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IMDb > Circus of Horrors (1960)

Circus of Horrors (1960) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.2/10   528 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 13% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
George Baxt (original screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Circus of Horrors on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
April 1960 (UK) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Spectacular Towering Terror! One man's lust...made men into beasts, stripped women of their souls! more
Plot:
In 1947 England, a plastic surgeon must beat a hasty retreat to France when one of his patients has ghastly problems with her surgery... more | add synopsis
User Comments:
Popcorn, Peanuts but no Elephants! more (31 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)
Anton Diffring ... Dr. Schuler
Erika Remberg ... Elissa Caro
Yvonne Monlaur ... Nicole Vanet

Donald Pleasence ... Vanet
Jane Hylton ... Angela
Kenneth Griffith ... Martin
Conrad Phillips ... Insp. Arthur Ames

Jack Gwillim ... Supt. Andrews
Vanda Hudson ... Magda von Meck
Yvonne Romain ... Melina
Colette Wilde ... Evelyn Morley Finsbury
William Mervyn ... Doctor Morley
John Merivale ... Edward Finsbury
Peter Swanwick ... German Police Inspector Knopf
Carla Challoner ... Nicole (as a Child)
more
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Phantom of the Circus
Le cirque des horreurs (Belgium: French title) (France) [fr]
Circo dos Horrores (Brazil) [pt]
Der Narbenteufel (Austria) [de]
Der rote Schatten (West Germany) [de]
Il circo degli orrori (Italy) [it]
Kauhujen sirkus (Finland) [fi]
To tsirko ton eglimaton (Greece) [el]
more
Runtime:
Germany:92 min | USA:88 min | USA:92 min (DVD)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The song "Look for a Star", used throughout the film during the circus sequences, became a hit pop recording in Great Britain and the United States. It was written by the young Tony Hatch under his regular pseudonym of Mark Anthony. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Magda meets her fate, close shots from behind show the wheel still spinning, with her on it, intercut with a distant shot showing people crowding around the wheel which is static. more
Quotes:
Vanet: They're murderers.
Dr. Rossiter, alias Dr. Bernard Schueler: Don't you see, these are the people who will contribute to our circus troupe.
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
The Washington Post more

FAQ

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18 out of 18 people found the following comment useful.
Popcorn, Peanuts but no Elephants!, 3 August 1999

This is a strange little horror gem from the early sixties about a mad plastic surgeon who must flee England because of some not very sound surgery practices. Once out of England, he(played by Anton Diffring with aplomb) and his two cohorts murder their way into owning a run-down circus whilst in France. From there on ten years pass as the doctor fixes the disfigured faces of thieves and prostitutes in return for their services in the circus. Well...I am not making this up but the doctor and his renegade circus performers then travel all over Europe and become a huge success. Problems start to happen though as the beautiful female star attractions want out of the circus...and the bed of Diffring...only to find their solace in bizarre deaths...circus-related of course. One female is killed in a knife-throwing accident while another falls while trapezing. This is a credulous scenario to be sure, but the film is quite fun. The acting is good: Diffring is marvelous as the mad physician plagued with his obsession for perfection in beauty, Donald Pleasance is quite good in a small role, and the female leads are quite stunning...visually of course. The music is rather hokey...very sixties, but atmosphere is otherwise rather well-staged. All in all I think I would prefer this over spending my time in a real circus...what a "real" horror. Enjoy.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Circus of Horrors (1960)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
I was 11 when I saw this and.... purplerustling
Vanda Hudson Squashpants
the song "Look For A Star" afbille
What a waste..... aveitdotnet
'Sh*t' in 1960! zxcv-9
Does anyone know which company produced this movie?? torq89
more

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Related Links

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