The Circus Queen Murder (1933) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Flandrin killed his wife Josie because she planned to divorce him and run away with her lover, The Great Sebastian. Driven by jealousy and rage, Flandrin vowed to kill both of them, declaring 'You double-crossing cheat. I'll kill the both of you' before the murder occurred.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Kelly lipreads Flandrin's threatening words to Josie, and his sabotage of Sebastian's trapeze rope during the show demonstrates his willingness to harm his rivals.

• flandrin
• josie la tour
• murder
• jealousy
• love triangle
• killing

Josie was shot with a poison dart from a blowgun while performing on the trapeze. Flandrin fired the dart from concealment, causing her to collapse and die in front of the audience, who believed it was part of the act.

Foreshadowing: The earlier sabotage attempt on Sebastian's trapeze rope established that someone was willing to tamper with the performers' equipment.

• poison dart
• blowgun
• trapeze
• murder method
• death

Flandrin blamed Sebastian for his wife's infidelity and wanted both lovers dead. After killing Josie, Flandrin captured Kelly and forced Colt to bring Sebastian alone to La Tour's body, then shot Sebastian in the back to eliminate his rival completely.

Foreshadowing: Flandrin's earlier sabotage of Sebastian's trapeze rope during the show demonstrated his intent to harm his rival before the murder plot escalated.

• sebastian
• flandrin
• rival
• killing
• love triangle

Each principal performer received anonymous notes warning them not to perform on Friday the 13th or they would die. The notes were part of Flandrin's scheme to create fear and potentially justify his own violent actions, though he ultimately killed anyway.

Foreshadowing: Rainey warns Colt about the threats on the evening before the performance, raising suspicion about the circus's internal conflicts.

• threats
• anonymous notes
• friday 13
• warning

Flandrin disguised himself among the circus's cannibal troupe to observe the grounds and further his murder scheme while remaining undetected. Colt noticed an extra member in the troupe that night, deducing it was Flandrin in disguise.

Foreshadowing: Colt notices an extra member of the cannibal troupe the night before the murder, raising his suspicion about Flandrin's activities.

• disguise
• cannibal troupe
• flandrin
• stealth
• investigation

Colt disguised himself in bulletproof gear borrowed from the circus and entered the tent with Kelly. When Flandrin manipulated the scene to kill Sebastian, Colt shot Flandrin from concealment, revealing the killer to the audience and exposing his entire scheme.

Foreshadowing: Colt's earlier investigation of the blood in Flandrin's wagon and the sabotage attempts had pointed to Flandrin as the primary suspect.

• colt
• expose
• flandrin
• disguise
• climax
• confrontation

After his murder scheme was exposed to the crowd and his plan collapsed, Flandrin rushed to the top of the Big Top and turned the gun on himself, ending his life rather than face capture or consequences for his crimes.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes Flandrin as a desperate man willing to go to extreme lengths, making his suicide a tragic but consistent outcome.

• flandrin
• suicide
• death
• finale
• tragedy

Josie owned half the circus and was determined not to let the threats force her to cancel. Despite the growing danger and warnings, she insisted on proceeding with the performance, ultimately leading to her tragic death.

Foreshadowing: Rainey revealed that La Tour owned half the circus, establishing her financial stake and stubborn determination to keep the show running.

• josie
• performance
• threats
• circus ownership
• determination

The blood found in Flandrin's wagon was not human. This detail confused investigators but actually came from the killed dog and other theatrical effects Flandrin used to create false leads and misdirect the investigation.

Foreshadowing: Colt notes the blood early in the investigation, which initially suggested a possible murder but ultimately pointed to Flandrin's elaborate deception.

• blood
• wagon
• flandrin
• deception
• misdirection

These were parts of Flandrin's campaign of intimidation designed to scare Josie into not performing. The killing of her beloved dog and the theatrical voodoo doll were meant to escalate the threats and create a climate of fear around the circus.

Foreshadowing: These violent threats occurred after the anonymous notes, further escalating the danger surrounding the performers.

• dog
• voodoo doll
• threats
• intimidation
• flandrin