Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated

Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.

scottduffus With so much attention currently being paid to The Greatest Showman I have selected another circus film for my 'Oldies but Goodies' post this week. The 1952 film, The Greatest Show on Earth, was based on the famous railroad circuses of the day and went on to win the Academy's Best Picture award for that year. Directed by the famous Cecil B DeMille and starring Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde and Jimmy Stewart, this movie takes us behind the scenes of the famous Ringling Brothers - Barnum and Bailey Circus. What makes this movie so fascinating is that when you review the cast list it becomes apparent that most of the circus characters were true circus performers. The story focuses on the circus manager, Heston, trying to keep the circus financially viable. To do so he has to employ an arrogant and womanising trapeze artist, Wilde, to be his star attraction. This impacts the manager's girlfriend, Hutton, who thought she would be the central trapeze artist as she is relegated to a lesser role. As the story progresses it becomes apparent that Heston cares more for the circus than his girlfriend. Hutton feels neglected and starts falling for Wilde's character but still wants the top billing so they both try more daring performances to prove there skill. Eventually Wilde has an accident that prevents him from continuing to perform. There are a whole lot of side stories revolving around who has romantic feelings about who and also there is the mysterious clown, Buttons (Jimmy Stewart), who never takes off his makeup. The climax of the film is a spectacular train crash that cripples the circus, brings out everyone's true feelings for each other and uncovers a couple of mysteries. The true spirit of 'the show must go on' brings the movie to its close. Stephen Spielberg tells that this was the first movie he ever saw and influenced his desire to make movies. Those who have seen his film 'Super 8' will recognise the influence of the train crash from this movie transferred to his. The love of circuses continued on TV as remember growing up watching Bozo the Clown. I really enjoyed this movie and while I never was adventurous enough to ever consider running away to the circus it gave me a greater appreciation for how exciting the circus was 7 friends out of 10

Martin Bradley In 1952 both "High Noon" and "The Quiet Man" were nominated for Best Picture. It was also the year that the greatest of all musicals, "Singin' in the Rain" first appeared and yet the Academy didn't think it worthy of a Best Picture nomination, (though they did nominate "Ivanhoe"). So what did the Academy choose as the Best Picture of 1952? Why, that was the year the honor went to Cecil B. DeMille and "The Greatest Show on Earth", the biggest and arguably the best of all circus films, as well as one of the least deserving Best Picture winners of all time; not the worst perhaps but set it beside "High Noon" and "The Quiet Man" and it pales into insignificance.It's an epic that uses the real-life circus of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey as the basis for its spectacular and melodramatic plot and it crams a load of stars onto the screen for effect, (Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Gloria Grahame, Dorothy Lamour and Jimmy Stewart, hiding, not very convincingly, behind clown make-up), and when it's on the high-wire or the flying trapeze it's certainly exciting and without the constraints of the Bible hanging over him, it may be DeMille's best film. So is it the greatest show on earth? Where sawdust and tinsel is concerned it might be but not when you have "The Quiet Man" and "Singin' in the Rain" waiting in the wings.

djmes Watched "Greatest Show on Earth" 1952 w/Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton & Cornel Wilde. It won Best Picture Oscar in 1952 somehow beating out "High Noon" Don't waste your time! How this flick won best picture is beyond me. Over 1/2 of the movie is filled with filmed Ringling circus acts (though in rich Tecnhicolor!). The weak story is 2nd rate soap opera.

Jon Hanley 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