In “Circus World,” Wayne plays a character directly inspired by Buffalo Bill Cody, the real-life Western cowboy and folk hero who spent many years of his life (in the 1870s through the ’90s) performing a in a touring show called “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West.” The Wayne character in “Circus World,” set in 1885, buys a flagging circus with the hopes of reviving it and cashing in on Cody’s success. Much of the film is devoted to Wayne building up a new troupe of interesting performers in order to take them on tour throughout Europe. 

According to Munn’s book, making “Circus World” was a nightmare. Firstly, Wayne was considered past his prime, and one of the film’s screenwriters, James Edward Grant was even quoted as saying that all Wayne needed to be in a picture these days was a scene or two with “a hoity-toity dame with big t*** that the Duke can throw over his knee …” The book also tells a story of how difficult a time Wayne had with his co-star Rita Hayworth. Evidently, Hayworth and Wayne had no chemistry on set, and the actress was reported to be drunk on set often, usually not having learned her lines. Wayne got on much better with Claudia Cardinale, who played Wayne’s adopted daughter. 

Worst of all was the notorious fire sequence, which cinematographer Jack Hildyard related in Munn’s book. Hildyard cleared the air about what happened in the film’s fire scene: During a scene wherein the film’s big top burns down, Wayne’s character was meant to get awfully close to the flames, and he perhaps got a little too close. Hildyard dispels the rumors, however, that Wayne was in any serious peril.