Gable is Father John Hartley, a small town minister living a peaceful life. The circus
comes to town, with its star attraction: trapeze artist Polly Fisher (Davies). She is
enraged when her risqué posters are covered up and confronts Hartley, who admits that her posters aren't appropriate in the town. The crowd mocks her at her next performance, causing her to fall. She recuperates at Hartley's house at his insistence since he feels guilty. Soon they fall in love. But his parish and bishop uncle
(Smith) don't support him marrying a circus girl. When the church turns its back on him,
the newlyweds struggle as he refuses to let her return to the circus and she doesn't
understand his devotion to the church.

Reviews

Photoplay magazine, April 1932

No horror here, no gangsters, and Clark Gable never once socks the beautiful Marion Davies in "Polly of the Circus." Pure sentiment, and Lord how we need it these days in pictures, No matter how often you have seen or read this well-known story,  you will want to discover it in its talkie form. And there's fine suspense in the last scenes that the original didn't have.

Quote-able Gable

"Yes? Oh, well ask him to come down." first line

"I'll see you tomorrow, you big gorilla!"

"That's one theory. There's another."

"Oh yes, I quite approve of marriage. I might even go so far as to get married myself
some day."

"Polly...did you say that and mean it?"

"Downey, I've had about as much of you as any man can stand. Get out of this house!"

"Of course he'll like you. How can he help it?"

"So you see, darling, you bring me luck."

"Polly, are you trying to tell me you don't love me?"

"So all these months you've just been as what you'd call, kidding me along."

"Well I suppose if I'd been a little more sophisticated, I'd have known. A small town minister shouldn't be expected to know."

"Polly!" last line

Behind the Scenes

The original play premiered in 1907. Gable acted in the play as a bit player in 1922.

Gable and Davies had a brief fling during filming, despite Davies' long time relationship with publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst (whose Cosmopolitan Pictures produced the film). Although the affair didn't last, their friendship did and they remained friends for years.

 Used to playing gangsters and tough guys, Gable balked at playing a preacher. Hearst begged and pleaded and even offered Gable a $10,000 car. Gable was insulted that Hearst thought he could be bribed and refused the car, stating that he would only do the role if the script was rewritten.

During filming, MGM renewed Gable's one year contract and his salary went from $650/week to $1,500/week for two years.