Circus (1936 film)

Circus (Russian: Цирк; translit. Tsirk) is a 1936 Soviet melodramatic comedy musical film. It was directed by Grigori Aleksandrov and Isidor Simkov at the Mosfilm studios. In his own words, it was conceived as "an eccentric comedy...a real side splitter."

Contents

• Russian lullaby from the movie circus tsirk ussr 1936 with subtitles
• Flight to the stratosphere from the movie circus tsirk ussr 1936 with subtitles
• Plot
• Cast
• Interesting facts
• Circus ext russian tsirk 1936 soviet melodramatic musical film
• References

Starring the glamorous and immensely popular Lyubov Orlova (Aleksandrov's wife), the first recognized star of Soviet cinema and a gifted singer, the film contains several songs which instantly became Soviet classics. The most famous is the "Song of the Motherland" (Широка страна моя родная).

The film was based on a comedy written by Ilf and Petrov and Valentin Kataev and performed by Moscow music hall, Under the Circus Dome (Под куполом цирка), which was seen and liked by Aleksandrov. They made the play into the plot, but during the initial film shooting they went to America. Upon return, they disliked the director's interpretation, and after a conflict they abandoned the work, forbade the mention of their names in the credits, and further work on the plot was continued by Isaac Babel.

Plot

Orlova plays an American circus artist who, after giving birth to a black baby (played by James Lloydovich Patterson), immediately becomes a victim of racism and is forced to stay in the circus, but finds refuge, love and happiness in the USSR. Her black son is embraced by friendly Soviet people. The movie climaxes with a lullaby being sung to the baby by representatives of various Soviet ethnicities taking turns.

The film was digitally colorized in 2011 in Russia.

Cast

Lyubov Orlova as Marion Dixon, American actress and circus artist.

James Patterson as Jimmy, Marion's baby

Sergei Stolyarov as Ivan Petrovich Martinov, Soviet performance director

Pavel Massalsky as Franz von Kneishitz, corrupt theatrical agent

Vladimir Volodin as Ludvig, Soviet circus director

Yevgeniya Melnikova as Rayechka, the director's daughter

Aleksandr Komissarov as Skameikin

Nikolai Otto as Charlie Chaplin

Solomon Mikhoels as Cameo

Interesting facts

The name of the heroine Marion Dixon - a tribute to the popularity of the famous actress and singer Marlene Dietrich

In early 1953 the verses from the lullaby, sung in Yiddish (that where performed by Solomon Mikhoels) were removed. After Stalin's death the verses were returned.

The well known animal trainer Boris Eder substituted for Aleksandr Komissarov in Skameikin's flower fight with the lions.

The Flight to the Moon stunt coordinated and performed by three Kharkiv inventors where the extreme sports athlete Vera Buslaeva substituted for Lyubov Orlova for the cameras.