The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

Every one was shocked when THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH won Oscars for Best Motion Picture and Best Screenplay; there was nothing about the film that could be considered "great art." At the same time, however, SHOW was a lot of fun, and certainly audiences of the day flocked to it, making it the single biggest grossing film of 1952.

The story is purple-prose soap opera. Circus manager Brad Braden (Charleton Heston) is doing a balancing act between rival arielist stars Sebastian (Cornel Wilde) and Holly (Betty Hutton)--the later of whom is torn in her affections between the two. Add in a lovely but common show girl (Dorothy Lamour), a jealous elephant trainer (Lyle Bettger), the object of his affections (Gloria Graham), a clown with a mysterious past (Jimmy Stewart), high wire accidents, and a train wreck--all mixed well by Cecil B. DeMille's eye for larger-than-life spectacle. The result is brassy, silly, corny, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Seen today, the big attraction here is the chance to see the circus when it was still traveling by rail and performing under "the big top." Filmed with the cooperation of Ringling Brothers-Barnum and Bailey, SHOW allows us to see what was involved in organizing the lavish show that was the circus in the 1950s, a world filled with roustabouts, elephants, barkers, peanut vendors, acrobats, and all the rest. One of the more interesting aspects of this is Emmett Kelly, one of America's greatest clowns, who appears throughout the film as himself.

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH is lots of flash and dazzle, a little song and dance, Charleton Heston in his first major role, Betty Hutton in one of her final films (she did most of her own stunt work), and lots of corny charm. It might not really be the "greatest" show on earth, but it is very picturesque. The film isn't restored, but it isn't in bad condition; sadly, there are no bonuses at all.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Fmovies: Since this film was released in 1952, some scenes in the film will really be outdated (effects). But other than that, the film is a feast to the eyes and if you're sentimental, to the heart. With a seemingly thin plot, Cecil B. deMille made the film work with visuals and moments of suspense that is missing from a lot of big films nowadays. Mr. deMille is a master of epic films and this is one example. He made the circus one of the main characters in the film, that you will find yourself missing it at this day and age. A guilty pleasure? For me this is a magical pleasure.

I am entirely unfamiliar with Cecille B. DeMille's work or even what the public reaction was to his career although I've heard a few negative things, and I've heard a lot more negative things about this picture's Best Oscar win (since it won over such AFI top 100 entries as High Noon and A Place in the Sun).

The film is somewhat metacinematic: It brings the joys of the circus to the viewer in the same way that it does for the audience in the film. With authentic circus acts thrown into the mix, these scenes are very exciting. But the film extends beyond just bringing footage of the circus to a movie audience as it effectively captures the drama backstage and brings you into a unique world.

The film is slightly more spectacle than story, in the sense that it sometimes feel like the story is secondary to the lions, tigers, and other circus acts. The plot bobbles through multiple story lines, but mainly centers around circus manager Brad (Charlton Heston), trapeze primadonna Holly (not much of a circus name, I know), and a womanizing Frenchman named Sebastian who becomes the circus' new headline trapeze artists and hopes to steal the heart of the woman she stole the spotlight from. Also featuring heavily into the story are Angel (Gloria Grahame), a past flame of Sebastian; Klauss, an elephant tamer with an obsessive desire for Angel; and Jimmy Stewart as a wise old clown who has been hiding a couple of secrets.

Among the cast, Heston, Grahame, and Stewart really stick out for excellent performances. Heston's circus manager is a man of very strong character who you come to empathize with because he's got the careers of thousands of people on his backs and is willing to sacrifice his personal relationships, his health, and his ego (when dealing with cocky people like Sebastian) to see to it that the show is a success. Gloria Grahame brings such wit and sass to one-line jabs and insults that it makes a convincing character out of what would otherwise have been a two-note shill. Lastly, Stewart is classic Stewart but he delivers that Midwestern persona underneath a veneer of make-up and in a supporting role.

