Circus of Fear (1966)Movie Review

Trailer here.

Circus of Fear is a 1966 horror movie directed by John Llewellyn Moxey(City of the Dead, Home for the Holidays) and starring Christoper Lee, Leo Genn, Anthony Newlands, Klaus Kinski and Suzy Kendall. 

The film begins with a robbery of a money van in London. One of the thieves is shot and the others get away by boat. The police arrive on the scene and the thieves go to their hideout. A man called Manfred(Kinski) shows up. One of the thieves is taking the money to a farm to hide it. The police are after the gang. They chase a van they suspect as being part of the robbery and they catch some of the thieves. The one thief is searching for the farm. He is met by someone who murders him. Cut to a circus. It is called Barberini's circus. The owner is Mr. Barberini(Newlands). There is a man called The Great Gregor(Lee). He is a lion tamer. He wears a mask. Manfred arrives at the circus seeking work.

The police are searching for the man who took the money to the farm. Gregor has money. He is being blackmailed by Mr. Big, another entertainer. The money seems to be the same money from the robbery. The notes are being traced by the police to the circus. Inspector Elliot(Gen) is asking questions at the circus. There are plenty of things happening there. Manfred is hanging around. Someone lets a lion out of it cage and it almost kills a circus member, Gina(Margaret Lee). The Inspector asks the staff questions. The police find a body and a knife. They think that it is the thief who escaped. Gina is the next to die. The same knife is in her back .

The inspector wonders why he murderer didn't leave with the money. There is some story with Gregor and his brother. Mr. Big hears about it and he wants money to keep his mouth shut.Gregor replaced his brother in the circus. He found the money from the robbery and took it. Manfred is looking for it. He ends up getting killed with the same knife. The killer sets fire to the place. Gregor races to get the money but gets caught up in the flames. A guy called Carl(Heinz Drache)was at the circus looking for the man who murdered his father. He thought it was Gregor. He finds Gregor hiding in cave as the police are searching. He confronts him about the death of his father and Gregor says it was an accident. He heads off with the money but he falls and gets pushed off a cliff by someone. 

The inspector says that they haven't found the killer. The real killer is a man called Eddie who is also in the circus. He is the son of a knife thrower and he is an expert. He owns the deadly knives that were used in the killings. He tries to escape as the police close in.  One of the others throws a knife at him and he dies.. The inspector knows that Mr. Big was blackmailing Gregor so Barberini fires him.This is a mystery film. There are lots of suspects and a lot of stuff going on. It has a good cast and I did enjoy it. I will give it a 5/10.