After her success in 'What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?', past-her-prime Hollywood star Joan Crawford appeared in several horror/thriller films for which 'camp' is perhaps the most applicable adjective. Rather than begrudgingly accept each ridiculous role and phoning in a lacklustre performance (as so many 'down on their luck' actors have done), Crawford actually appeared to embrace the genre and relish its absurdity.
And absurd this film most definitely is, but certainly no less enjoyable for it. From the brilliant reveal of the film's title (a high wire performer falls and is hung by the neck, his body swinging across the screen to reveal the word Berserk) to the quite outrageous finalé, this is as much fun as a barrel of monkeys.
Speaking of monkeys, there aren't any, despite the circus setting; there are, however, acrobatic elephants, prancing ponies, trained lions, and pack of performing poodles, all part of the traveling show owned by Monica Rivers (Crawford). After her business manager Dorando (Michael Gough) is murdered, Miss Rivers finds that the crowds start to pour in out of morbid curiosity and in the hope of catching some real drama. Since the circus's owner is the one who stands to profit most from the deaths, she becomes one of the prime suspects, but there's no shortage of other possible killers: midget Bruno (George Claydon), blonde Matilda (British sex symbol Diana Dors), new high-wire act Frank Hawkins (Ty Hardin), as well as a gypsy fortune-teller, a bearded lady, a strong man, and a skeleton man. Hell, even some of the zebras look a little suspicious. It's up to Scotland Yard's Detective Supt. Brooks (Robert Hardy) to try and crack the case.
Director Jim O'Connolly makes the most of his colourful circus world with plenty of entertaining acts to punctuate the drama, including a lion-tamer who definitely earns his wage. The acting from the supporting cast (the circus performers) is diabolical, which is entertaining in itself, while the death scenes range from the tame (the off-screen sawing in half of a victim) to the nice and gory (a metal tent spike through the head and a high fall onto steel bayonets). There's also a fair amount of glamour: for those who don't mind them on the mature side, Crawford swans around in a black leotard; for those who like 'em fuller figured, there's Dors, squeezed into a corset; and for those who prefer them still in their teens, we have pretty Judy Geeson as Rivers' feisty daughter Angela, who wears a revealing costume as a knife-thrower's assistant.
After lots of squabbling between the circus folk, several impressively colour-coordinated outfits from Crawford, and a hilarious lip-synched song and dance routine from the midget, the bearded lady, the strong man, and the skeleton man, we finally find out the identity and motive of the killer, and it's so dumb it cannot fail to entertain. As the killer makes a bid to escape, they are struck by lightning, which makes for a fittingly bonkers end to a totally trashy horror.
And absurd this film most definitely is, but certainly no less enjoyable for it. From the brilliant reveal of the film's title (a high wire performer falls and is hung by the neck, his body swinging across the screen to reveal the word Berserk) to the quite outrageous finalé, this is as much fun as a barrel of monkeys.
Speaking of monkeys, there aren't any, despite the circus setting; there are, however, acrobatic elephants, prancing ponies, trained lions, and pack of performing poodles, all part of the traveling show owned by Monica Rivers (Crawford). After her business manager Dorando (Michael Gough) is murdered, Miss Rivers finds that the crowds start to pour in out of morbid curiosity and in the hope of catching some real drama. Since the circus's owner is the one who stands to profit most from the deaths, she becomes one of the prime suspects, but there's no shortage of other possible killers: midget Bruno (George Claydon), blonde Matilda (British sex symbol Diana Dors), new high-wire act Frank Hawkins (Ty Hardin), as well as a gypsy fortune-teller, a bearded lady, a strong man, and a skeleton man. Hell, even some of the zebras look a little suspicious. It's up to Scotland Yard's Detective Supt. Brooks (Robert Hardy) to try and crack the case.
Director Jim O'Connolly makes the most of his colourful circus world with plenty of entertaining acts to punctuate the drama, including a lion-tamer who definitely earns his wage. The acting from the supporting cast (the circus performers) is diabolical, which is entertaining in itself, while the death scenes range from the tame (the off-screen sawing in half of a victim) to the nice and gory (a metal tent spike through the head and a high fall onto steel bayonets). There's also a fair amount of glamour: for those who don't mind them on the mature side, Crawford swans around in a black leotard; for those who like 'em fuller figured, there's Dors, squeezed into a corset; and for those who prefer them still in their teens, we have pretty Judy Geeson as Rivers' feisty daughter Angela, who wears a revealing costume as a knife-thrower's assistant.
After lots of squabbling between the circus folk, several impressively colour-coordinated outfits from Crawford, and a hilarious lip-synched song and dance routine from the midget, the bearded lady, the strong man, and the skeleton man, we finally find out the identity and motive of the killer, and it's so dumb it cannot fail to entertain. As the killer makes a bid to escape, they are struck by lightning, which makes for a fittingly bonkers end to a totally trashy horror.