Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Load of rubbish!!

A Brilliant Conflict

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

I once had a 16mm print of Charlie Chan at the Circus, so I know the film well. The screenplay concocted by Fox's top writing team, Robert Ellis and Helen Logan, neatly combines a circus setting with a locked room puzzle. The mystery is intriguing and I love the gorilla at large. Oland, in fine form, is supplied with many amusing bon mots, including "Mind, like parachute, function best when open" and "One grain of luck sometimes worth more than a whole rice paddy of wisdom." In my humble opinion, the support cast is the best ever assembled for a Chan movie. Francis Ford (in a major role for once), Maxine Reiner, Shirley Deane, Paul Stanton, Drue Leyton and J. Carroll Naish are all most ingratiating, while comedy relief is amusingly handled by Wade Boteler, Keye Luke and the wonderfully spirited Shia Jung. And a special pat on the backs of George and Olive Brasno. Director Lachman is also in fine form. Who could resist that opening tracking shot, or the scenes on the train, or the ape on the loose, or the big top menagerie? This picturesque background, however, is never allowed to swamp the film. Detection is always at the forefront. Production values are high

Charlie Chan and family are invited to attend a circus performance by one of the owners, Joe Kinney. Kinney wants some help from Chan on some threatening letters he's been receiving. However, when Chan pays Kinney a visit in his trailer, he discovers Kinney's dead body. The killer appears to be a gorilla that briefly escaped from its cage. Chan, however, is not so sure and starts to investigate.Despite what I'm about to write, I do not dislike Charlie Chan at the Circus. The 6/10 rating means that I consider it a better than average film – not great, but not horrible either. There are several issues I have with this one that that keep me from rating it higher. 1. As I've written before (most recently in a "review" of a Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries episode), I'm not a fan of the circus or movies/TV set in a circus. It doesn't work for me. 2. While I appreciate the use of real circus-type performers, Colonel Tim and Lady Tiny get old real quick. George and Olive Brasno might not be the best actors, but that's not my problem. It's the constant jokes about little people smoking cigars or cooking breakfast that I can't stomach. Once or twice might have been okay, but we see Colonel Tim with and/or offering up cigars in just about every scene he appears. Not funny. 3. BIG SPOILER – The way the film handles the fact that the killer is a man in a gorilla suit and not a real gorilla is ridiculous. The "gorilla" is shot dead, but no one but Chan notices it's not a real gorilla. These people are standing literally inches away from the dead body. Impossible. END BIG SPOILER 4. When watching a mystery, I really enjoy playing along with Chan or whoever the detective might be. But Charlie Chan at the Circus has so many clues that the viewer would have no way of knowing, there's no way you can figure out "who done it". It's cheating. Normally, I give Chan films a pass on this, but with everything else that bothered me, I thought I'd mention it. 5. Lee Chan's hijinks are especially annoying in parts of the film. Going undercover as a woman pushing a stroller with Colonel Tim posing as a baby (complete with cigar, naturally) is plain old stupid. I realize that everything I've written is negative, but this is still Charlie Chan and I find the series highly entertaining. Despite the numerous issues I have with the movie, I've rated it a respectable 6/10. The movie doesn't work as well for me as some of the others in the series.

I liked this movie, lots of mystery and more. First time Chan's wife is in a movie that I saw I think there were other wives in other movies but this is the first time I saw her and their 13 kids all going to the circus. The lady that played Chan wife Annie Mar only says a few words. She is listed as uncredited which is sad. All Chan's movie kids were cute.There was a small couple, about 3 or 4 feet tall that did a dance at the circus and were excellent. I believe were married in real life. There real name is George & Olive Brasno. Soon after a man from the circus approaches Chan for help regarding threatening letters. He is murdered hours later. There are a lot of people that can be suspect. Everyone seems to dislike each other for some reason.What I did not like about this movie is the way animals are treated and caged at the circus. I started seeing and thinking about how animals are treated and now from watching old black and white movies I feel sorry for the animals.I don't like the circus any more after tweets I got on Twitter and the info with it.It was kind of hard to figure out the people that were culprits.In this movie a gorilla named Caesar is violent when in the cage. He gets whipped from outside the cage by a man to stop the bad behavior. There are lions in a cage that are roaring and poked with a pole by someone outside the cage to "quiet them". There were also elephants.I don't know if these animals were real or not but I felt offended by the care and treatment of animals.Chan played by Warner Oland is good his son played by Keye Luke wants too much attention. The movie is good though if you get a chance to see it.

This is a very entertaining movie. The plot contrivances are well thought of and intermingle well; of course one has to love the basic format of these Chan movies. the 'son #1' comedy moment doesn't get in the way as it does in other movies and works well enough. Summoned to pay a visit to a circus with his family, Chan is asked advice about death threats that have targeted the recently appeared co-owner of the show. The man is killed later and another woman is seriously wounded in another attempt. Who may want to control the circus, whose business is shaky anyways? In the end we'll have not one culprit, but two parties guilty of two unrelated crimes. The midgets in the movie are very particular. Typically midgets are easily recognizable as such, but these two look just like miniature people. Entertaining 70 minutes.