During the 1960s there was an entire subgenre of films, most of them German, based on the works of prolific English author Edgar Wallace (1877-1933) who is best known in America for having written the original draft script of KING KONG. He was immensely popular during his lifetime but his reputation rapidly declined after his death. Why he should suddenly become popular again 30 years later, and in Germany of all places, is anybody’s guess.
Over the course of 13 years (1959-1972) there were 32 German films based on Wallace’s books known as “krimis” or crime stories but a few were made elsewhere including 3 in England by producer Harry Alan Towers of which CIRCUS OF FEAR (1966) was the last. Thanks to it’s retitling as PSYCHO-CIRCUS with most of the caper elements removed and Christopher Lee’s name on the marquee, the movie was marketed as a horror movie which it definitely is not. People who rent or buy the film with that in mind are justifiably annoyed when they find that out but CIRCUS is actually a decent crime/mystery film when seen here in it’s original uncut version (91 min -vs- 67 min) and in color.
The film opens with a well executed robbery on Tower Bridge where half-a-million pounds are stolen. Unfortunately one of the payroll guards is killed and the thieves are forced to split up. An anonymous tip leads to the capture of most of the gang. The one with the money is killed near a circus. When a member of the troop (Lee) accidentally finds the money, he hides it. Cut to the circus where we meet squabbling performers, see a few circus acts, and witness a couple of knife murders. Is it the knife thrower? the lion tamer?, or perhaps a blackmailing dwarf? It’s up to the ringmaster (Heinz Drache) and a Scotland Yard inspector (Leo Genn) to find out.
Perennial nutcase Klaus Kinski is there, along with Drache, for the German audience where this film was well received. It’s much closer in spirit and style to Joan Crawford’s BERSERK (1967) than to CIRCUS OF HORRORS (1960). However if you’re a fan of crime fiction, enjoy caper films, and aren’t overly picky, then CIRCUS OF FEAR is an engaging enough way to kill an hour and a half. Just don’t expect great filmmaking even if it was made by the man who gave us HORROR HOTEL.
The Capsule Critic 