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The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) 6.7
The dramatic lives of trapeze artists, a clown, and an elephant trainer against a background of circus spectacle. Director:Cecil B. DeMille |
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Betty Hutton | ... | ||
| Cornel Wilde | ... | ||
| Charlton Heston | ... | ||
| Dorothy Lamour | ... |
Phyllis
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| Gloria Grahame | ... | ||
| Henry Wilcoxon | ... |
FBI Agent Gregory
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| Lyle Bettger | ... |
Klaus
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| Lawrence Tierney | ... |
Mr. Henderson
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| Emmett Kelly | ... |
Himself
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Cucciola | ... |
Himself
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Antoinette Concello | ... |
Herself
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John Ringling North | ... |
Himself
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Tuffy Genders | ... |
Himself
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John Kellogg | ... |
Harry
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John Ridgely | ... |
Assistant Manager
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
To ensure a full profitable season, circus manager Brad Braden engages The Great Sebastian, though this moves his girlfriend Holly from her hard-won center trapeze spot. Holly and Sebastian begin a dangerous one-upmanship duel in the ring, while he pursues her on the ground. Subplots involve the secret past of Buttons the Clown and the efforts of racketeers to move in on the game concessions. Let the show begin! Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
Taglines:
Mightiest of Motion Pictures! See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
May 1952 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth See more »Box Office
Budget:
$4,000,000 (estimated)Gross:
$36,000,000 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Holly: No, he said I was like champagne. I made his head spin.
Angel: Yeah, only you'll be the one who winds up with a hangover.
See more »
(1829) (uncredited)
Music by Gioachino Rossini
Played during the dog and pony show
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
This film is listed among The 100 Most Amusingly Bad Moves Ever Made in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book THE OFFICIAL RAZZIE® MOVIE GUIDE. See more »Goofs
When the circus train is leaving to start the season, as it passes the priest performing the blessing, we see the car carrying Holly (clearly visible in the open door) pass twice - two nearly identical shots, one right after the other. See more »Quotes
Angel: Did he say you were like cognac? All fire in zee glass?Holly: No, he said I was like champagne. I made his head spin.
Angel: Yeah, only you'll be the one who winds up with a hangover.
See more »
Soundtracks
"William Tell Overture"(1829) (uncredited)
Music by Gioachino Rossini
Played during the dog and pony show
See more »
It constantly amazes me that people carp that this won best Picture, as though no movie before or since ever won when maybe they shouldn't have. It was a big picture, it had a great story, it gave a lot of bang for the buck and that has always been a factor in grabbing the Oscar. It does seem a bit dated to us now, used to high flying special effects, different acting styles, and quick cut editing, instead of letting the scene play out as it so often does here, but it's such a great story. The circus itself is a character and the way Demille used the audience to make them seem so individual is wonderful. And I'm not just referring to the Hope/Crosby cameo. Remember the fat guy with the kid scarfing down the ice cream laughing his head off while the kid looked confused? You could tell he was reliving his childhood and he became EveryMan to us with only seconds of screen time. That's mastery. The integration of the real circus people with the actors was seamless and if nothing else this movie captures a time when the circus was really a circus. Carp all you want, guys. But I think you may be too spoiled by ultra realism to appreciate the subtler gems in this very respectable film.