not as good as all the hype

Instant Favorite.

I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

....repent at leisure" that's the proverb starry eyed trapezist Kay Rogers will remember always. June Travis and Bob Livingston were a popular team for the budget Republic studios. This was one of their best features - Travis plays Kay, the "circus girl" who at the start marries controlling Charlie (Don Cook). He is not well liked among the circus folk although only Bob (Livingston) realises he is juggling Kay along with long time love Carlotta (Betty Compson), the lion tamer, who is determined to remain his only love. Bob calls him a "two timing egotistical heel" and following a fight, Bob fumbles his grip on the trapeze and Charlie finishes up in hospital, his high flying days over. It's clear it was an accident and everyone believes it but Charlie nurses a grudge and eagerly plots revenge.It may be called "Circus Girl" and June Travis is very pretty but it is Don Cook's film all the way. His first role was as the upright, older brother in "The Public Enemy" and that's how his film career panned out - solid, dependable but with that flinty gaze that hinted he could turn nasty. Nasty he was in this one - putting on a "let bygones be bygones" face and coming up with a wow of an idea for a high wire act for Bob that will leave audiences spellbound. Bob's trapeze stunt will be performed above an open top lion cage and, unbeknownst to Bob, to make it even more thrilling, Charlie has cut the rope so it's a question of when and not if Bob will hurtle into the lion's den below!!A few old timers in the cast - Charlie Murray and Betty Compson who never really stopped working from the time she hit stardom in "The Miracle Man"(1919).

Donald Cook, June Travis and Robert Livingston star in this low-budget B-movie from Republic Pictures. The fact that this studio made it isn't surprising, as Livingston was a very familiar face in their cowboy films.The film is set, not surprisingly, at a circus. The film is about three trapeze artists. A nice young lady (Travis) is infatuated with a handsome and VERY confident new man to their troop (Cook). Little does she know that the other trapeze artist (Livingston) is infatuated with her as well. Soon she marries Cook, but Cook quickly realizes Livingston is interested in Travis--and they get into a fight. Soon after this, Cook falls from the trapeze and he assumes Livingston dropped him by mistake. See the film to see what happens next in this circus romance.All in all, a reasonably diverting film. There is a problem with the film, however, and that is the ending. This just didn't feel right and Travis' reaction was inexplicable. HOWEVER, this might not be the fault of the filmmakers. That's because the version now available is severely truncated--and runs well under an hour. Perhaps in its original form the ending made more sense and Travis' change of attitude made more sense. As is, it just seemed rushed and incomplete despite being an otherwise good film.

A very interesting gem, this John H Auer film. I have never heard of it before. We could say it's a circus feature. One more. Of course, it's not as blazing as Cecil B De Mille's GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH. But it's quite interesting anyway. A tale of jealousy, murder, treason and revenge among circus people, acrobats, to be more specific. I have seen some films of this kind, and I don't remember all the titles, sorry. One of these was directed by William Berke.Back to this one, the story is well paced, efficient in the shooting, and the climax palpitating.A very good gem. Forgotten gem. Such a shame.