Polly of the Circus is a 1932 film directed by Alfred Santell.
A circus comes into some random small American town. Polly the trapeze artist (Marion Davies), and the circus's star attraction, is offended when the posters of her in her performing costume all have her legs covered. She goes to complain to the town preacher, Rev. John Hartley (Clark Gable), but an amused Hartley tells her that he had nothing to do with the poster censoring (it's a town ordnance).
That night the circus performs. Polly is distracted by a heckler and takes a bad fall, breaking her leg. Rev. Hartley, being a Christian gentleman, offers his house to Polly as a place to recover. Naturally, as the weeks roll by and Polly's leg slowly mends, they fall in love. Unfortunately, John's starchy uncle, Bishop Northcott (C. Aubrey Smith) doesn't approve. The young lovers get married, but John soon finds that having a colorful circus girl for a wife makes it hard to find work as a pastor.
This was right before Gable's breakout role in Red Dust, which is why Davies is billed first. A young Ray Milland can be seen as Gable's sparring partner in the boxing ring, and later as an usher in the church.
Tropes:
- The Alcoholic: Dooley, who is a sort of servant/employee of Rev. Hartley and the church. He comes to John's house drunk and, clearly jealous of Polly, assaults her. Then he shows up for Sunday service still drunk and makes a scene when he sees Polly in the congregation.
- As You Know: John is informed of the arrival of Bishop Northcott by being told "Your uncle the Bishop is upstairs."
- Establishing Character Moment: Polly comes swooping into the dining car, steals a cup of coffee from another circus performer, then starts barking with outrage when she sees the censored posters. She is established as vivacious and high-spirited.
- Grammar Nazi: John, or so Polly thinks, as his making fun of her for saying "ain't" is followed by her saying "Yes, ain't, ain't, ain't!" Later, after they fall in love, she brags about having stopped saying "ain't."
- Handshake Refusal: Snooty, arrogant Bishop Northcott refuses Polly's outstretched hand.
- Just in Time: Bishop Northcott the jerk has a change of heart and comes to tell John—and they realize together that Polly is going to kill herself. They race to the circus's performance and get there just before Polly is going to take a fatal fall. Cue Happy Ending.
- Meet Cute: An outraged Polly storms into Rev. Hartley's church to protest her posters being censored, only for an amused John to answer that he had nothing to do with it.
- Moral Guardians: Rev. Northcott, who refuses to accept Polly, and basically makes John unemployable as a result.
- Noodle Incident: Dooley the alcoholic says "I spent eight long years in jail because I pitied a woman and took her into my house once."
- Shower Scene: A little male fanservice has John showering in the gym after sparring in the boxing ring, with a wall hiding his naughty bits from the camera.
- Take a Third Option: An unhelpful Bishop Northcott says that nobody will give John work as a preacher because of Polly, and even if they get divorced John's still out of luck because no diocese will take a divorced preacher. Polly then realizes the church has nothing against widowers, so she decides to kill herself.
- Title Drop: Polly introduces herself to John by saying "I'm Mademoiselle Polly, of the circus."
- The X of Y: Polly of the Circus
