Stars In A Ring, Olympia

Illuminated carriages, exotic acrobats and boxing clowns all feature in this extended film of highlights from the Bertram Mills Circus at Olympia.

The huge scale and international flavour of the Christmas circus at Olympia neatly captured in this film, which features credits introducing acts and footage of the programme. Highlights include an impressively choreographed fight routine, a beautifully lit carriage – the film is subtitled “Highlights of Olympia’s league of illuminations” – and a troupe of Chinese contortionists. Dancing horses, performing dogs and elephants also appear - with the acrobats climbing on the elephants displaying a rather outdated attitude to animal welfare.