At the Circus Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

At the Circus Blu-ray Movie Review

Lions and tigers and... a gorilla?

Reviewed by Randy Miller III December 5, 2025

Continuing their run of Marx Bros. films distributed by MGM (see also A Night At the Opera and A Day At the Races), Warner Archive soldiers on with 1939's At the Circus. This was the first of two Marx films directed by Edward Buzzell and arrived roughly a year before Go West and, by most accounts, falls right in the middle as far as enjoyment goes: it's home to a few risqué gags and even an on-screen acknowledgement of the Hays Code, but this slightly sanded-down adventure still entertains thanks to its relatively breezy pace, clever visual gags and, of course, the reliable chemistry of the brothers themselves (as well as Margaret Dumont, who finally shows up in the third act).

As its title implies, this three-ring comedy follows the exploits of Wilson's Wonder Circus as it finally starts to turn a profit... and it's a good thing, too, because owner Jeff Wilson (Kenny Baker) has recently been disinherited by his rich aunt, Susanna Dukesbury (Dumont). No matter: steady business has allowed Jeff to save up $10,000 and finally pay off entrepreneur John Carter (James Burke), and he promises to hand over the money during a train ride to the next host city. Unfortunately, Jeff's cash is stolen by Carter's lackeys, the circus strongman Goliath (Nat Pendleton) and his midget sidekick Professor Atom (Jerry Maren), meaning that Carter will get his money back and take over the circus. Jeff's only hope is the detective work of employees Antonio 'Tony' Pirelli (Chico Marx) and the mute "Punchy" (Harpo Marx), as well as Tony's best friend and lawyer, J. Cheever Loophole (Groucho Marx), all along for the ride.

Following a similar formula to that of A Day At the Races and other Marx Bros. films from this era, At the Circus frequently entertains with a mixture of razor-sharp one-liners, broad slapstick, musical performances, and an over-the-top finale. It chugs along nicely -- even through a third act that pivots to the estate of Susanna Dukesbury as she's tricked by J. Cheever Loophole to book the circus at her swanky dinner party -- with detours into Professor Atom's tiny quarters, upside-down trickery with acrobat Peerless Pauline (Eve Arden), snooping in Goliath's room, and several near-deadly interactions with Gibraltar the gorilla (Charles Gemora in a suit). It's all fun and games for the most part, with At the Circus' only real dead stops being the lukewarm romance between Jeff Wilson and performer/girlfriend Julie Randall (Florence Rice), which grinds the film's momentum to a quicker halt with each new interaction.

Even so, what's here will still entertain die-hard Marx Bros. fans and, as usual, Warner Archive's restoration brings the film back to life more than eight decades after its theatrical debut. The A/V quality is first-rate under the circumstances, which means that owners of the boutique label's 2020 DVD will definitely be able to retire those discs.

At the Circus Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As usual for an MGM title from this era, the "best available source material" for WAC's sparkling new restoration of At the Circus was a fine-grain safety made by the studio during their preservation/conversion program in the early 1960s, more than a decade before the 1978 George Eastman House fire that claimed the original nitrate negatives of countless feature films. Warner Archive's regular and extremely careful treatment of this type of material is always first-rate and, as clearly suggested by these direct-from-disc screenshots, rivals that of a true OCN scan with its crisp fine detail, well-handled grain structure, excellent contrast, and deep blacks. As always, these highlights doesn't come at the expense of dirt and debris, which has been carefully removed using the boutique label's proprietary method of manual cleanup. Aside from trace amounts of flickering and a few other anomalies (which can certainly be entirely forgiven under the circumstances), this is a uniformly strong presentation that die-hard fans will truly appreciate.

At the Circus Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Not surprisingly, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix holds up its end of the deal, presenting the film's original mono source in a split two-channel mix for wider playback that doesn't sacrifice sonic accuracy. Dialogue and sound effects are very clear, although the optional English (SDH) subtitles may help you to fully decipher some of the quickest one-liners and exchanges, while Franz Waxman's original score and the music numbers sound lively as well. No age-related wear-and-tear could be heard aside from trace amounts of hiss, which is actually good news for the film's overall dynamic range. In all respects, this is a quality presentation and equally impressive in its own right.

At the Circus Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with charming vintage poster-themed cover artwork. Extras include a handful of pre-show entertainment from the era, although most of it is in pretty rough condition.

• Dog Daze (10:37) - This 1939 Our Gang adventure finds our heroes deep in debt with neighborhood bully Butch to the tune of 37 cents, so they turn to rescuing stray dogs for reward money.

• Jitterbug Follies (8:45) - One of only two cartoons based on Milt Gross' comic strip Count Screwloose from Tooloose (the other being Wanted: No Master), this black-and-white short also stars J.R. the Wonder Dog and concerns an amateur talent show that might not be playing by its own rules.

• Leo Is On the Air (11:28) - An audio-only promotional piece that promotes the main feature.

• Theatrical Trailer (3:15) - This vintage promo can also be seen here.

• Song Selection - Instant access to the film's 9 main musical numbers and performances including "Step Up and Take a Bow", "Two Blind Loves", "Lydia the Tattooed Lady", "Swingali", "Blue Moon", and others.

At the Circus Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Edward Buzzell's At the Circus was a safe retreat for the Marx Bros. after their financially disappointing detour for RKO with Room Service the previous year and, while it can't help but pale in comparison to their earlier work, there's more than a few classic moments to enjoy here. Warner Archive's welcome Blu-ray replaces a DVD that's only five years old, but does so in grand fashion with a sensational restoration that highlights its clever visual gags and enjoyable music performances as well a handful of lightweight bonus features. Recommended to the right crowd.