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Circus! Disney peeks backstage in new film on RBB&B

Gene Jones, past president and current IJA director, was recently invited to a private screening of the new Walt Disney movie CIRCUS. We thank him for bringing us this JUGGLER'S WORLD exclusive review of an exciting 1984 cinematic event!

When Walt Disney Productions decided to "do something on the circus." a couple of years ago, they phoned Lear Levin, who had been producing television commercials for the past 20 years.

How they knew he was the right man for the job is a matter of conjecture, but assuming Disney researches its choices well, they knew that Levin has been to every Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus since he learned to eat popcorn. Two years and a half-million dollars later, Lear Levin Productions has just released an artistic feature-length documentary tentatively named CIRCUS which is already being considered for an Academy Award. The film is not slated for general release until late 1984, although it will be screened at selected international film festivals during the next few months.

CIRCUS was shot exclusively at Ringling Brothers winter quarters in Venice, Florida, and provides a touching backstage look at the rehearsal of the 1982 RBB&B red unit. In weaving together a varied plotline that surveys every aspect of life in winter headquarters, director Levin manages to capture a rare and precious emotion of the circus and its people.

CIRCUS unassumingly educates the viewer about the infinite considerations and details involved in producing an extravaganza such as "The Greatest Show On Earth." No narration or written dialogue is used, and although conceptual ideas for most scenes were staged, the relaxed nature of conversation among performers appears convincingly spontaneous.

As some showgirls dress, they reveal the three great " Don'ts " of circus superstition: "Don't whistle in the dressing room, don't cross the ring unless asked to, and don't leave your shoes on the wardrobe table."

A most revealing comment that "None of us are indispensable" ominously connects with one of the showgirls mentioning that "He's always there, he's always watching. "

Of course, "he" is Irvin Feld, the man who bought an ailing RBB&B in 1967 and now oversees every facet of its operation with son Kenneth. Their direct personal involvement with employees and performers is quite surprising and even somewhat endearing. The history of Irvin Feld's colorful career is adeptly related by a performer juggling three clubs while balancing on a tightrope.

History shows that Feld was born shortly after the Wright Brothers flew their first airplane. By the time Lindbergh managed to fly across the Atlantic, young Irvin was selling snake oil quite successfully. Next, he bought a drugstore, which eventually led to his emergence as a booking agent for musical acts. Before buying "The Circus," Feld had booked it extensively and was quite familiar with the operation. It pained him to watch RBB&B slowly disintegrate, so in 1967 he took over.

CIRCUS accurately implicates him as the mastermind of RBB&B's resurgence. He controls everything, right down to the curl of an eyebrow on a clown's makeup. In a quiet moment with son Kenneth, Irvin states "Simple and big... that's the secret of the circus." The Pelds feel pressure to top themselves each year by adding exotic new aspects to the show. The overall depiction of the Felds is one of relentlessly shrewd, tough, and essentially fair people with definite opinions on how things should be done.

This rather emotionless treatment of the Pelds is in direct contrast with the loving cinematic treatment bequeathed on the performers and general staff. CIRCUS shines brightest when studying these inhabitants of a special world. This rare behind-the-scenes look at circus people reveals them as warm and wonderful folks striving "to know human boundaries and then push them one step further" (words of a female clown).

Endlessly rehearsing special stunts in torn t-shirts, these performer become relatable and humane. We see their struggles, their occasional loneliness and beautiful sensuality. IJA fans will be happy to note that one performer rehearsed in an orange IJA convention t-shirt that appeared to be of 1981 Cleveland vintage!

As the movie progresses, the artists begin to eliminate mistakes and misses, eventually blending their routines into cohesive acts. Intense looks of supreme effort are slowly replaced by smiles of achievement. Intimate camera angles combined with superb film editing help capture this progression. The film also benefits from the perfectly orchestrated original music of composer Claude Demers.

A high point of the film is the audition by showgirl Diane Bachelor, who performs one of the most sensational hulahoop acts ever conceived by woman. Even the Felds are floored by her electrifying virtuosity and good looks, but they regain composure in time to decline her a solo spot because they "can't find room for it. "

Director Levin's love affair with circus performers is constantly apparent and most noble. Circus performers have always been misunderstood and considered somewhat freakish.

American circus audiences rarely have the opportunity to peer through the glossy production numbers and often impersonal performances. The beauty of CIRCUS is that it probes under this glittery surface to capture the vibrant emotion totally missing from the ultimate rendition of a three-ring circus.

After watching all the extensive preparations and unseen dimensions of costuming and prop building, after listening to these people discuss their feelings, after witnessing how they struggle to achieve excellence, one cannot resist an overwhelming compulsion to root feverishly for their success.

CIRCUS congeals its story with some whirlwind coverage of the final dress rehearsal. Suddenly everyone is in sequined costumes functioning as part of a well-oiled machine. In watching each stunt performed to perfection, I realized that it is virtually impossible to fully appreciate the end product of a circus without viewing the rigors of practice.

CIRCUS is a must film for all juggling and circus enthusiasts. After all, only behind the scenes can one see a specialist file and polish the nails of an elephant! ... which made me suspect that the real story of "The Greatest Show on Earth" is actually backstage.