List of Circus & Carnival Themed Films & Documentaries

There seems to be no complete list that chronicles a full or even somewhat complete filmography of circus and carnival themed films or documentaries. To fill that void, I will be starting such a list here on this day, May 21st, 2017…the day of the final Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey performance. This list will grow as I find more films to add. This list will not include lost films.

*If you would like to contribute to this list, just leave a comment below

1920s

• (1925)Sally of the Sawdust
• (1925)The Unholy Three
• (1927)Mickey's Circus
• (1928)Laugh, Clown, Laugh
• (1928)The Circus
• (1928)The Circus Kid
• (1928)The Man Who Laughs

1930s

• (1930)The Unholy Three(Remake)
• (1932)Freaks
• (1932)Polly of the Circus
• (1932)The Chimp
• (1933)Hoop-La
• (1934)The Circus Clown
• (1934)The Circus Comes to Town
• (1936)Charlie Chan at the Circus
• (1936)Circus
• (1937)Circus Girl
• (1938)Under the Big Top
• (1939)At the Circus

1940s

• (1940)Chad Hanna
• (1941)Dumbo
• (1941)The Wagons Roll at Night
• (1946)Here Comes the Circus
• (1947)Circus Animals
• (1949)Circus Day in Our Town

1950s

• (1951)Texas Carnival
• (1952)The Greatest Show on Earth
• (1953)Lili
• (1953)Man on a Tightrope
• (1953)Sawdust and Tinsel
• (1954)3 Ring Circus
• (1954)Carnival Story
• (1954)La Strada(The Road)
• (1954)Ring of Fear
• (1955)King of the Carnival
• (1956)Trapeze
• (1959)The Big Circus
• (1959)The Flying Fontaines

1960s

• (1960)Circus of Horrors
• (1960)Toby Tyler
• (1962)Billy Rose's Jumbo
• (1963)Papa's Delicate Condition
• (1964)7 Faces of Dr. Lao
• (1964)Circus World
• (1964)Roustabout
• (1965)Viva Maria!
• (1966)Circus Day
• (1966)Denny Furbush Presents The Circus: 1966
• (1966)Psycho Circus(Circus of Fear)
• (1966)Rings Around the World
• (1967)Berserk!
• (1967)The Clown and the Kids
• (1968)Die Artisten in der Zirkuskuppel: Ratlos(Artists in the Big Top: Perplexed)

1970s

• (1970)I Clown
• (1970)Mera Naam Joker
• (1972)Vampire Circus
• (1976)High Grass Circus
• (1976)World Within a Ring
• (1978)El circo de Capulina(The Circus of Capulina)
• (1978)Thampu
• (1978)The Great Wellendas
• (1979)Clown Festival

1980s

• (1980)Carny
• (1981)Carnival Magic
• (1981)Freedom(submitted by Marc Perry)
• (1981)My Father the Circus King
• (1981)Some Call Them...Freaks
• (1981)The Funhouse
• (1981)When the Circus Came to Town
• (1983)Something Wicked This Was Comes
• (1986)Barnum
• (1986)Barnum!
• (1987)How To Be A Clown
• (1988)Big Top Pee-Wee
• (1989)Santa Sangre(Holy Blood)

1990s

• (1992)Clowning Around
• (1993)Outrage(¡Dispara!)
• (1995)A Day on Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. Circus
• (1996)Sideshow: Alive on the Inside
• (1999)P.T. Barnum

2000s

• (2000)Ringling Brothers: Kings of the Circus
• (2002)Starkess: Circus Girls in India
• (2005)Balancing Acts
• (2005)Traveling Sideshow: Shocked and Amazed
• (2006)Dark Ride
• (2007)American Carny: True Tales from the Circus Sideshow
• (2007)Freakshow
• (2008)Cat Dancers
• (2008)Circus Rosaire
• (2009)Cirque du Freak:The Vampire's Assistant
• (2009)The Butterfly Circus

2010s

• (2009)The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia
• (2010)The Last Circus
• (2011)Circus Dreams
• (2011)Hey Rube! Ft. The Monsters of Schlock
• (2011)The Clown
• (2011)Water for Elephants
• (2012)The Devil's Carnival
• (2012)Without a Net
• (2013)World Circus
• (2014)The Flight Fantastic
• (2015)After Circus
• (2015)The Show of Shows
• (2015)Wild Women-Gentle Beast
• (2017)The Greatest Showman

Television Programs

• American Horror Story: Freak Show(2014-2015)
• Bozo's Circus(1961-1980)
• Circus(PBS)(2010)
• Circus Boy(1956-1958)
• Dumbo's Circus(1985-1986)
• Super Circus(1951-1952)

Television Episodes

• Mister Rodgers' Neighborhood (Season 18, Episode 5, 11/27/1987)
• Rugrats (Season 9, Episode 5a, Clown Around, 2003)