The third version of the novel by Jerome Weidman takes the business from the banks of Wall Street and the old west to the circus (traveling through Germany), with family patriarch Nehemiah Persoff even more demanding and sour than either Edward G. Robinson and Spencer Tracy. His sons seem even more messed up, even the one he favors (Cliff Robertson), and the black sheep (Robert Vaughan) extremely poisonous with bitterness.
Top billed Esther Williams as the wealthy American is supporting in the story, and doesn't do anything that would embarrass her acting wise. Carol Christensen, playing Persoff's only daughter (not a character in the other films if I recall correctly), makes the mistake of falling in love with a soldier whom daddy dearest instantly goes ballistic over.
The circus scenes are acceptable but far from thrilling, although a polar bear act led by Vaughan's wife Renate Mannhardt, is certainly unique. The scene where she takes drastic action after a confrontation with her husband is poorly filmed, obviously a man inside a polar bear costume, only seen from the back. This is not as good as the previous two (both certified classics) as if it was just tossed together thinking it would succeed mainly on its pedigree.
Top billed Esther Williams as the wealthy American is supporting in the story, and doesn't do anything that would embarrass her acting wise. Carol Christensen, playing Persoff's only daughter (not a character in the other films if I recall correctly), makes the mistake of falling in love with a soldier whom daddy dearest instantly goes ballistic over.
The circus scenes are acceptable but far from thrilling, although a polar bear act led by Vaughan's wife Renate Mannhardt, is certainly unique. The scene where she takes drastic action after a confrontation with her husband is poorly filmed, obviously a man inside a polar bear costume, only seen from the back. This is not as good as the previous two (both certified classics) as if it was just tossed together thinking it would succeed mainly on its pedigree.