‘Marx Bros At the Circus’ Blu-ray Review (Warner Archive)
Stars: Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Kenny Baker, Florence Rice, Eve Arden, Margaret Dumont, Nat Pendleton | Written by Irving Brecher | Directed by Edward Buzzell
Classic comedy teams. There were many, but the ones that truly stood out among the rest were Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges and The Marx Brothers. No matter how old or young you are, if you are a classic film fan, you know The Marx Brothers.
Warner Archive Collection have been releasing The Marx Brothers films on Blu-ray recently, and I have revelled in their releases of A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races. Now it is time for another newly restored Blu-ray, 1939’s At the Circus.
A classic of comic insanity, At the Circus races, along at an hilarious, logic-defying pace, reaching literally the highest point in all of the Marx Brothers’ films with a scene in which the zany trio — as well as Margaret Dumont and a gorilla on the loose – wind up swinging wildly from the trapeze. When a loan shark and two circus performers set out to steal “Wilson’s Wonder Circus” from its rightful owner, two circus attendants (Chico and Harpo) enlist the help of a lawyer.
Irving Thalberg, the man behind the comedy team’s early films, died before this film was made. So, this was the Marx Brothers’ first film without him. No one knew how to produce a Marx Brothers film like him. This began a downturn in quality for the Marx Brothers films. But by no means does that mean this film is not entertaining. I still love watching The Marx Brothers, and At the Circus is tons of fun.
Warner Archive have transferred this Marx Brothers classic to Blu-ray in 1080p and is presented in 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The audio track is an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono. Finally, there are English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.
This isn’t just any transfer. Warner Archive has undertaken a full restoration, breathing new life into the film with a brand-new 4K scan sourced from preservation elements. The result is an absolutely gorgeous image: sharp, clean, and richly detailed. The level of crispness and clarity is genuinely jaw-dropping, easily surpassing any previous presentation of the film I’ve seen. In addition to a wonderful restoration and transfer, Warner Archive added some very cool bonus features to this Blu-ray release, including:
- Jitterbug Follies (1939), an MGM cartoon. Screwloose is putting on an amateur talent show and two thugs from The Citizens’ Committee on Fair Play arrive to see that everything is on the up and up.
- Leo Is on the Air: A radio promotional spot for At the Circus
- Song Selection
The addition of the classic black and white MGM cartoon and radio spot is nice. But all told, it is a bit skimpy on the bonus features. A couple more cartoons or short features would have taken this Blu-ray to higher levels. But it is still an amazing release and, in my opinion, a must-own!
***** 5/5
If you love the comedy of Groucho, Harpo and Chico as much as I do, this new Blu-ray release of At the Circus is a must-add to your collection. Head over to Amazon and order your copy today.
