Circus Daze Review: Poodles Hanneford and some very weird vibes

If you have about twenty minutes and an appetite for 1920s slapstick that feels like it was filmed during a fever dream, Circus Daze is probably worth a look. You should watch it if you like seeing how people used to hurt themselves for comedy before CGI existed. You will probably hate it if you can't stand the flickering, scratchy look of old film or if you find clowns inherently terrifying. 🤡

So, the main guy is Poodles Hanneford. Yes, his name is actually Poodles. He plays a character also named Poodles, which I guess makes things easy to remember on set. He's got this face that seems like it was made of pulled taffy, always stretching into these weird expressions of panic or joy.

The plot is basically as old as time itself. Poodles loves Betty, who is played by Betty Welsh. She rides horses and looks very nice in her circus outfit. But there is a bully ringmaster who wants her too. He is played by Frank Bond and he has a mustache that looks like it could actually hurt someone if he turned his head too fast. 👨🏻‍𝦅

The whole thing starts with a lot of 'monkey business.' Literal monkeys, I think? Or maybe just Poodles acting like one. It is hard to tell because the film quality is a bit grainy, like someone rubbed a bit of dirt over the lens before they started shooting. I kind of liked that though.

There is this one scene where Poodles is trying to impress Betty and everything just goes wrong. It feels like a very early version of those 'fail' videos you see on the internet now. Except there is more dust. And the stunts look way more dangerous than they probably should have been for a comedy. 🐎

The ringmaster is such a jerk in this. He keeps shoving Poodles around. It reminds me of the mean energy in some of the stuff in All Wrong, where the conflict just feels a bit too personal. You really want to see the guy get his comeuppance, even if it is just a pie to the face.

Then we get to the big climax. Betty faints. Why? I don't know, maybe the corset was too tight or the pressure of the circus was just too much. She just goes down right before the big show. And of course, the show must go on, because that is the only rule in movies like this.

Poodles decides the only logical solution is to put on her clothes and do the equestrienne act himself. This means Poodles in drag. It is not exactly a convincing transformation. He looks like a very confused aunt who got lost on her way to a wedding. 👗

The riding scenes are actually pretty impressive. Poodles Hanneford was a real circus performer, so he actually knows what he is doing on a horse. Even in a dress. Especially in a dress. It is much more physically demanding than anything you would see in a modern blockbuster like Avatar, where everything is just a guy in a blue suit in front of a green screen.

There is a moment where he almost falls off, and you can see the genuine fear in his eyes for a split second. Then he goes right back into the 'funny' face. It is kind of impressive and sad at the same time. The dedication to the bit is absolute.

I noticed a guy in the background of one shot just leaning against a tent pole. He looks like he is bored out of his mind. He probably had no idea people would be watching him 100 years later on a glowing rectangle. I wonder if he got paid in sandwiches.

The ending happens very fast. Like they ran out of film and just decided to stop. One minute he is riding a horse, and the next, everything is resolved. It lacks the slow build you might find in something like The Leavenworth Case, but then again, it is a short. It doesn't need to be deep.

There are these weird title cards that pop up to explain the jokes. Sometimes they are funnier than the actual scene. One of them had a typo, I think? Or maybe that is just how they spelled things back then. Language is weird.

If you compare it to Felix in Love, which came out around the same time, you can see how much more 'grounded' this is, even with the silly costumes. It feels like a real place. A dusty, smelly, slightly dangerous circus. I could almost smell the hay and the stale popcorn through the screen.

Is it a masterpiece? No. It is a bit messy and the pacing is all over the place. Some gags go on way too long, like a guest who doesn't know when to leave a party. But it has a lot of heart. And Poodles is a fun name to say. Poodles.

I think my favorite part was the dog. There is a dog that just seems confused by the whole production. It has better comedic timing than some of the humans. 🐕

Anyway, if you want a slice of 1924 that doesn't feel too heavy, give it a watch. It is better than staring at a wall. And it makes you glad that 'ringmaster' isn't a common career path anymore. Too much mustache maintenance required.