A Variety critic saw it at a private screening in London in June 1924, and hailed it as “without doubt one of the best comedies evere screened”, praising the inventiveness of this superbly-constructed comic masterpiece. “Max Linder makes a great comeback as de Pompadour. He never clowns and much of his business is delightfully original… Linder practically plays the thing himself with every other character merely forming part of a perfect frame.” Max bought the rights from the Austrian producer and secured a distribution deal with the French company Aubert. Le roi du cirque premiered in Paris in February 1925, and was a resounding critical and commercial success. It probably would have led to a new stage in his career (there were several projects in the offing), but sadly this was not to be. Linder committed suicide on 31 October 1925. The film disappeared after Linder’s tragic death, and was unseen for years, although it was obviously not forgotten.

Catherine A. Surowiec, Ed. by, The European Film Archives at The Crossroads, Lumière Project, 1996