At the Circus

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At the Circus

1939,

1h 27m,

Comedy

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91%

11 Reviews

Tomatometer

63%

1,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

11 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

At the Circus features the Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo, Chico) working together to save a circus from closing. Circus owner Jeff (Kenny Baker) needs $10,000 to pay off his business partner, John. In an effort to take over the circus himself, John allows his accomplices to steal the $10,000 from Jeff before he can pay. Loophole (Groucho Marx), a clumsy attorney who tries to help recover the money, enlists the help of wealthy Mrs. Dukesbury (Margaret Dumont).

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Dec 16, 2025

2/4

The film fails to recapture the magic of their earlier efforts.

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Jan 3, 2024

3.5/5

At the Circus is something of a return to form for the Marx Brothers but not quite as good as their best work at Paramount or MGM.

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Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

Oct 10, 2009

Beguiling

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Thomas Delapa

Boulder Weekly

Jun 24, 2005

3/5

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Jun 18, 2005

3/5

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Apr 8, 2005

B-

The beginning of the Marx Brothers slide from their peak comedies.

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Jan 27, 2019

The best movie song ever sung: Lydia the Tattooed Lady!

Luke W

Sep 4, 2017

Not the best Marx Brothers movie by a long shot but even their weaker films are masterpieces. Duck Soup and Night at the Opera are far superior.

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Hermione L

Oct 9, 2014

Good ol' Marx Bro's, always fun, even if many of the jokes were very cheezy and the storyline sucked. Even a not so great Marx Bro movie is better than any modern comedies.

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Hermione S

Mar 15, 2014

The Marx Brothers were so fantastic and frantic in their Paramount Days, MGM kind of tamed them. I like "A Night at the Opera" and "A Day at the Races," they had more plot, and less focus on the antics and general nuttiness of the Brothers, but they were still classic Marx humor. But at a certain point, their films felt less madcap and just weren't as much fun to watch. "At the Circus" is only okay...it has some good circus nuttiness and some okay Marx routines, but it is not nearly as hilarious as their earlier efforts. Better than "Go West", but probably on par with "Room Service".

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Han G

Aug 28, 2011

A fairly weak effort from the Marx brothers. Plot is random, and skits seem formulaic. The music was irritating. There are a few good moments, but not enough to make it worth watching.

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Edward Buzzell

Director

Groucho Marx

Attorney Loophole

Harpo Marx

Punchy

Chico Marx

Antonio

Margaret Dumont

Mrs. Dukesbury

Eve Arden

Peerless Pauline

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Synopsis

At the Circus features the Marx Brothers (Groucho, Harpo, Chico) working together to save a circus from closing. Circus owner Jeff (Kenny Baker) needs $10,000 to pay off his business partner, John. In an effort to take over the circus himself, John allows his accomplices to steal the $10,000 from Jeff before he can pay. Loophole (Groucho Marx), a clumsy attorney who tries to help recover the money, enlists the help of wealthy Mrs. Dukesbury (Margaret Dumont).

Director: Edward Buzzell
Producer: Mervyn LeRoy
Screenwriter: Irving Brecher
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 20, 1939, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 11, 2008
Runtime: 1h 27m

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