Performers in a Budapest sideshow encounter love, greed, and murder.Performers in a Budapest sideshow encounter love, greed, and murder.Performers in a Budapest sideshow encounter love, greed, and murder.
Andy MacLennan
- The Ferret
- (as Andy Mac Lennan)
Agostino Borgato
- Snake Oil Salesman
- (uncredited)
Betty Boyd
- Neptuna - Mermaids Queen
- (uncredited)
Barbara Bozoky
- Undetermined Role
- (uncredited)
Jules Cowles
- Robin's Dressing Aide
- (uncredited)
Jacqueline Gadsdon
- Blonde Barmaid
- (uncredited)
Cecil Holland
- Undetermined Role
- (uncredited)
Bobbie Mack
- Sideshow Spectator
- (uncredited)
Ida May
- Undetermined Role
- (uncredited)
Polly Moran
- Sideshow Spectator
- (uncredited)
Russ Powell
- Konrad Driskai - Lena's Father
- (uncredited)
Francis Powers
- Undetermined Role
- (uncredited)
Billy Seay
- Little Boy
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaEdward Connelly suffered from "badly inflamed eyes and a mild case of klieg eyes", prior to shooting his scenes looking into the studio lights. It took several days to recover.
- GoofsWhen Salome (not Renee Adoree, but a double) is dancing for the king, she has her back to the audience. But in one brief cutaway shot she is facing the audience - and it's shot from behind Salome - then immediately back to facing the king in the long shot.
- Quotes
Cock Robin: God but you're a real dame... right straight through to the core. You shouldn't have to live in the same world with a thing like me.
- Alternate versionsIn 2007, Turner Entertainment Co. copyrighted a 76-minute version of this film (plus 1 minute for additional music credits), with a music score composed by Darrell Raby. The film's world premiere television broadcast by Turner Classic Movies (TCM) occurred on 28 January 2007.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Gaslight Follies (1945)
Featured review
A thread of deception
Leapin' lizards! If you're a fan of director Tod Browning's work, you'll probably like this film, though it's probably not his very best. There are several dark moments, some camp, and nice performances from John Gilbert, Lionel Barrymore, and Renée Adorée, who are involved in a love triangle. Gilbert is a carnival barker at a freak show, ladies' man, and general rake. Adorée is a performer who shimmies about 'exotically' in an act as Salome, one that is complete with a beheading. Barrymore is a crook who is with Adorée, and resents her continued attraction to Gilbert, who she once dated.
This almost felt like two movies to me, but there is a thread of deception, of putting on 'a show' that runs throughout. The first half has Gilbert conning people into thinking they're seeing all sorts of oddities, e.g. Arachnida, a 'spiderwoman', which is simply a woman's head emerging through a curtain into a costume of a spider and in the middle of a web. He also puts on the Salome act with Adorée, and Browning cleverly shows how the beheading trick is done. Gilbert is also putting on act with a country girl in town with her father to sell some sheep; he woos her but is only interested in her money. There is real darkness in the performances, particularly in the first half. Lionel Barrymore is a cold-blooded killer, casting some truly ominous looks, and I don't think I've ever seen John Gilbert as evil as the moment he almost beats Adorée for spoiling his plans.
The film loses a bit of its momentum in the second half, when Gilbert is on the run and hides out at Adorée's place. Once there he also has to hide out from her blind father, and in a touching moment, finds out that Adorée has been tricking the old man into believing his son is doing well and getting promotions by reading him fake letters, when in reality he's on death row at the prison across the street. There are many deceptions here, but it's only when Gilbert moments of authenticity that he's transformed. Just compare his reaction to hearing that his "butterball's" father has been murdered in the first part, to his reaction to Adorée's father dying in the second. There is a mirror here between the two halves, and even if it's a little clumsily executed, the message comes through.
Oh, and you have to love the camp in some of these old films. Attempting murder via poisonous lizard is yet another variation of an interesting trope from Browning and the period - see 'He Who Gets Slapped' (1924) and 'Where East is East' (1929). Those films are both probably a teeny bit better than this one, but it's entertaining enough to see.
This almost felt like two movies to me, but there is a thread of deception, of putting on 'a show' that runs throughout. The first half has Gilbert conning people into thinking they're seeing all sorts of oddities, e.g. Arachnida, a 'spiderwoman', which is simply a woman's head emerging through a curtain into a costume of a spider and in the middle of a web. He also puts on the Salome act with Adorée, and Browning cleverly shows how the beheading trick is done. Gilbert is also putting on act with a country girl in town with her father to sell some sheep; he woos her but is only interested in her money. There is real darkness in the performances, particularly in the first half. Lionel Barrymore is a cold-blooded killer, casting some truly ominous looks, and I don't think I've ever seen John Gilbert as evil as the moment he almost beats Adorée for spoiling his plans.
The film loses a bit of its momentum in the second half, when Gilbert is on the run and hides out at Adorée's place. Once there he also has to hide out from her blind father, and in a touching moment, finds out that Adorée has been tricking the old man into believing his son is doing well and getting promotions by reading him fake letters, when in reality he's on death row at the prison across the street. There are many deceptions here, but it's only when Gilbert moments of authenticity that he's transformed. Just compare his reaction to hearing that his "butterball's" father has been murdered in the first part, to his reaction to Adorée's father dying in the second. There is a mirror here between the two halves, and even if it's a little clumsily executed, the message comes through.
Oh, and you have to love the camp in some of these old films. Attempting murder via poisonous lizard is yet another variation of an interesting trope from Browning and the period - see 'He Who Gets Slapped' (1924) and 'Where East is East' (1929). Those films are both probably a teeny bit better than this one, but it's entertaining enough to see.
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- gbill-74877
- Oct 16, 2018
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- El palacio de las maravillas
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $395,825
- Runtime1 hour 16 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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