Most folks like to go to the circus for thrills, chills, and, maybe, spills...and that's also why they like to go to horror movies...so, combining the two is a natural for Hollywood as you'll see in our...

By JOE WINTERS

Ladeeez and gentlemen and children of all ages! Step right up to some of the most incredible sights in the civilized world!

See death-defying acts featuring ferocious animals! Acrobatic wonders! Amazing illusions! Feats of incredible skill! And, of course, those hilarious clowns!

Even after such a build-up, some people still find the circus dull.

Others see it as a nearly lost art form which should be experienced at least once in your life. Filmmakers from Charlie Chaplin to Cecil B. DeMille have managed to use the circus as an entertaining backdrop for some of the great classics of the screen. But by the time the 1960’s rolled around, it seemed the circus formula had been exhausted with 1959’s The Big Circus and its all-star cast that included genre greats Vincent Price and Peter Lorre.

This was perhaps Horror-wood’s cue to stir up the old sawdust by adding murder to the mix. Now grab some peanuts, and settle in as we present in ring number-one…

Circus Of Horrors (1960). It begins in England in 1947, with a woman’s facial disfigurement, the result of a botched plastic surgery effort by one Dr. Rossiter (Anton Diffring). Eluding the police, Rossiter himself is disfigured in a car crash. With the help of his friends Angela (Jane Hylton) and Martin (Kenneth Griffith), Rossiter repairs his face, and the three flee to France.

Rossiter, calling himself Dr. Schueler, soon encounters Monsieur Vanet (Donald Pleasence), the owner of a poor traveling circus. Schueler fixes the bomb-damaged face of Vanet’s child Nicole in exchange for control of the circus. Later, the drunken Vanet is killed by his own bear, as Schueler does nothing to rescue the man. Schueler soon begins populating his circus with criminals whose faces he can change and whose lives he can control. Cut to Berlin, ten years later, where the Schueler Circus is a huge success.

Elissa, the high-wire artist, is even better at soliciting applause than she was at soliciting men. Nevertheless, Elissa is jealous of Magda the equestrian rider who gets top billing. Magda is Schueler’s favorite in more ways than one, but she plans to dump Schueler for a wealthier man. What do you suppose happens when Magda is a guest participant in Chief Eagle Eye’s knife-throwing act?

The German authorities notify Scotland Yard as the jinxed circus makes its way to London, where Schueler plans to unveil his latest find, the lion tamer Melina. Inspector Ames, posing as a reporter, infiltrates the circus. During his romance with Elissa, he sees her surgery scars. Superintendent Andrews makes the connection between Schueler and Rossiter. Before it’s all over, there’s a lot more death and revenge, in and out of the ring, involving a boa constrictor, a mishandled high wire, a mad gorilla, insufficiently tranquilized jungle cats (they can be murder), a stabbing, and a fateful encounter with Rossiter’s first victim.

Under the direction of the late Sidney Hayers, Circus Of Horrors also benefits from a screenplay by George Baxt, who, that same year penned Horror Hotel, and would help Hayers and writer Richard Matheson make Burn, Witch, Burn a couple years later. Anton Diffring, fresh from playing Hammer’s The Man Who Could Cheat Death, brings added complexity to the role of Rossiter/Schueler, a character obsessed with ugliness and beauty.

Diffring did a few other horror roles, as well as an assortment of German officers, authorities, and villains. Donald Pleasence is no stranger to these and many other types of films, while the movie’s bevy of big top babes includes Yvonne Monlaur (Marianne in Brides Of Dracula) and Yvonne Romain (the mute servant girl in Curse Of The Werewolf).

Kenny Baker, a dwarf in the film, would go on to greater fame as R2-D2 in some space epic, the title of which escapes me.

But back on earth, on with the show! Preeesenting in ring number two:

Circus Of Fear (1966). Here the action doesn’t begin under the big top, either, but with the elaborate heist of an armored van full of cash. One guard is hastily shot and dies before he can say anything to the police. The shooter is, in turn, disposed of later by the gang’s unseen knife-throwing boss, and the money is taken. An anonymous tip leads to a high-speed chase of a van used in the robbery.

