Summary
Jeff Wilson, the owner of a small circus, owes his partner Carter $10,000. Before Jeff can pay, Carter's accomplices steal the money so he can take over the circus. Antonio Pirelli and Punchy, who work at the circus, together with lawyer Loophole try to find the thief and get the money back.
Good for
- Date night
- Family movie night
- Friends night
Where to watch
Fingerprint
At a glance
Critics vs audiences
Critics like it more than audiences (+25)
Critics 91Audiences 66GoodWatch 78
Tomatometer91%
IMDb6.8
Letterboxd · 5 K ratings3.4/5
Audience score63%
Running time
1 h 27 min
Shorter than most comedies, −13 min on the typical 100
typical 10087Half of all comedies run 91–111 min.
Reach
Streams in 3 countries, rent or buy in 20 more
Released
1939
October 20, 1939
87 years ago
Genres
ComedyMusicLanguage
English
Original language
Made in
- United States
Rated
- NRUnited States
Yes: it's rated NR in the United States, and the viewing guide lists it for kids.
What's in it
- ViolenceLittle or none
- Gore, disturbing imagesLittle or none
- Frightening scenesLittle or none
- Sex, nudityLittle or none
- Dark themesLittle or none
Levels from the title analysis.
Viewing guide
AdultsDate NightFamily Movie NightFriends NightParty VibeIntergenerationalKidsPartner WatchPublic Viewing SafeSolo WatchTeensBackground WatchComfort WatchDrop-in FriendlyPure Escapism
and 27 more41 people
- Groucho MarxAttorney J. Cheever Loophole
- Chico MarxAntonio Pirelli
- Harpo Marx'Punchy'
- Kenny BakerJeff Wilson
- Florence RiceJulie Randall
- Eve ArdenPeerless Pauline
- Margaret DumontMrs. Suzanna Dukesbury
- Nat PendletonGoliath
Fritz FeldJardinet
James BurkeJohn Carter
Jerry MarenLittle Professor Atom (as Jerry Marenghi)
Barnett ParkerWhitcomb
Irving BaconTelegraph Clerk (uncredited)
Willie BestRedcap (uncredited)
Frank OrthChef in Diner (uncredited)- JBJohn BinnsOld Man (uncredited)
- HBHenry BlairUndetermined Role (uncredited)
- GBGeorge BookastaMember of Quarttete (uncredited)
- JCJames ConatyParty Guest (uncredited)
Frank DarienTelegrapher (uncredited)
Dudley DickersonSinger / Dancer - 'Swingali' (uncredited)
Betsy GayCircus Midget (uncredited)
Charles GemoraGibraltar (uncredited)
John GeorgeMan Leaving Diner (uncredited)
Directing · 1
- Edward Buzzell Director
Writing · 2
- Irving Brecher Screenplay
- E.Y. Harburg Lyricist
Production · 1
- Mervyn LeRoy Producer
Camera · 1
- Leonard Smith Director of Photography
Editing · 1
- William H. Terhune Editor
Sound · 3
- Franz Waxman Music Director, Original Music Composer
- Douglas Shearer Recording Supervision
- Harold Arlen Songs
Art · 3
- Cedric Gibbons Art Direction
- Edwin B. Willis Set Decoration
- Stan Rogers Assistant Art Director
Costume & Make-Up · 2
- Fred Valles Costume Design
- Dolly Tree Costume Design
Other crew · 1
- Bobby Connolly Choreographer
More like this
Similar
Most like At the Circus overall
Nearest on the related map: closest in everything it does to you, not one trait
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)
GoodWatch score 64 - The Cameraman (1928)
GoodWatch score 91 - The Front Page (1974)
GoodWatch score 65 - Guys and Dolls (1955)
GoodWatch score 77 - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
GoodWatch score 82 - Without a Clue (1988)
GoodWatch score 65 - The Circus (1928)
GoodWatch score 87 - Chicago (2002)
GoodWatch score 80 - The Pirate (1948)
GoodWatch score 73 - Bugsy Malone (1976)
GoodWatch score 72 - Calamity Jane (1953)
GoodWatch score 71 - Cat Ballou (1965)
GoodWatch score 71 - Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
GoodWatch score 89 - Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967)
GoodWatch score 77 - The Court Jester (1955)
GoodWatch score 88 - Jour de fête (1949)
GoodWatch score 87
Same genre
More comedy movies
- Shrek (2001)
GoodWatch score 82 - Bullet Train (2022)
GoodWatch score 62 - Zootopia 2 (2025)
GoodWatch score 73 - Ice Age (2002)
GoodWatch score 67 - Shazam! (2019)
GoodWatch score 69 - The Terminal (2004)
GoodWatch score 64 - War Dogs (2016)
GoodWatch score 64 - There's Something About Mary (1998)
GoodWatch score 68