Shamedown #12: Trapeze

Our last Shamedown of 2023! Yipe–hard to believe 2024 is right around the corner. Did 2023 feel long to anyone else? It did to me, but anyway…

As always, if anyone is coming in late on this Shamedown business and wants to know what it’s all about, CinemaShame’s 2023 statement can be found here. Past 2023 Shamedowns can be found here.

Who knew Burt Lancaster was an acrobat? I remember reading it somewhere years ago, and it’s one of those things that once we’re aware of it, it’s super-obvious. Whenever he stood at attention in From Here To Eternity, for example, he would thrust his chest out and his shoulders back like acrobats often do. Or gymnasts, because they tend have the same habit. However, Lancaster didn’t seem to get many opportunities to display his talents onscreen in their unvarnished form, although he always presented as very athletic. 1956’s Trapeze is one exception.

The movie opens at a circus in Paris, with the trapeze act giving out in full force, and Mike Ribble (Burt Lancaster) is about to perform a triple somersault, a stunt only he can do and is therefore famous for. Unfortunately, the catcher’s hands slip and Mike falls to the net below, but then he slips off the net and hits the dirt, where he lies motionless.

Then we see a young trapeze artist, Tino Orsini (Tony Curtis) looking for Mike, who’s still working behind the scenes at the circus. He wants Mike to teach him everything he knows, especially that triple somersault. Mike’s not interested, but in spite of himself he starts giving Tino pointers and then storms out angrily; well, as angrily as he can while walking with a cane.

Tino’s not taking no for an answer, and does handsprings down the street while Mike gets drunk on the way to the Cafe des Artistes. Long story short, even after Mike throws Tino out on his ear a couple of times, he finally agrees to train him, and the two of them walk down the street on their hands talking for some reason.

If Tino is Luke Skywalker to Mike’s Yoda, Lola (Gina Lollobrigida) is, well, Lola. She’s a trampoline jumper. She’s temperamental. She’s gorgeous. She’s seductive. She’s a player. She has a heart of gold. Buglione (Thomas Gomez) wants her in the act because everyone will look at her, which is what Mike’s afraid of, but he’s got no choice. He’s got to either work with both Tino and Lola or the whole act is out of the circus.

Naturally, things get complicated. Very complicated. And that’s without John Ringling North (Minor Watson), looking on as these performers ply their trade overhead with the ever-present net waiting below them. Mike thinks Tino is a flake who’s more interested in Lola than in the act. Mike is also interested in Lola, even giving her a kiss on the rigging when Tino’s not looking, but he’s more concerned about his and Tino’s original agreement of a double act. Tino may learn the triple somersault, or not, but his lessons may come at a very high price.

Story-wise, Trapeze is predictable and thin (A seductress named Lola? Come on.). From a technical and artistic standpoint, it’s pretty incredible. Filmed at the Circus d’Hiver in Paris, which has been showcasing circus performers since 1852, the history almost jumps out.

The movie does a great job of not only taking us into the air, but there are scenes that are filmed looking upwards through the net at the performers, as if to emphasize the extreme danger of their stunts and the sometimes tenuous protection of the net. Director Carol Reed knew how to wring tense moments from this movie in unexpected ways and it pays off. The cliched plot almost doesn’t matter.

Burt Lancaster did most of his own stunts for the film, with the exception of the famed triple somersault, which was performed by his lifelong friend and old circus colleague, Nick Cravat. The two had worked together in the Federal Theater Project in the 1930s, but Burt was sidelined in 1939 by an injury. Since he had also trained in acting, Burt turned to the stage after serving in the Second World War. In terms of acting, he’s easily and ably matched by Tony Curtis and Gina Lollobrigida, but when it came to the aerial work, it’s easy to see who’s the real deal. All Tony and Gina had to do was smile and gesticulate as if they had just flown through the air.

Trapeze was a major hit with the public, although, according to TCM, there were critics who thought such a film was beneath the great Carol Reed. He, however, didn’t seem to care, because he and everyone involved had a great time making the film, and he liked Gina Lollabrigida, who flirted with everyone on set. The film was heavily promoted at a cost of two million dollars in nineteen-fifties money, and the press enjoyed playing up the fact that Lancaster was an acrobat.

Unfortunately, the film hasn’t fared well in recent years. Home media copies are hard to find, especially in the United States, with the one and only Blu-ray release as yet solely in Italy. It’s a real shame, too, because anyone who happens upon this film is in for a treat.

And now for our final Pick My Movie Tag winner of 2023…

Rachel of Hamlette’s Soliloquy!

Rachel’s mission, should she choose to accept it, is to review her favorite Shakespeare film adaptation. Or present a list of favorites. The rules for the tag and a banner can be found here. Congrats, Rachel!

Coming up in January (click on the image for more information)…

And with that, I’m off for my end-of-the-year break. Thanks for reading, everyone, I hope you all have a great holiday season, and I’ll see you on January second with my review for Erica’s Party Like It’s 1899 Blogathon…

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Trapeze is available to own on DVD from Amazon and is free to stream for Prime customers.

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