From there the trail leads to Barbarini’s Circus and the The Great Gregor (Christopher Lee), a lion tamer who hides his disfigured face under a black hood (too bad he didn’t know Dr.Rossiter).

Barbarini (Anthony Newlands) suspects the dwarf "Mr. Big" (Skip Martin) of blackmailing Gregor and others in the circus. Meanwhile, Manfred (Klaus Kinski), one of the robbers from the heist, arrives "looking for work." Later still, circus performer Gina (Margaret Lee) sees her secret lover’s knife collection, which features the same special markings on the handle of the knife we saw in the dead body from earlier (still following this?).

Inspector Elliot (Leo Genn), posing as a photo journalist (sounds familiar), infiltrates the circus’ winter quarters. A fight breaks out between Gina’s jealous husband Mario and Ringmaster Carl. With these characters and more, it’s only a matter of time before the body count escalates, and along the way there’s more greed, blackmail, mistaken identity, and sudden death than you can pack under just one tent.

Also known as Psycho-Circus, the movie’s plot twists and red herrings are all part of the fast-paced fun, even though the film itself appears a bit choppy at times, and the color prints I’ve seen are somewhat faded. By the way, check some of the shots of the audience in Circus Of Horrors and Circus Of Fear, and you’ll see some of the same crowd! Either circus fans are incredibly loyal, or filmmakers are incredibly…economical.

This brings us to ring number three and 1967’s Berserk. which at least begins in the circus and starred the still-shapely Joan Crawford as circus-owner Monica Rivers. She saves money by being her own ringmaster.

But even before the opening titles, high-wire artist Gaspar the Great meets his death when the wire snaps, wraps around his neck, and hangs him.

Co-owner of the circus Dorando (Michael Gough) wants to leave, but Monica isn’t ready to buy him out yet. Meanwhile, poor Gaspar’s body is barely cold when Frank Hawkins (Ty Hardin) applies for the high-wire job.

Suspicions and personality conflicts continue among the circus folk, stirred up by trouble-making Matilda (Diana Dors). When another murder occurs, Scotland Yard steps up it’s own investigation, but it doesn’t stop the killer from striking again and again.

And still more complications result when Monica’s daughter Angela (Judy Geeson) arrives to patch up her differences with Mom. But is Mommie Dearest doing the killing to draw more crowds, or is Berserk just a lurid variation on Crawford’s classic Mildred Pierce?

While "Berserk" has more gloss and budget than Circus Of Horrors or Circus Of Fear, along with a few spectacular deaths (yes, this is the one where a character gets a spike driven through the back of his head), the overall experience of the movie is not as satisfying.

The circus footage may be different than in the previous films, but there’s a lot of it with time spent dwelling on cute routine acts. In fact, the murders seem almost incidentally thrown in every so often to keep us awake. Still, there’s some fun to be had as Joan teases Michael Gough and later romances younger hunk Hardin.

One of Crawford’s best lines in the movie is "You’ll have 25 percent of the circus, and a hundred percent of me." It’s "Queen Bee" all over again. In fact, most of the women in the film come off as more domineering and more intelligent than the men. Admittedly, the men in the movie aren’t very bright, though.

The dialogue is more sleazy (for the time) than witty, and there’s even an obligatory cat fight (not lions or tigers, just women). Also, you’ll notice an obvious plug for a certain cola company, the president of which Joan happened to be married to.

So, which psycho circus movie takes home the kewpie doll?

I love Joan, but I’d say it’s a toss-up between the first two films.

Hey, you decide. As for me, I’m outta here before someone hands me a shovel and points me toward the elephants!

Hey, don't run off, Joe...Dr. Schueler says it's not a bad job really...the elephants are so friendly...and you get all the cotton candy you can eat...

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