Trapeze (1956)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Carol Reed

Writers:

Max Catto (novel)
Liam O'Brien (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

30 May 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

High...High...High...Above Them All! - in excitement! - in spectacle! - in fire, flesh and fury!

Plot:

Mike Ribble was once a great trapeze artist - and the only to have completed a triple somersault - before his accident...

Plot Keywords:

Trapeze | Circus | Trapeze Artist | One Word Title | Giraffe

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Mike Ribble
Tony Curtis	...	Tino Orsini
Gina Lollobrigida	...	Lola
Katy Jurado	...	Rosa
Thomas Gomez	...	Bouglione
Johnny Puleo	...	Max (dwarf) (as John Puleo)
Minor Watson	...	John Ringling North
Gérard Landry	...	Chikki (as Gerard Landry)
Jean-Pierre Kérien	...	Otto (as Jean-Pierre Kerien)
Sid James	...	Snake Charmer (as Sidney James)
Gimma Boys	...	Circus family children
Los Arriolas	...	Specialty Act
Gamil Ratib	...	Stefan
Pierre Tabard	...	Paul
Edward Hagopian
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fay Alexander	...	Double for Tony Curtis (uncredited)
Simpion Bouglione	...	Himself (uncredited)
Roland Carey	...	Trapeze Artist (uncredited)
Mme Felco Cipriano	...	Herself (uncredited)
Betty Codreano	...	Herself (uncredited)
Gabrielle Fontan	...	Old woman (uncredited)
Willy Krause	...	(uncredited)
Sally Marlowe	...	(uncredited)
Mylos	...	Himself (uncredited)
Guy Provost	...	A journalist (uncredited)
Michael Thomas	...	Ringmaster (uncredited)
Edward Ward	...	(uncredited)
Achille Zavatta	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Carol Reed

Writing credits
Max Catto		(novel "The Killing Frost")
Liam O'Brien		(adaptation)
James R. Webb		(screenplay)
Ben Hecht		uncredited and
Wolf Mankowitz		uncredited

Produced by
James Hill	....	producer
Harold Hecht	....	producer (uncredited)
Burt Lancaster	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Malcolm Arnold

Cinematography by
Robert Krasker		(director of photography)

Production Design by
Rino Mondellini

Costume Design by
Veniero Colasanti		(as Colasanti)

Makeup Department
Louis Bonnemaison	....	makeup artist
Iole Cecchini	....	hair stylist: Miss Lollobrigida (as Cecchini)
Sarnelli Trieste	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Ruby Rosenberg	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Gendre	....	assistant director
Michel Romanoff	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jacques Carrère	....	unit sound mixer (as Jacques Carrere)
Francis J. Scheid	....	sound supervisor
Teddy Mason	....	dubbing editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
R.J. Lannan	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Walter Castle	....	photographic effects

Stunts
Bob Yerkes	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Harris	....	camera operator
E. Truman Joiner	....	key grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joseph Dimmitt	....	wardrober (uncredited)
Franco Salvi	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Gladys de Segonzac	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Bert Bates	....	editorial supervisor

Music Department
Muir Mathieson	....	conductor

Other crew
Fay Alexander	....	flying sequences technical advisor
J. Bouglione	....	technical advisor to the circus
Harold Hecht	....	presenter
Burt Lancaster	....	presenter
Richard McWhorter	....	assistant to producer
Saul Bass	....	title designer (uncredited)
Harriet Medin	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions (as Joanna A.G.) (as Hechler Productions)
• Susan Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1956) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Divisa Home Video (2009) (Spain) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• DeLuxe Laboratories  color by (as De Luxe)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording) (optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording) (magnetic prints)

Certification:

Norway:16 | USA:Approved (certificate #17783) | UK:U | West Germany:12 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Cirque d'Hiver - 110 rue Amelot, Paris 11, Paris, France

Company:

Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions

Trivia:

Sally Marlowe was cast as Gina Lollobrigida's stunt double until Marlowe broke her nose on set. Willy Krause, a close personal friend of Burt Lancaster, was asked to fill in as Ms. Lollobrigida's stunt double. He accepted the role.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Cheers: Peterson Crusoe (#3.11)" (1984)

Soundtrack:

The Blue Danube (An der schönen, blauen Donau, Op. 314)

I'm biased; I liked it.

Actually I think Trapeze is a fairly decent depiction of a 1950s European flyer's act. And I understand that Mr. Lancaster was an acrobat whose career was ended due to injury prior to his becoming an actor. So this may have enabled him to have a good feel for his role.

But I'm also a bit biased. I've been to a couple of circuses in Paris, which seemed to mirror the film's atmosphere and I actually met the actors who starred in this film.

In 1955 I was living on an American military base near Paris where Trapeze was being filmed. The USO hosted a gathering on base and Tony Curtis and Gina Lollabrigida appeared to promote the film and sign autographs. My older sisters got their photos taken with Mr. Curtis.

So naturally, whenever I catch this film on late night cable, I see it from a nostalgic point of view.