Berserk!

Whodunit at a circus in England with Joan Crawford and Ty Hardin

Several murders at a circus in Britain demand a police investigation, including a detective from Scotland Yard. Joan Crawford plays the cold owner, Ty Hardin a high wire artist, Diana Dors a sultry performer and Judy Geeson the daughter of the owner.

“Berserk!” (1967) is similar to “Circus of Horrors” (1960) but with Crawford’s star power; not that I’m a fan, but she certainly has the charisma to carry a film. While it lacks the spectacular feminine cast of “Circus of Horrors,” it does feature a couple of notable women as high wire artists in the second half, not to mention Dors as Matilda; and Geeson’s a’right. Meanwhile, Crawford was in great shape for a woman of 62 years of age when the flick was shot. Of course no one believes that Hardin’s character is remotely attracted to her, but we can chalk that up to avarice.

This also has superior circus acts & animals compared to “Circus of Horrors,” perhaps because it took advantage of an actual circus for the shoot. There’s some hokey melodrama, of course, but anyone who appreciates circus/carnival flicks, like “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952), “Roustabout” (1964), “Water for Elephants” (2011) and the aforementioned “Circus of Horrors” should enjoy this.

The film runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot at Shepperton Studio, just west of London, and Billy Smart Circus.

GRADE: B