The Greatest Show on Earth fmovies. Epic director Cecil B. DeMille manages to direct the greatest filming of a circus movie in the history of motion pictures. This film, like so many others shows that he was not just another director but a craftsman as well. Charton Heston's third film and first major leading role gives a hint of the long and illustrious career to follow. You really get the impression that he knows, loves, lives and breathes the circus. Cornell Wilde, Betty Hutton and Dorthy Lamour live up to their roles as well, along with Gloria Graham, all of them were required to actually perform the stunts that their characters did in the film. Of course Jimmy Stewart helped make the picture memorable even though hidden beneath the clown make-up all the way through. But the real stars were the hundreds of people from the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus and their endless dedication to making it truly "The Greatest Show on Earth."

It would validate this film best if I state outright at this point that I am a great fan of the movie SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, also released in 1952 and generally ignored by the Academy, seemingly due to the shower of accolades handed out to AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH did not win many Oscars beyond the coveted best picture award, but even this fact has poisoned my viewpoint of the justification of the Academy's decision, and that this in itself displays the incomprehensible factor that the statuette ended up at Paramount, not MGM.

However, my eventual purpose of viewing this film was threefold: to see Jimmy Stewart, Dorothy Lamour and one of the final best pictures of the 1950s, which I had not seen. All my SINGIN' IN THE RAIN prejudices aside, I was very pleasantly surprised.

Cecil B. DeMille's opinions of the circus as a ‘human machine made up of many parts' is interesting as it evokes the assemblage of any motion picture, and certainly, an enormous production such as this one. The script, generally convincing in its theme, can deliver on its expectations and bring to life a drama-comedy-epic-action-romance-musical that actually works, all elements and sub-plots played alongside. Even if these aspects make for melodramatic story lines, I have assumed that the purpose of the film is generally basic entertainment. And the basic story…the dramatic lives of circus performers culminating and reaching their peak underneath the glamour and colour of the big top isn't too bad either. DeMille's well-handled direction is intriguing and always expectantly, a job well done.

There are many good examples of an all-star ensemble cast, but this one ranks close to the topÂ…Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Charlton Heston, Jimmy Stewart, Dottie Lamour, Gloria GrahameÂ…each may bear no resemblance to their character's personalities, but play their parts interestingly well. Generally, I found Stewart's portrayal as Buttons the clown, masked behind a multiple personality, to be the best performance in the film. It is difficult also not to mention the many great and entertaining real-life circus performers that truly made up the spirit of THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH, and continue to do so in their differed entertaining medium today, so it is really quite a nice tribute to their dedication.

To satisfy the varied genres of the film, each character is where they are to fuel the particular element. Angel (Grahame) enhances the comedy with her natural talents, and Phyllis (Lamour) and Holly (Hutton) to fill out the musical aspects with an extensive musical program, including `Jumpin' Jack' and the title song. Romance is demonstrated in a series of different love triangles involving five of the six lead characters. Drama is seen with the integration of all these aspects, involving Buttons (Stewart), tension between Sebastian (Wilde) and Brad (Heston), and the case of post ANNIE GET YOUR GUN competitive one-upmanship between Holly and Sebastian on the trapezes. Finally, in the case of action, the sensationalism of the train scene brings all these emotions to a haltÂ…to create one of the biggest epics of 1950s Hollywood, and to destroy some of the colourful and glamourous illusions of circus life.

Despite the fact the film definitely exceeded my original expectations of it and the fact that it filled its three-hour plus running time certainly impressed me. However, I would like to continue to retain my position on the unfair juxtaposition of SINGIN' IN TH

I saw this film in a theatre when it first came out and, had forgotten a great deal of it, until I saw it again last evening.

Much of the film is actual footage of the REAL Barnum and Bailey Circus, setting up, tearing down and loading up for the trip to the next venue.

I had also forgotten how superb both Betty Hutton and Cornel Wilde are doing a great deal of their own 'flying'! While you realize that they have a net just under the view of the camera, they both perform physically demanding stunts with the camers right in their faces! I can't stand on my head on the floor much less on a swinging trapeze!!

Wilde's front summersault from one swinging bar to another swinging bar is breathtaking!!

Some of the action is quite dated and the trainwreck is...well, DeMille's rendition of a massive trainwreck. The plot creaks a bit here and there, but the many performers do their bits with conviction.

Hutton and Wilde steal the show from Heston and Stewart. I recommend this film to Circus lovers everywhere and to people who appreaciate actors placing themselves in Harms Way to create illusions (be they VERY dangerous illusions) of the REAL thing! I give it an 8.