''Man on a Tightrope'' is a 1953 American

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

directed by

Elia Kazan Elias Kazantzoglou (, ; September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003), known as Elia Kazan ( ), was a Greek-American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one of the most honored and inf ...

, starring

Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, page 95. As ...

, Terry Moore and Gloria Grahame. The screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood was based on a 1952 novel of the same title by Neil Paterson. Paterson based his true story, which first appeared as the magazine novelette ''International Incident'', on the escape of the Circus Brumbach from

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

in 1950. Members of the Circus Brumbach appeared in the film version in both character roles and as extras. The film was entered into the 3rd Berlin International Film Festival.

Plot

In 1952

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...

man Karel Černík struggles to keep his beloved Cirkus Černík together, which belonged to his family before being nationalized by the Communist government. The government allows Černík to manage the circus, but he grapples with its deteriorating conditions, loss of his workers to the state, tension with his willful daughter Tereza, and his young second wife Zama, whom everyone suspects of being unfaithful. Černík wants to end a budding romance between Tereza and

roustabout Roustabout (Australia/New Zealand English: rouseabout) is an occupational term. Traditionally, it referred to a worker with broad-based, non-specific skills. In particular, it was used to describe show or circus workers who put up tents and boo ...

Joe Vosdek, who has been with the circus for only a year. Černík is interrogated at the headquarters of the S.N.B. state security in

Plzeň Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...

on why he is not performing the

Marxist Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...

propaganda acts dictated by the government. Černík explains that the skits were not funny, and that audiences prefer his usual act. The S.N.B. chief orders him to resume the required act, and to dismiss a longtime trouper who calls herself "The Duchess". Propaganda minister Fesker casually asks him about a radio in his trailer, alerting Černík to a spy in his midst. Černík is fined and released although Fesker believes that he is a threat to the state. Černík, inspired by a recent spate of escapes from behind the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...

, has decided to escape over the border to

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

. Černík suspects that Joe is the spy but unknown to him, Tereza has learned that Joe is actually a deserter from the American Army who is planning an escape attempt of his own. Černík's longtime rival Barovik visits and reveals that he knows of the escape plan. Barovik assures Černík that, because they are both circus men, he will not betray him. Černík agrees to leave behind most of his equipment for Barovik. Realizing that he must act swiftly, Černík discovers that Krofta, who has worked for Černík for twenty years, is actually the spy. Černík ties up Krofta but is confronted by Fesker about a travel permit, which he issues to catch Černík in the act of trying to escape. Fesker is about to pursue the circus when he is arrested by a commissar sergeant for issuing the travel permit. Joe reveals himself to Černík, who incorporates him into the plan. At the border crossing, Krofta escapes but is stopped by Černík from warning the border guards. In the fracas, Krofta mortally wounds him. Using an audacious and violent dash across the only bridge, most of the circus safely escape only to be told that Černík has paid with his life. Obeying his dying wish, Zama orders the troupe to march on.

Cast

as Karel Černík * Terry Moore as Tereza Černík * Gloria Grahame as Zama Černík * Cameron Mitchell as Joe Vosdek * Adolphe Menjou as Fesker * Robert Beatty as Barović * Alexander D'Arcy as Rudolph * Richard Boone as Krofta * Pat Henning as Konradin * Paul Hartman as Jaromír * John Dehner as the SNB chief * Willy Castello as Captain

Production

The film was shot on location in

, then in

. Authentic acts were used and the entire Circus Brumbach was employed for the production.Elia Kazan: A Life – Page 477 The original plot to escape in small increments across the border was the actual means used by the Circus Brumbach in their escape.

References

External links

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A.W. "Man on a Tightrope (1953)"
''New York Times'' film review, June 5, 1953 {{DEFAULTSORT:Man On A Tightrope 1953 films 20th Century Fox films American drama films American black-and-white films Circus films Cold War films 1950s English-language films Films scored by Franz Waxman Films critical of communism Films based on British novels Films directed by Elia Kazan Films set in East Germany Films set in West Germany Films set in Czechoslovakia 1953 drama films 1950s American films