Movie Cosmos - Circus of Horrors

Description:

A plastic surgeon and his nurse join a bizarre circus to escape from the police. Here he befriends deformed women and transforms them for his "Temple of Beauty". However, when they threaten to leave, they meet with mysterious accidents.

Top Cast >

Anton Diffring

As Dr. Schuler

Erika Remberg

As Elissa Caro

Yvonne Monlaur

As Nicole Vanet

Donald Pleasence

As Vanet

Jane Hylton

As Angela

Kenneth Griffith

As Martin

Conrad Phillips

As Inspector Arthur Ames

Jack Gwillim

As Supt. Andrews

Vanda Hudson

As Magda von Meck

Yvonne Romain

As Melina

Colette Wilde

As Evelyn Morley

William Mervyn

As Dr. Morley

Peter Swanwick

As Inspector Knopf

Carla Challoner

As Nicole (as a Child)

Kenny Baker

As Dwarf

Walter Gotell

As Baron Von Gruber

Kenneth J. Warren

As First Roustabout

Jack Carson

As Chief Eagle Eye

Glyn Houston

As Carnival Barker (uncredited)

Reg Thomason

As Roustabout (uncredited)

Arthur Dibbs

As Circus Audience Member (uncredited)

Top Crew >

Sidney Hayers

Director, Editor

George Baxt

Screenplay

Samuel Z. Arkoff

Producer

Julian Wintle

Producer

Reginald Mills

Editor

Leslie Parkyn

Producer

Douglas Slocombe

Director of Photography

Muir Mathieson

Original Music Composer

Franz Reizenstein

Original Music Composer

Norman Priggen

Associate Producer

Maude Onslow

Hairstylist

Lionel Selwyn

Sound Editor

Ken Cameron

Sound Recordist

Vi Murray

Wardrobe Master

Jack Shampan

Art Direction

Trevor Crole-Rees

Makeup Artist

Len Page

Sound Recordist

Morris Angel

Costume Design

Harry Ledger

Assistant Editor

Charles Permane

Production Manager

Reviews:

Wuchak (7/10)

Lurid, comic booky circus flick with myriad beautiful women, wild animals and devious murders

A couple years after WW2 an English plastic surgeon (Anton Diffring) flees to France with his two cronies (Kenneth Griffith & Jane Hylton) and ends up going into the circus business. A dozen years later he has a successful traveling show that’s notorious as The Jinxed Circus, which draws the suspicions of an inspector (Conrad Phillips).

“Circus of Horrors” (1960) is like a thriller comic book version of “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952). It’s similar to “Circus of Fear,” aka “Psycho-Circus” (1966), which reportedly borrowed some of its circus footage, but this one’s more entertaining. While some of the animals featured are real (lions, horses and a bear) others are glaringly fake (a gorilla and a bear).

The story is decidedly comic booky, but the film’s luridly compelling entertainment and recommended for fans of circus flicks and Hammer-esque horror. On the female front it scores off the charts with Colette Wilde (Evelyn), Vanda Hudson (Magda), Yvonne Monlaur (Nicole), Erika Remberg (Elissa) and Yvonne Romain (Melina), all featured in alluring apparel.

Donald Pleasence (with hair) even shows up for a bit part.

The movie runs 1 hour, 28 minutes, and was shot in the London area.

GRADE: B-/B

2020-03-24