Source: Some information on this page may have been sourced as part of the 2023 Wikimedia Australia Partnership Projects grant, with the purpose of improving and expanding the use of Wikidata on our website. Wikidata is a free and open knowledge base that can be read and edited by both humans and machines. Read more about this project here.
A ticket to entertainment at the Royal Brothers’ Circus - the only Canadian tent circus in Canada. Filmed during a hectic summer season, with the Big Top up, in transit, or being erected, it vividly captures the 24-hour-a-day brand of circus magic and observes both the men and mechanics behind it. Like the circus itself, it hovers between comedy, sentimentality and the grotesque. An abridged version entitled ‘Little Big Top’ is also available. (Awards: Yorkton, Los Angeles)
Content notification
Our collection comprises over 40,000 moving image works, acquired and catalogued between the 1940s and early 2000s. As a result, some items may reflect outdated, offensive and possibly harmful views and opinions. ACMI is working to identify and redress such usages.
Learn more about our collection and our collection policy here. If you come across harmful content on our website that you would like to report, let us know.
How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
307187
Language
English
Subject categories
Animals & Wildlife → Circus animals
Animals & Wildlife → Working animals
Anthropology, Ethnology, Exploration & Travel → Travel
Documentary → Documentary films - Canada
Music & Performing Arts → Circus
Music & Performing Arts → Circus animals
Music & Performing Arts → Circus performers
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
16mm film; Access Print (Section 1)
16mm film; Limited Access Print (Section 2)