When the Circus Came to Town

Last updated
When the Circus Came to Town
GenreDrama
Screenplay byLarry Grusin
Story byLarry Grusin
Directed by Boris Sagal
Starring Elizabeth Montgomery
Christopher Plummer
Eileen Brennan
Theme music composer Charles Gross
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producer Barry Krost
Producer Robert Halmi Sr.
Production location Savannah, Georgia
Cinematography Michel Hugo
Editor Murray Solomon
Running time120 min.
Production companies Entheos Unlimited Productions
Meteor Films
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseJanuary 20, 1981 (1981-01-20)

When the Circus Came to Town is a 1981 American made-for-television drama film directed by Boris Sagal and starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Christopher Plummer, and Eileen Brennan. It originally aired on CBS as a "Movie of the Week" on January 20, 1981.

Contents

Story

When the Circus Came to Town chronicles the life of Mary Flynn (Montgomery), a woman nearing middle age living in a small town. When the circus comes through town, she realizes nothing will ever change unless she does something different, so she leaves her boring sheltered life to run away and join the circus. While adapting to her new life, she finds herself challenged, and in the end, happy with her new life.

Cast

Production notes

Crew


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Maud Montgomery</span> Canadian novelist (1874–1942)

Lucy Maud Montgomery, published as L. M. Montgomery, was a Canadian author best known for a collection of novels, essays, short stories, and poetry beginning in 1908 with Anne of Green Gables. She published 20 novels as well as 530 short stories, 500 poems, and 30 essays. Anne of Green Gables was an immediate success; the title character, orphan Anne Shirley, made Montgomery famous in her lifetime and gave her an international following. Most of the novels were set on Prince Edward Island, and those locations within Canada's smallest province became a literary landmark and popular tourist site—namely Green Gables farm, the genesis of Prince Edward Island National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katey Sagal</span> American actress (born 1954)

Catherine Louise Sagal is an American actress and singer. She is known for playing Peggy Bundy on Married... with Children (1987–1997), Leela on Futurama, Cate Hennessy on 8 Simple Rules (2002–2005), Gemma Teller Morrow on the FX series Sons of Anarchy (2008–2014), for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 2011, and Louise Goldufski-Conner on The Conners (2018–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne Shirley</span> Fictional character Anne Cuthbert

Anne Shirley is a fictional character introduced in the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. Shirley is featured throughout the classic book series, which revolve around her life and family in 19th and 20th-century Prince Edward Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Montgomery</span> American actress (1933–1995)

Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery was an American actress whose career spanned five decades in film, stage, and television. She portrayed the good witch Samantha Stephens on the popular television series Bewitched, which earned her five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations.

The 28th Daytime Emmy Awards were held in 2001 to commemorate excellence in daytime programming from the previous year (2000). As the World Turns tied with General Hospital for the most Daytime Emmys won in a single year, with a total of eight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eileen Brennan</span> American actress and singer (1932–2013)

Eileen Brennan was an American actress. She made her film debut in the satire Divorce American Style (1967), followed by a supporting role in Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show (1971), which earned her a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Christopher Dennis Flynn O.Ont, was Chairman of Metropolitan Toronto from 1984 to 1988. Flynn rarely used his first name and was commonly known as Dennis Flynn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Britton</span> American actress (1920–1980)

Barbara Britton was an American film and television actress. She is best known for her Western film roles opposite Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, and Gene Autry and for her two-year tenure as inquisitive amateur sleuth Pam North on the television and radio series Mr. and Mrs. North.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marge Champion</span> American dancer and actress (1919–2020)

Marjorie Celeste Champion was an American dancer and actress. At fourteen, she was hired as a dance model for Walt Disney Studios animated films. Later, she performed as an actress and dancer in film musicals, and in 1957 had a television show based on song and dance. She also did creative choreography for liturgy, and served as a dialogue and movement coach for the 1978 TV miniseries, The Awakening Land, set in the late 18th century in the Ohio Valley.

<i>A Case of Rape</i> 1974 American TV series or program

A Case of Rape is a 1974 American made-for-television drama film directed by Boris Sagal and starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Ronny Cox, and William Daniels. It premiered on NBC on February 20, 1974. The film tells the story of a wife and mother who is raped twice by the same man and her ordeals dealing with the actual rape and her subsequent dealing with the police and the trial.

Zoe Ada Caldwell was an Australian actress. She was a four-time Tony Award winner, winning Best Featured Actress in a Play for Slapstick Tragedy (1966), and Best Actress in a Play for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1968), Medea (1982), and Master Class (1996). Her film appearances include The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Birth (2004), and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011). She was also known for providing the voice of the Grand Councilwoman in the Lilo & Stitch franchise and in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.

The National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble is an annual film award given by the National Board of Review.

<i>The Moneychangers</i> 1975 book by Arthur Hailey

The Moneychangers is a 1975 novel written by Arthur Hailey. The plot revolves around the politics inside a major bank.

A Doll's House is an American drama television film that premiered on NBC on November 15, 1959, as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame anthology series. It is directed and produced by George Schaefer, from a teleplay by James Costigan, based on Henrik Ibsen's classic play of the same name. The film stars Julie Harris and Christopher Plummer, who previously co-starred in Little Moon of Alban.

<i>June Bride</i> 1948 film by Bretaigne Windust

June Bride is a 1948 American comedy film directed by Bretaigne Windust. The screenplay, which was based on the unproduced play Feature for June by Eileen Tighe and Graeme Lorimer, was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Comedy. The film starred Bette Davis and Robert Montgomery. The Warner Bros. release marked the screen debut of Debbie Reynolds, although her appearance was uncredited.

<i>Ever Since Eve</i> (1937 film) 1937 film

Ever Since Eve is a 1937 American romantic comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Marion Davies, Robert Montgomery and Frank McHugh.

Liz Sagal is an American actress and screenwriter. She is part of a family of entertainment industry professionals. She is the daughter of director Boris Sagal and the stepdaughter of Marge Champion. In addition to her twin sister Jean Sagal, two of her other siblings, older sister Katey Sagal and brother Joey Sagal, are notable in the industry and her other brother, David Sagal, is an attorney married to actress McNally Sagal.

<i>The Eleventh Hour</i> (1962 TV series) American TV medical drama series (1962–1964)

The Eleventh Hour is an American medical drama about psychiatry starring Wendell Corey, Jack Ging and Ralph Bellamy, which aired on NBC from October 3, 1962, to September 9, 1964.

<i>The Awakening Land</i> 1978 film

The Awakening Land is a 1978 television miniseries based on Conrad Richter's trilogy of novels: The Trees; The Fields; and The Town, published from 1940 to 1950. The series originally aired on NBC in three installments from February 19 to February 21, 1978; directed by Boris Sagal, it starred Elizabeth Montgomery and Hal Holbrook.

<i>The Philadelphia Story</i> (play) 1939 play by Philip Barry

The Philadelphia Story is a 1939 American comic play by Philip Barry. It tells the story of a socialite whose wedding plans are complicated by the simultaneous arrival of her ex-husband and an attractive journalist. Written as a vehicle for Katharine Hepburn, its success marked a reversal of fortunes for the actress, who was one of the film stars deemed "box office poison" in 1938.