Barnum (1986 TV Movie) User Reviews (7)

There's a sucker born every minute!

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 12 April 2023]

This story has been told over and over, from a 1934 movie starring Wallace Beery to a 1980's Broadway musical (featuring Jim Dale and Glenn Close), the British production of that musical (starring Michael Crawford) filmed libs for television, and a blockbuster new musical starring Hugh Jackman. Somewhere in there was this decent but not remarkable TV movie featuring one of the great screen actors of the 20th Century, Burt Lancaster, very good but a bit long in the tooth, perhaps the greatest humbug of them all, amusing in its audacity. It's colorful and fun, but because of the narration rather ordinary, and even weird, especially since Lancaster as Barnum in character describes what happens AFTER his death.

Not much for Laura Press to do as the firm but loving Charity Barnum like Glenn Close with songs did, but Hanna Schygulla as Jennie Lind does get a chance to show how formidable she was with her demands. General Tom Thumb and Joice Heath, present in the musicals, get some coverage here, with Thumb on quite a bit more and taking on Queen Victoria and the British royal family. And there couldn't be a Barnum without Bailey, and that means the appearance of the elephant Jumbo as well as animal rights activists of the time. This seems rather episodic, just covering important points in his life, and not becoming anything special. Barnum's second marriage to a much younger woman is dealt with fortunately rather quickly. However as one of my favorite actors of the 40's, Lancaster does impress, especially as he ages. But the narration is the weak point, and that is what prevents this from becoming a TV movie classic.

Wonderful Movie

[publicenemy · 25 October 2001]

First the bad news. Burt Lancaster is much too old for the part. Though they use a younger actor for much of Barnum's youth, when they switch to Lancaster, he's clearly much older than the character he's playing.

Now the good news. Burt Lancaster. He's great. No one else could play P.T. Barnum as well as Bur Lancaster. Thank God they overlooked the age factor and went for someone with the right soul. If you want someone to play the great Barnum, get a great actor. And they did.

The script is beautifully written. Because of that, even though the movie was obviously shot on a budget, it suffers not at all. Much as my kids loved it, this isn't really a kids movie. I mean it's good for kids -- they will like it -- but so will anyone interested in P.T. Barnum or 19th Century America. In other words, do not write this off as a mere kids movie because it's not.

Applause Is Fitting For This Delight-Loaded Film.

[rsoonsa · 10/10 · 27 November 2005]

It is very appropriate that former acrobat and trapeze artist Burt Lancaster should play as Phineas T. Barnum, in a well-crafted biographic film produced for television with an adequate budget and a top-flight cast that helps to enable director Lee Phillips apply nicely focused leadership in this treatment of Barnum's eventful life. Action opens in 1883 as a circus performance is in preparation, with 70 year old Barnum, surrounded by acrobats, jugglers, animals and clowns, talking to the camera as he recalls (through flashbacks) a series of dramatized events that have brought him to this stage of his career (he discloses that he did not conceptualize of a circus until he had passed the age of 60). We see young Barnum with his grandfather, Phineas Taylor (a solid turn by Michael Higgins) for whom the lad is namesake, as Taylor advises the youngster to always credit and honour imagination: "the seed of genius, the elixir of life", words that leave a lasting effect upon the impressionable boy. Subsequent highlights include the larger-than-life entrepreneur's development of such attractions as Joice Heth, purportedly a slave of 161 years, diminutive "General" Tom Thumb, Jennie Lind, "The Swedish Nightingale", and Jumbo, a gigantic elephant, eventually arriving at Barnum's business merger with James Bailey, resulting in "The Greatest Show on Earth". The financial compact arranged between Barnum and Lind (Hanna Schygulla), who was aware of the value of promotional advertising and who therefore permitted him to retain 70% of the profits from her highly successful touring, is covered in some detail; however, there is simply too much fascinating content within this man's lifespan to do it justice with normal cinematic restrictions. This is a splendidly mounted and costumed film that never flagrantly strays far from documented truth, and enjoys ably atmospheric scoring by Charles Gross and the skillful cinematography of Reginald Morris, benefiting a well-selected cast that gives nary a weak performance, Lancaster providing a magnificent turn as the showman with Schygulla a standout, as well.

Wonderful Burt Lancaster film!

[gazebo · 8/10 · 26 May 2005]

I remembered seeing this TV movie years ago. It was a rather lovely biography on P.T. Barnum that I don't think was that truthful to this man's extraordinary life. But it didn't matter, because Burt Lancaster was in it and he was terrific as P.T. Barnum, the first greatest showman ever. Burt Lancaster was absolutely charming in this role. Through Lancaster's performance, you can see why P.T. Barnum was able to charm so many people into buying his bulls--t.

