''The Devil's Circus'' is a 1926 American silent

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by Danish director Benjamin Christensen, based upon his screenplay. The film stars

Norma Shearer Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated women. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O'Neill, ...

and Charles Emmett Mack. It was the first of seven films directed by Christensen in the United States, and one of only four of those films that have not been lost. The film involves a young female trapeze artist who is in love with a pickpocket. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

James Basevi.

Plot

As described in a film magazine review, Mary, a young country woman, is befriended by Carl, a pickpocket. She obtains employment in a circus. Carl is arrested for robbery but promises Mary to go straight thereafter. Hugo, a lion-tamer who is infatuated with Mary, assaults her. Jealousy impels Yonna, Hugo's mistress, to tamper with the ropes while Mary is doing her trapeze act. She falls among the enraged lions and is crippled.

War War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

breaks out, and many circus men leave to serve in the military. When peace comes, Carl searches and finds Mary. He goes to kill Hugo, but, after discovering that he is blind, he relents. Carl and Mary face a happy future together.

Cast

as Mary * Charles Emmett Mack as Carl * Carmel Myers as Yonna *

John Miljan John Miljan (November 9, 1892 – January 24, 1960) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1924 and 1958. Biography Born in 1892, Miljan was the tall, smooth-talking villain in Hollywood films for almost four deca ...

as Lieberkind *

Claire McDowell Claire McDowell ( MacDowell; November 2, 1877 – October 23, 1966) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in 350 films between 1908 and 1945. Early years Claire MacDowell was born in New York City on November 2, 1877, the da ...

as Mrs. Peterson * Joyce Coad as Little Anita * Margie Angus as Ring Entrance Helper at Accident Circus Act (uncredited) * Mary Angus as Ring Entrance Helper at Accident Circus Act (uncredited) * Charles Becker as Midget in Circus (uncredited) *

Sidney Bracey Sidney Bracey (born Sidney Bracy; 18 December 1877 – 5 August 1942) was an Australian-born American actor. Born into an acting family, he began a stage career in Australia, on Broadway and in Britain usually as leading men in musicals and ...

as Spiro (uncredited) * Melva Cornell as Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited) * Karl Dane as Clown standing with Midget (uncredited) * Charles Murray as Circus Member (uncredited) *

Mack Swain Mack Swain (born Moroni Swain; February 16, 1876 – August 25, 1935) was a prolific early United States, American film actor, who appeared in many of Mack Sennett’s comedies at Keystone Studios, including the Keystone Cops series. He also ...

as Sultan in Circus Act (uncredited)

Reception

From users of IMDb, the film has received a score of 6.8 out 10 from 62 votes.

Preservation status

Thought to have been lost, a print of ''The Devil's Circus'' was rediscovered and has been preserved by the

George Eastman Museum The George Eastman Museum, also referred to as George Eastman House and the International Museum of Photography and Film, is a photography museum in Rochester, New York. Opened to the public in 1949, is the oldest museum dedicated to photography ...

. Funding for the film's restoration was provided by

The Film Foundation The Film Foundation is a US-based non-profit organization dedicated to film preservation and the exhibition of restored and classic cinema. It was founded by director Martin Scorsese and several other leading filmmakers in 1990. The foundation r ...

References

External links

*
Stills
at normashearer.com * 1926 films 1926 drama films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films 1920s rediscovered films American black-and-white films American silent feature films Circus films Films directed by Benjamin Christensen Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Rediscovered American films Silent American drama films Surviving American silent films {{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub