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Shirley of the Circus

1922 · 50 min

A silent melodrama that sweeps you through circus glamour and quiet menace, tugging at the heart with earnest longing and a few sharp turns.

Directed by
Rowland V. Lee
Genres
Drama
Starring
Shirley Mason, George O'Hara, Crauford Kent
Overview
Nita is the popular dancer in a French circus. The strong man, Max, is her guardian and lends her to an interested artist, James Blackthorne, who promises to educate her for three years, then return her to Max. Nita is in love with one of the performers, Pierre. After three years Max calls for her at the convent, but Nita is afraid of him and runs away. Blackthorne asks his fiancé to give her a home, but Nita overhears a conversation about herself and fears she is not wanted. When Pierre calls to take her back to the circus, she goes. Blackthorne misses her and starts out on a search. Max treats them both brutally, and is so jealous of Pierre that he lets him fall during an acrobatic feat. Pierre is injured, but recovers with Nita at his side. Blackthorne finds her and offers her a home again, but she says she will never leave Pierre. —Moving Picture World, November 25, 1922

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In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
Directed by
Rowland V. Lee
Genres
Drama
Starring
Shirley Mason, George O'Hara, Crauford Kent
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • romanticstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • love
  • isolation
  • betrayal
  • found family
  • survival
Places
  • countryside
  • single country house
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
None
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language none
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action3
Horror1
Humour1
Realism6
Romance6
Tension5
Darkness5
Complexity3
Emotional weight6

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
drama
Directed by
Rowland V. Lee
Written by
Robert N. Lee
Starring
Shirley Mason, George O'Hara, Crauford Kent, Alan Hale, Lule Warrenton, Maude Wayne, Mathilde Brundage
Cinematography
G.O. Post
Runtime
50 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
No Language

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