Circus of Horrors backdrop
Circus of Horrors poster

CIRCUS OF HORRORS

1960 • GB HMDB
April 1, 1960

A plastic surgeon and his nurse join a bizarre circus to escape from the police. Here he befriends deformed women and transforms them for his "Temple of Beauty". However, when they threaten to leave, they meet with mysterious accidents.

Directors

Sidney Hayers

Cast

Anton Diffring as Dr. Schuler

Anton Diffring

Dr. Schuler

 Erika Remberg as Elissa Caro

Erika Remberg

Elissa Caro

 Yvonne Monlaur as Nicole Vanet

Yvonne Monlaur

Nicole Vanet

 Donald Pleasence as Vanet

Donald Pleasence

Vanet

 Jane Hylton as Angela

Jane Hylton

Angela

 Kenneth Griffith as Martin

Kenneth Griffith

Martin

 Conrad Phillips as Inspector Arthur Ames

Conrad Phillips

Inspector Arthur Ames

 Jack Gwillim as Supt. Andrews

Jack Gwillim

Supt. Andrews

 Vanda Hudson as Magda von Meck

Vanda Hudson

Magda von Meck

 Yvonne Romain as Melina

Yvonne Romain

Melina

Colette Wilde

Evelyn Morley

 William Mervyn as Dr. Morley

William Mervyn

Dr. Morley

 Peter Swanwick as Inspector Knopf

Peter Swanwick

Inspector Knopf

Carla Challoner

Nicole (as a Child)

 Kenny Baker as Dwarf

Kenny Baker

Dwarf

 Walter Gotell as Baron Von Gruber

Walter Gotell

Baron Von Gruber

 Kenneth J. Warren as First Roustabout

Kenneth J. Warren

First Roustabout

Jack Carson

Chief Eagle Eye

 Glyn Houston as Carnival Barker (uncredited)

Glyn Houston

Carnival Barker (uncredited)

Reg Thomason

Roustabout (uncredited)
Horror Crime
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Crew
Production: Samuel Z. Arkoff (Producer) — Julian Wintle (Producer) — Leslie Parkyn (Producer)
Screenplay: George Baxt (Screenplay)
Music: Muir Mathieson (Original Music Composer) — Franz Reizenstein (Original Music Composer)
Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe (Director of Photography)

REVIEWS (1)

Marco Castellini •
A former surgeon with a dark past directs a circus in which former criminals wanted by the police perform; he has changed their facial features with plastic surgery. The doctor blackmails his patients and exploits them in his circus; those who rebel are eliminated. The series of deaths attracts the attention of the police. A typical English product; a horror film diligently directed, well acted but which becomes cloying, boring, and not at all scary. Diligently made but not engaging.
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Where to Watch

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS (1)

Wuchak

Wuchak

7 /10

Lurid, comic booky circus flick with myriad beautiful women, wild animals and devious murders

A couple years after WW2 an English plastic surgeon (Anton Diffring) flees to France with his two cronies (Kenneth Griffith & Jane Hylton) and ends up going into the circus business. A dozen years later he has a successful traveling show that’s notorious as The Jinxed Circus, which draws the suspicions of an inspector (Conrad Phillips).

“Circus of Horrors” (1960) is like a thriller comic book version of “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952). It’s similar to “Circus of Fear,” aka “Psycho-Circus” (1966), which reportedly borrowed some of its circus footage, but this one’s more entertaining. While some of the animals featured are real (lions, horses and a bear) others are glaringly fake (a gorilla and a bear).

The story is decidedly comic booky, but the film’s luridly compelling entertainment and recommended for fans of circus flicks and Hammer-esque horror. On the female front it scores off the charts with Colette Wilde (Evelyn), Vanda Hudson (Magda), Yvonne Monlaur (Nicole), Erika Remberg (Elissa) and Yvonne Romain (Melina), all featured in alluring apparel.

Donald Pleasence (with hair) even shows up for a bit part.

The movie runs 1 hour, 28 minutes, and was shot in the London area.

GRADE: B-/B

Reviews provided by TMDB