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.