IrememberseeingthisfilmasaladonafamilyoutinginManhattan,toppedoffbymyinsistencethatwehavedinneratJackDempsey’sRestaurantinManhattan.Toobadtheoldchampwasn’ttherethatdayoritwouldhavebeenaperfectSunday.SeeingitnowonaformattedVHStheawesomenessofthespectacleduringthescenesofthecircusfiresandthecapsizedshipintheharborisreallylost.It’squiteaneyefulandshouldonlybesceneintheaters.Andthefilmwouldberevived,butwehaveasubduedJohnWaynehereandit’snotforthebetter.ThiswasoriginallytobeaFrankCaprafilmandCaprabowedoutaftercreativedifferenceswiththeDukeandsomeoftheDuke’spersonalentourage.ReadtheCapraautobiographytofindoutexactlywhattheywere,buttheyweren’tfullyfixedinthefinalproductbydirectorHenryHathawaywholaterpilotedtheDuketohisOscarinTrueGrit.JohnWaynewasaguywhowasusuallyverycarefultogivethepublictheDuketheyexpected.Evenwhenhestretchedhisabilitiesitwasdonewithafirmdirectorialhand.We’reaskedtoaccepttheDukeasamanwhohadanadulterousaffairhere.HealsodoesnotthrowonepunchinthisentirefilmorfireaweaponinotherthanitbeingpartofhisWildWestShow.ThepeoplewenttoseeJohnWayne,buttheydidn’tgettheirmoney’sworth.PitybecauseitwouldhavebeengreattoseeJohnWaynewithRitaHayworthinagreatfilm.Thatcouldn’thavehappenedwhentheywereyoungerbecauseofRita’scontractwithColumbiapicturesandWayne’spersonalboycottingofthatstudiobecauseofhisdislikeforHarryCohn.ThatstoryIwon’tgointo.RitaHayworthwhodoesn’tenterintothefilmuntilalmosthalfwaythroughisfineasWayne’slostlove.SheandClaudiaCardinalelookedjustfineintightsastrapezeartists.LloydNolanasWayne’ssidekickisalwaysgood.RichardConteisHayworth’sbrother-in-lawandCardinale’suncle.Thisfineactoriswastedhereinapartthateitherwasbadlywrittenorleftonthecuttingroomfloor.JohnSmithwasaWayneprotégéofsorts,WaynegavehimanearlybreakinTheHighandtheMightywhichheproduced.SmithwentontostarintheLaramieTVseriesandoncompletionofthathewascastoppositeCardinale,probablyatWayne’sinsistence.Irememberalwayswonderingwhathappenedtohimbecauseheleftshowbusinessshortlyafterwards.ThenbackintheNinetiesIreadhehaddiedofcirrhosisoftheliver.Iguessyoucanfillintheblanks.AtthetimeCircusWorldcameout,therewasontelevisionaprimetimeseriescalledInternationalShowtime.ItwasonFridaysat8pm.anditwassetinadifferentcityinEuropeeveryweek.HostedbyDonAmecheitfeaturedtheverybestcircusactsintheworld.SodidCircusWorld,butitcertainlywasnoincentiveforpeopletocomeouttoseethiswhentheycouldseethesamethingathome.AlsoParamountre-releasedCecilB.DeMille’sTheGreatestShowonEarthtoabriskboxofficebusinessatthesametimeCircusWorldcameout.SoforallthesereasonsCircusWorldfloppedandbankruptedproducerSamuelBronstein.Neverthelessifyou’reacircusfanyouwillenjoyseeingthis.Butit’snottheDukehisfanshavecometoexpect.