The Big Circus The Big Circus The Big Circus is a 1959 film starring Victor Mature as a circus owner struggling with financial trouble and a murderous unknown saboteur. It was produced and co-written by Irwin Allen, later known for a series of big-budget disaster films. Hank Whirling (Mature) needs a bank loan to keep his Whirling Circus going. He gets it from a stuffy New York City bank, but only on the condition he take along accountant Randy Sherman (Red Buttons) and publicist Helen Harrison (Rhonda Fleming) to help the circus turn a profit. Hank's top act is the Colino trapeze troupe,
Every Soul is a Circus turn," she is ultimately humiliated by the Ringmaster. The lone spectator, the empress' alter-ego, watches as the frenzy of the circus performance builds. The empress' movements and demeanor progress from childlike to flirtatious to addled. She is finally overcome with confusion, her actions becoming ever more undignified and absurd. When the ballet debuted, many audiences and critics were astonished to see Graham's wry, witty side. Most of her dances were so serious, she had been dubbed "Mirthless Martha" by her musical director Louis Horst. Reviewers described her performance in "Every Soul is a Circus" as "poignant clowning" having a "warmth