John Wayne And Rita Hayworth Starred In This Passionate '60s Movie Streaming On Prime Video

You'd be forgiven for having never heard of Henry Hathway's 1964 drama "Circus World," as it was terribly unpopular when it first came out and hasn't undergone any kind of critical reappraisal since. Indeed, the movie flopped at the box office and quickly became a footnote in cinema history, being noted only by John Wayne completists.

"Circus World" also seemed to be an echo of the success of Cecil B. DeMille's famously bloated Best Picture Oscar winner "The Greatest Show on Earth" from 12 years prior, as it, too, was a lamentation of the fading institution of the traveling circus. That film, however, was a commercial hit (one that was later turned into a TV show, no less), so much so that studios were still chasing its ghost over a decade later. Think about how Disney keeps trying to recreate the success of its first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie with other theme park adaptations, resulting in massive flops like "Tomorrowland." Some hits are hard to let go of.

It's worth noting that "The Greatest Show on Earth" is now considered one of the worst Best Picture Oscar winners in history, so imitating it has always been a bad idea from a quality standpoint. "Circus World" might have been hoping to hit it big in theaters, but there wasn't a chance in Hades it would be a good movie.

All the same, it attracted the likes of Wayne and Rita Hayworth. The latter plays Lili Alfredo, the lost ladylove of Wayne's character, Wild West circus star Matt Masters, and a former circus performer who has since turned to heavy drinking. In addition, Claudia Cardinale plays Matt and Lili's daughter, Toni Alfredo, a circus talent scout. Curious souls can currently watch the passionate epic on Prime Video.

Why were there so many movies about circuses at this time? As it so happens, traveling circuses used to be enormous money-makers in the United States, and several generations grew up looking forward to Big Tops traveling through their remote towns. Eventually, though, films, television, and other forms of entertainment began to supplant circuses in the public consciousness, so the very generation that grew up with circuses began to feel wistful about their slow collapse. As such, there were several movies about the medium's tragic demise. (For a modern analogue, go ask a Gen-Xer about the glory days of 1990s multiplexes.)

"Circus World" takes place near the start of the 20th Century. John Wayne, as mentioned, stars as Matt Masters, a Buffalo Bill-style cowboy performer who owns a once-near-bankrupt American circus that he managed to rescue. He now intends to take the show to  Europe, much to the chagrin of its manager, Cap Carson (Lloyd Nolan). But in truth, Matt wants to travel to Europe for selfish reasons as well. He knows that Lili, the woman he was once in love with, currently lives there, so his hope is to reconnect with her and meet his adopted daughter, Toni.

However, when the circus ship sinks during its journey to Europe, Matt finds that he'll have to rebuild his business from scratch. Luckily, he's able to assemble multiple acts with relative ease, and, as his ploy dictates, this draws out his former lover.

As mentioned, "Circus World" was hardly beloved when it originally premiered in theaters. A vintage review in The New York Times, written by the great Bosley Crowther, describes the movie as "dismally trite and obvious," adding that it doesn't even look good. "The Cinerama screen — the one-projector, no-lines arrangement — it is pictorially commonplace," as Crowther put it. Cinemascope aspect ratios were only about a decade old at the time, so it seems that filmmakers were already being sloppy with it. Crowther added that the circus performances, themselves meant to be the film's centerpiece, are all blandly presented.

This is a damning statement, as it seems that "Circus World" just wasn't as well-made as "The Greatest Show on Earth." And yes, some critics openly made the comparison. Time Magazine's review also felt that the film was bloated and overwrought, arguing, "The only serious mishap to befall 'Circus World' is Cinerama, which magnifies a meager tale beyond all reasonable proportions. To sit through the film is something like holding an elephant on your lap for two hours and 15 minutes." See? Even 62 years ago, critics could be acidic.

John Wayne was still a hot commodity, though, and he sprang back from "Circus World" with roles in "The Greatest Story Ever Told" and "The Sons of Katie Elder" the following year. Everyone survived the debacle with aplomb.