Carnival StoryRating:
Release Date: 10 October, 2001 Retail Price: $8.95 Sorry, this product is not currently available. Cast: |
Carnival Story Reviews
Behind-the-scenes in the Big Top
Low-budget bur admirable effort about the tawdry life and small times behind the big top. Anne Baxter stars as Willie, a sexy waif down on her luck whose fortunes then change--but not necessarily for the better--when she meets up with a violent Casanova by the name of Joe Hammond. The smoldering Steve Cochran plays Hammond, the opportunitistic ladies' man who likes to treat his women rough. Their beginning starts off well enough when Willie is understandably grateful to Hammind for giving her a job with the circus--even if it's just a lowly one washing dishes and doing general domestic duties--and they get embroiled in a torried, lust-driven affair. Complications arise when she soon tires of their tawdry relationship and wants him to take her seriously--there's no question fo her quitting him even though she knows he's rotten through and through since she can't get enough of his brutal lusty ways. Further complicating matters is when a decent young man named Frank Collino (Lyle Bettger), who's a major draw as a star high-diver, takes her on as his partner and certainly takes her seriously--serious enough to fall in love and marry her. Ah! If only Willie could combine the desirable qualities of both men into one--the respectful and sincere love of Frank with Joe's devastating sensuality--but sadly this cannot be and she succumbs to Joe again, with fatal results for Frank and trying ones for her which change her from a tarnished yet naive and good-hearted woman to a calculating and mercenary one. Even after falling for Frank's close friend--also a good young man--she still can't shake off Joe's hold on her. But inevitably one day she breaks free from his destructive spell and the results are over-the-top to say the least--no pun intended.
Tawdry,trashy tale of circus life
An American carnival,failing to draw the crowds Stateside,decides to tour Germany in a bid to restore its fortunes.
The carnival ramrod,played by Steve Cochran,is robbed by a destitute young German woman,Willi,played most unconvincingly by Anne Baxter.Instead of handing her over to the police he offers her a job with the carnival as a kitchen skivvy and the two begin an affair that runs into complications when the carnival's star attraction ,a high diver ,takes her under his wing and makes her part of the act,and subsequently marries her.
The stage is then set for illicit romance,suspicious deaths and near fatal injuries before the final confrontation on a ferris wheel brings proceedings to a merciful ending
The major problem for me was that never for one second did Baxter persuade me that she was capable of entrancing not just her male colleagues but a freelance photographer(a wooden George Nader)let alone become a star circus performer in her own right,something which takes years of dedication and practice,not a few days instruction.The void which this leaves at the centre of the movie undermines its credibility
Cochran and Bettger,who plays the high diver are fine here,and there is a sturdy cameo from the ever reliable Frank Faylen
Garish colour and flat direction further drag things down.The colour is horrible as well-really harsh and garish.
If you want circus movies track down "Trapeze",or "The Greatest Show On Earth" for ones that get it right.
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