The Circus

Synopsis:
This lavish production features Charles Chaplin directing and also doing his Little Tramp bit. This time, the hapless vagabond seeks refuge from the law among the members of a travelling circus. He soon falls in love with the beautiful equestrienne and the film audience is treated not only to a big top spectacular, but a charming romance as well.

Awards:
Honorary Award (Charles Chaplin), 1929 Academy Awards, USA

Trivia:
- Premiere included live stage prologue written by Joseph Plunkett.
- Final Charles Chaplin film of the silent era. He would make two more "silent" films, bucking the trend towards sound, however both City Lights (1931) and Modern Times (1936) would nonetheless include significant compromises to incorporate sound.
- Chaplin's studio burnt down during production. This, combined with a number of major personal issues that arose during production, led to Chaplin's nervous breakdown (he spent time recovering in New York after about two-thirds of the film had been shot).
- Chaplin practiced tightrope walking for weeks before filming. He actually performed on a rope forty feet in the air. However, the footage was lost when the negative was scratched during processing. The scene had to be re-shot, and the footage included in the film was not as good as that which had been lost, in Chaplin's estimation.
- In the 1969 re-issue, the 80-year-old Chaplin sang the title song.
- Is the only of Charles Chaplin's feature films not to be mentioned in his autobiography.

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