Hannah Shygulla, who plays Jenny Lind was absolutely impressive. One of the coolest scenes in this movie was the first time P.T. Barnum and his associates laid eyes for the first time on Jenny Lind. P.T. Barnum asked Jenny Lind to come to the U.S. and work for him. P.T. Barnum had never met Ms. Lind before, but he was so confident that she was going to be such a big success that he and his friends spread all sorts of rumors about her. They fabricated stories about Jenny Lind in the newspapers like how beautiful she is and all the love affairs she had. It was an excellent way to get people to come to the Jenny Lind concert. P.T. Barnum sees Jenny Lind for the first time and realizes that Jenny Lind is no beauty. She is rather plain and plain spoken. All in all, Jenny Lind looked like an absolutely ordinary woman. P.T. Barnum is so frustrated that he voices his concerns that the concert will be a big flop. Jenny Lind overhears this conversation and she comes in, all dressed up for the concert. She calmly tells P.T. Barnum and his associates that she is a great singer and she will be paid what she's worth. Hannah Shygulla, as Jenny Lind, looks directly at P.T. Barnum and said, "And you will pay me....!" And with that, she goes out on stage and sings her heart out. The audience loves her and Burt Lancaster, as P.T. Barnum, is so moved he is brushing tears away from his eyes.

In this movie, you get to also meet Tom Thumb, a midget who is suddenly thrown into fame by P.T. Barnum. The actor that played Tom Thumb was very moving. Tom Thumb gets to meet Queen Victoria. In his joy, he goes up to the Queen and hugs her! I remembered feeling incredibly moved because Tom was so happy. You can imagine what his life was like before joining P.T. Barnum.

The gist of the movie was that, even though P.T. Barnum exploited so many people and things for publicity and money, his employees, like the woman who claimed to be George Washington's nanny, Tom Thumb, Jenny Lind had a better life because of P.T. Barnum.

Now, I don't know if it's true that P.T. Barnum treated all of these people kindly or fairly, but Burt Lancaster made you believe that P.T. Barnum was a great guy.

This is a nice family movie. If they ever release this TV movie on video, I urge anyone who is a fan of Burt Lancaster to get this movie.

This biopic may not be all that true, but it certainly is entertaining and a pretty good diversion!

I Invented You, The Audience

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 14 August 2008]

The only problem I have with the movie Barnum is that this was a role Burt Lancaster could have and should have done 20 years earlier. Still we have to give credit to the Canadian makeup people who managed to youthen Lancaster so he could do more than narrate his film from the grave so to speak.

Other than Hannah Schygulla the German film star who played Jenny Lind, the supporting players were all Canadian and the film was shot mostly in and around Montreal. Two other actors Andrew Bednarski and John Roney played Phineas T. Barnum in his adolescence and as a young man. Laura Press played his first wife, a pious Yankee Congregationalist who never quite understood her mercurial husband.

Lancaster was 72 when he did Barnum and he's perfect in the part. The man was a master publicist in fact he set the standard for the job. As he put it, he never cheated anyone he sold them fantasy and entertainment.

The film is a fond nostalgic trip through the lighter side of the 19th century in America. Barnum before he became a circus owner had a museum that was similar to Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not. He exhibited a talented midget in General Tom Thumb to the crowned heads of Europe, a phrase he might have coined. One of my favorite scenes is of the little guy meeting Queen Victoria with a beaming Lancaster looking on. He brought and ballyhooed Jenny Lind, dubbed the Swedish Nightingale to America for an amazingly successful tour.

Another favorite scene of mine is the shrewd Ms. Lind negotiating with Barnum for the right deal. It reminded me of another great Scandinavian star of the next century, Sonia Henie and what a shrewd businesswoman she was reputed to be.

Barnum's name survives today because of the famous circus his name is still attached to. As Lancaster explains he did little, but use his well known talent for publicity to get the show started. It was partner Bailey who was the driving force behind the circus and we never even meet him. That probably is a film unto itself. After Barnum's death the show merged with the Ringling Brothers show to form what it is still known today as Ringling Brothers&Barnum&Bailey Circus. Which was forever immortalized by Cecil B. DeMille in The Greatest Show On Earth.

The film is a fine made for television product one of the best ever done.

Sort like a Cliff Notes version of the man's life.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 21 July 2021]

I am an odd one in that I did not enjoy the musical "Barnum". Much of it is because it really didn't give a great account of the showman's actual life. For me, I much prefer this 1986 made for TV movie. While it's not perfect (it's a bit episodic due to the film's length), it does give a nice overview of his life and major attractions he brought the world.

It was an odd choice to have Burt Lancaster in the film....mostly because Lancaster was rather elderly at the time. Having him star in it in his peak (1950s-60s) would have been amazing.....but the film managed to still work very well. I especially like how, at times, Lancaster breaks the fourth wall and talks to the viewer! It's well acted, clever and the moments with Tom Thumb were not just interesting but very charming as well.

Overall, a nice TV movie about a truly odd man...but odd in a mostly good way.

Burt = Barnum!

[biduncan67 · 10/10 · 7 October 2020]

This could be the most accurate screen dramatization of P.T. Barnum's colorful life. It makes perfect sense to have a larger-than-life actor with circus experience in the title role. Burt Lancaster was an acrobat, who became an Oscar winning actor and a successful film producer.

Lancaster has the charisma to chat directly with the viewer. His narration and the use of illustrations help to summarize certain crises that would have required entire feature length movies of their own.

This movie should have been released to theaters. Perhaps it was in Europe.