The Circus Queen Murder (1933)

“It’s a well known fact that cannibals differ from the rest of us in their dietary customs.”  5 June 2020

Police commissioner Thatcher Colt (Adolphe Menjou) has had it up to here with New York crime.  Wanting to get away and recharge the batteries, he sets off with his secretary for a vacation in the middle-of-nowhere upstate New York.  There, Colt runs into a traveling circus and murder.  Not much of a vacation.

It’s unfortunate that The Circus Queen Murder suffers from such a poor storyline, becuase there’s a lot here to like.  The film looks absolutely fantastic and the acting is as strong as you’ll find in a “B” from this era, but there’s not much to work with when it comes to the story.  First, the film’s title gives away far too much, destroying any hope of suspense.  Second, the killer’s identity is a given throughout the film, destroying any hope of mystery.  Third, the film’s pacing is a mess.  I’m convinced that director Roy William Neill did the best he could, but without much to work with, the film tends to bog down from time-to-time (who am I kidding - parts of the film are downright boring).  Fourth, our hero, Thatcher Colt, doesn’t really do much.  He knows who the killer is and he knows who the intended victim is, but does nothing about it.  He pretty much sits back and lets the murder happen.  Which leads to - fifth, the ending is complete bananas.  

In the end, the best I can rate The Circus Queen Murder is a very average (and maybe even generous) 5/10.

Finally, I’m not an expert on pre-code films, but I generally get a kick out of them.  It’s amazing to me what filmmakers could do and get away with in 1933 that they couldn’t just a couple years later.  Marital infidelity, blood, risque wardrobes, and even something as innocent as Colt and his secretary traveling together would have most likely been axed by the Code.  Interesting stuff.

5/10