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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1120

The Devil's Circus

192670 minUnited States

Synopsis

Mary finds work in a circus and falls in love with a pickpocket who promises to reform. A lion-tamer's assault and another performer's jealousy place her trapeze act in danger. War separates the people around her, leaving the possibility of reunion to depend on more than survival.

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Video edition: Wikimedia Commons
Original language: No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs: 73:29
Subtitles: No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Benjamin Christensen · Public domain

Cast

Norma Shearer

Charles Emmett Mack

DirectorsBenjamin Christensen

Behind the scenes

The drama was Benjamin Christensen's first American production, starring Norma Shearer and Charles Emmett Mack. A rediscovered print allowed the film to survive alongside only part of the director's Hollywood work.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film reference Wikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 15, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Norma Shearer — Unknown author · Public domain

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