As this German Count mentioned some time ago, the circus show and all that is around it, was often a setting in the silent cinema, probably because at that time the people could still find at the circus the chance to be astonished, bewildered and surprised. They would see the most incredible and bizarre acts played by people with an amazing capacity to perform the most impossible challenges. And of course let us not forget those small traveling circuses that specialized in showing the strangest creatures of the world: the strong man, the tattooed woman, fortune-tellers, various deformed humans beings or even ( in the past century) that most odd and unique of creatures, : a decent aristocrat. The silent cinema -at the time a kind of indoor circus itself-found the many incredible and curious stories of circus life provided perfect vehicles for expressive melodramas concerning jealousy, vengeance, or depraved unrequited loves,.
The early Danish film" Den Flyvende Cirkus", directed by Herr Alfred Lind, has all those circus characteristics ( it must be noted that this film was produced by the Danish Scandinavian-Russian Trading Company that often had a circus background in their movies ). It tells the story of a high-wire artist who is in love with the mayor's daughter; Thanks to his talents, he saves the life of his beloved in a fire but when he wants to marry her, the mayor firmly rejects such a foolish idea. A poor acrobat as a son-in law? Never! Now if the artist were to be a wealthy man, that would show he's a man of principles, ja wöhl!. But those lovers will have another obstacle to their impossible love: Damen Ula, the circus snake charmer who opposes the relationship because she herself loves passionately the high-wire artist.
Damen Ula is the most remarkable character in this film and one that this German Count loves especially because she is the perfect example of those temperamental and strong women of the early silent movies,: She is a remorseless gypsy and besides her snake she also has a uniformed monkey, treats her assistant badly, smokes compulsively and even has a whip that she uses on every appropriate occasion
ah!... a "Negrish" character years before Damen Pola herself.
And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count has a rendezvous with the bearded woman.