Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      Circus of Fear

      1966 1h 5m Horror List
      Reviews 34% 1,000+ Ratings Audience Score In the wake of a daring armored car heist that ends with the murder of a security guard, police detective Jim Elliott (Leo Genn) follows a trail of clues to the traveling Barberini Circus, which has just passed through London. Though Elliot suspects a conspiracy under the big top, he discovers strained relations between lion tamer Gregor (Christopher Lee) and his associates. Elliot struggles to find his man -- and recover the stolen cash -- in a maze of blackmail and deceit. Read More Read Less

      Where to Watch

      Circus of Fear

      Prime Video

      Rent Circus of Fear on Prime Video, or buy it on Prime Video.

      Audience Reviews

      View All (20) audience reviews
      Audience Member Another adaptation of an Edgar Wallace thriller made to cash in on the Wallace revival in Europe in the 1960s, especially in West Germany. Following a well-planned and daring robbery of a security van in London, Scotland Yard manages to trace the missing loot to a travelling circus which is soon plagued by a series of murders. Suspects include a mask-wearing and disfigured lion tamer Gregor (the great Christopher Lee), a blackmailing dwarf caled "Mr. Big" (Skip Martin), an insanely jealous knife thrower Mario (Maurice Kaufmann). and a mysterious Germanic fellow who has been hanging around the circus known as Manfred (Klaus Kinski). Inspector Elliot (Leo Glenn) has his hands full with all the intrigue under the Big Top. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Based on a story by Edgar Wallace, adapted and produced by Harry Alan Towers, who had previously produced Wallace adaptations such as Death Drums Along the River (1963) and Coast of Skeletons (1964). Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey, (The City of the Dead (1960), this is a suspenseful thriller, which starts off as crime thriller, then it becomes a whodunnit. It has a good cast moving the film forwards. In London, a group of thieves led by Mason (Victor Maddern), rob an armoured car on Tower Bridge and making off with the money by boat up the Thames. But the trail of the money goes cold after that, and some members of the gang turn up dead. Scotland Yard inspector Elliott (Leo Genn) investigates further, and is surprised when some of the money turns up in the takings of a travelling circus ran by Barberini (Anthony Newlands). But Barberini can't explain how the money got there, but Elliott discovers there's a lot of suspicious characters in the circus, not least the masked lion tamer Gregor (Christopher Lee), who has a lot to hide from his co-workers. It's a good thriller, and the change in tone doesn't affect it one jot, it manages to make for good entertainment, and like many over thrillers like this from the time, it hasn't really dated, plus look out for Klaus Kinski as a member of the gang, who is a nasty piece of work, and there's a few more familiar faces. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Endearing low-budget crime mystery, although the main reasons to watch, Klaus Kinski and Christopher Lee, and underused, and the latter wears a mask for the majority of his screen time. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Another public domain dreadful, but this was helped immensely by a very enjoyable story with the colorful backdrop of the circus. Christopher Lee is menacing (as always) and Leo Genn is extremely affable (as always) as the police inspector trying to solve a armored car job that ends in murder. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member Well worth seeing :-) Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member christopher leeeeee! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

      Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

      Photos

      View All Circus of Fear photos

      Circus of Fear

      Circus of Fear (1966) Circus of Fear (1966) Circus of Fear (1966) Circus of Fear (1966) Circus of Fear (1966) Circus of Fear (1966) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

      View All (4) Critics Reviews
      Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Though muddled, the film is moderately entertaining. Rated: B- May 20, 2016 Full Review Steve Biodrowski Cinefantastique Taken on its own terms, the film is a passable time-waster, though just barely. Rated: 2/5 Dec 9, 2015 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Jul 25, 2005 Full Review Walter Chaw Film Freak Central Mainly a curiosity for film historians, Lee fanatics, and devotees of stock footage and unimaginative screenwriting and direction. Rated: 1.5/4 Nov 11, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis In the wake of a daring armored car heist that ends with the murder of a security guard, police detective Jim Elliott (Leo Genn) follows a trail of clues to the traveling Barberini Circus, which has just passed through London. Though Elliot suspects a conspiracy under the big top, he discovers strained relations between lion tamer Gregor (Christopher Lee) and his associates. Elliot struggles to find his man -- and recover the stolen cash -- in a maze of blackmail and deceit.
      Director
      John Llewellyn Moxey
      Production Co
      Circus Films, Proudweeks
      Genre
      Horror
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jan 8, 2017
      Runtime
      1h 5m
      Most Popular at Home Now