northcutt's nephew and rector of the church, to be a much younger man. Learning the one actually responsible for the improved billboards, Polly still insists on performing in the manner of her photographed poster. During a matinee performance doing a trapeze act where John is seen seated in the audience, Polly meets with a serious accident, plunging 50 feet to the ground. With the hospital being too far away, Polly is taken to John's nearby ministry house where she, under doctor's orders, must remain for several weeks, much to the dismay of Downey (Raymond Hatton), a maintenance worker who feels Polly to be immoral. John agrees in having Mrs. Jennings (Maude Eburne) look after Polly during her weeks of recuperation. During that time, Polly becomes a changed person having been reading the Bible in her spare time and soon becomes John's love interest. Under the objections of his uncle, John marries Polly anyway. Finding that no other congregation will take him in as their minister, John earns his living selling Bibles at $28 a week. Realizing John's first love is his church, Polly must come to a decision to what she can do to save her husband from any further disgrace.

Others in the cast include David Landau (Beef); Guinn Williams (Eric); Ruth Selwyn (Mitzi); Clark Marshall (Don) and Little Billy (Half-Pint). Look fast for the uncredited Ray Milland in three brief scenes.

As much as the role of John Hartley could have been played by either a Leslie Howard or newcomer Franchot Tone (not yet working for MGM), Clark Gable's presence and the well-staged trapeze acts (performed by professional doubles) makes this worth watching. It's also one movie where one wishes Gable performed with a mustache, which would have made him appear a much stronger character. His trademark mustache, however, wouldn't happen until the latter half of STRANGE INTERLUDE (1932). Yet, when he reunited again with Marion Davies one last time for CAIN AND MABEL (Warner Brothers, 1936), Gable went minus mustache one last time on screen. Though both films starring Davies and Gable are agreeable productions, they each lack any sense of greatness.

Available on DVD, POLLY OF THE CIRCLE did have some cable television showings over the years, namely Showtime (2007) and more frequently on Turner Classic Movies. (**)