Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

This may have been a stage hit in 1935, but by 1962, it was a stale offering. Cecil B. DeMille had already done everything in his ancient bag of tricks to kill off the circus theme for good ten years earlier with his antique, sentimental extravaganza "The Greatest Show on Earth" in 1952. Jumbo did nothing to revive MGM's glory as the producers of great musical entertainment. I couldn't sit through this entire movie. Doris Day, Jimmy Durante, and Martha Raye----what a trio. Durante and Raye can only be taken in by small portions at a time and an entire movie with them in it is just too much to digest without discomfort. Stephen Boyd is in the cast but the less said about this wooden, uninteresting actor, the better. This movie is a real stinker. And this implies no offense to the title performer, the enormous elephant Jumbo and his toilet habits.

Billy Rose's Jumbo may have a few slow parts and Stephen Boyd's wooden performance as said already. The energy and colour as well as the songs and performances make up for that in a huge way though. The story may be silly and not the most focused, but it is very charming and warm-hearted as well that you don't care so much when the film makes a big and successful effort to entertain regardless. Throughout the film looks beautiful with lots of colour. The songs, especially The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, Over and Over Again and My Romance are wonderful, while the script is full of snappy lines("what elephant" is a classic and it is very easy to see why), the choreography has a lot of energy and charisma and the stunts although difficult are made to look easy, a tell-tale sign of the commitment and professionalism of those involved. For favourite scenes, the rousing opening and the hilarious scene where Jimmy Durante tries to hide the elephant are personal picks. Aside from Boyd the performances are very good. Doris Day shows a wisdom, warmth, sassy comic timing and an ability also to be dramatically heartfelt, and in terms of her singing she can't be faulted. My Romance is just sublime. Jimmy Durante is hilarious and has a lot of effortless charm, and Martha Raye matches him every step of the way. Jumbo steals all the scenes he appears in too. Billy Rose's Jumbo is solidly directed with a relatively light touch. In conclusion, a pleasure to watch and recommended for Rodgers/Hart and Doris Day fans. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Doris Day goes to the circus. As you might expect, there is a plot involving a mean rival circusman trying to put Ms. Day's circus out to pasture. Day runs the circus with her pop Jimmy Durante. Stephen Boyd is the high wire act, love interest, and man of mystery.There are long, dull sequences depicting circus performers doing their thing; by 1962, you'd think movie makers would have figure out this circus stuff works better when seen live. The main attraction is the elephant who gives the film its title, "Jumbo". Elephants can't display too much personality on the screen, and Jumbo comes off as more frightening than endearing, despite the wink. He may scare smaller children. It's also unnerving to see Day and Mr. Boyd flying around in the air.On the plus side, Day and Mr. Durante are fine; have these two ever delivered a less-than-professional performance? The music helps move the film along, but the male lead should have been assigned to a musical performer equal to Doris Day. Martha Raye is an entertaining love interest for Durante."The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" and "Why Can't I?" are more famous songs, but Day's solo "Little Girl Blue" is the film's real highlight, due to Day's splendid performance. ***** Jumbo (1962) Charles Walters ~ Doris Day, Jimmy Durante, Stephen Boyd

JUMBO is a very curious musical film to me for several reasons. It was one of the first musical films I ever saw. I watched it in the auditorium of my public school in Queens in the 1963 - not in a movie house. I suppose it was shown because it deals with a circus theme. Secondly, it is based on a musical by Rogers and Hart that was made in the middle of the 1930s, starring Jimmy Durante. In fact, the movie kept one of Durante's classic moments of stage comedy. He is trying to lure the elephant off the circus grounds, and is moving very quietly followed by Jumbo, and is being nonchalant while doing this. Then a guard stops them, yelling, "Where are you going with that elephant?!" Looking haughty and insulted, Durante stretches to his full height, and asks, " ELEPHANT? WHAT ELEPHANT?!"The original Broadway show was a real extravaganza, due to it's circus setting - produced by the legendary showman Billy Rose. If you are not old enough to recall Rose, you may remember that James Caan played him in the movie FUNNY LADY (the sequel to FUNNY GIRL, that starred Barbara Streisand as Rose's wife Fanny Brice).The real Jumbo was the elephant who is associated with P.T. Barnum's circus in the 19th Century. That Jumbo was originally a star of the London Zoo, very popular with children in England who were allowed to ride his back. Barnum bought him in 1882, and he was the last great star in the impresario's career. Unfortunately Jumbo got killed in Canada in 1885 in a tragic railroad yard collision.Here Jumbo is the star attraction at a circus that is run by Durante, Martha Raye, and Doris Day. But the circus has attracted the attention of Dean Jagger (in one of his villainous roles). Jagger wants to get control of the small circus and Jumbo, and slowly does just that. To confuse the matter, Stephen Boyd plays a trapeze walker who romances Day. Boyd turns out to be Jagger's son, and something of a spy on the competition. The romance between Boyd and Day adds to the tension of the film.The music is first rate, particularly the introductory "Over and Over Again", and the number which is the sweetest moment in Durante's movie career - when he is marrying Martha Raye, he sings "The Most Beautiful Girl In the World" to her. It is an adorable moment, as these two plain people glow with affection for each other. Well worth catching the film for that reason alone.