Circus World is a 1964 American drama film directed by Henry Hathaway.
At the dawn of the 20th century, successful circus owner Matt Masters (John Wayne) aims to take the show to Europe. He not-so-secretly also wishes to find his long-lost love, Lili Alfredo (Rita Hayworth), a trapeze artist and mother to the spirited and superstitious Toni (Claudia Cardinale), whom Matt adopted and raised as his own. The moment Matt lands in Europe, the ship he bought to transport the circus capsizes, so Matt and the few performers who choose to stay with him decide to travel with the Ed Purdy Wild West Show. At the same time they scout for new talent that will allow Matt to rebuild his circus.
Tropes:
- Bitch Slap: Toni angrily gives Matt a huge slap in the face after discovering he has been keeping the truth about her parents from her.
- Boyfriend-Blocking Dad: Matt has an apoplectic fit when he sees Toni kissing Steve, then takes him aside to tell him he is not good enough for his adopted daughter and threatens to sock him.
- Circus Brat: Toni was born to trapeze artists and raised by showman Matt, so she spent all her life in the circus. At first she performs either as part of Matt's Wild West acts or as a clown, but she aims to take up the trapeze.
- Driven to Suicide: Toni's father killed himself by purposefully missing a cue during a performance. He decided to put an end to his own life when he realized his wife Lili was in love with Matt.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Lili took to the bottle out of grief at her husband's death. She gets over it in order to join Matt's circus.
- Pursuing Parental Perils: Toni wants to be a trapeze artist like her parents, a desire Matt isn't too thrilled about seeing as how her father killed himself while performing.
- Roll in the Hay: Toni and Steve make out in a pile of hay above the circus arena so Matt won't catch them.
- Tightrope Walking: A clown and a ballerina perform by walking on tightropes. The clown has the additional stress of having to walk over the lions' cage.
