IMDb RATING
6.6/10
14K
YOUR RATING
The dramatic lives of trapeze artists, a clown, and an elephant trainer are told against a background of circus spectacle.The dramatic lives of trapeze artists, a clown, and an elephant trainer are told against a background of circus spectacle.The dramatic lives of trapeze artists, a clown, and an elephant trainer are told against a background of circus spectacle.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
14K
YOUR RATING
- Director
- Writers
- Fredric M. Frank(screenplay)
- Barré Lyndon(screenplay)
- Theodore St. John(screenplay)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Fredric M. Frank(screenplay)
- Barré Lyndon(screenplay)
- Theodore St. John(screenplay)
- Stars
- Won 2 Oscars
- 9 wins & 5 nominations total
Videos1
Robert Carson
- Ringmasteras Ringmaster
- (as Bob Carson)
- Director
- Writers
- Fredric M. Frank(screenplay) (story)
- Barré Lyndon(screenplay)
- Theodore St. John(screenplay) (story)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
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! —Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
- Taglines
- The Heartbeat Story of Circus People, Filmed with the Cooperation of Ringling Bros. - Barnum and Bailey Circus!
- Genres
- Certificate
- K-16
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaDespite his made-to-order background as a real-life circus acrobat, Burt Lancaster declined the role of The Great Sebastian, a fact Cecil B. DeMille doubly regretted when he learned that Cornel Wilde was afraid of heights. Wilde was game, however, and ended up performing many of his own stunts on the flying trapeze.
- GoofsWhen Brad is checking the baby gorillas after learning they may have contracted the mumps, a crowd of onlookers is gathered right behind, plainly staring at the camera filming the scene.
- Quotes
Brad Braden: [while Buttons is doing first aid] Buttons! If that detective sees you doing this, he won't need *fingerprints*!
- ConnectionsFeatured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to James Stewart (1980)
Top review
It sure is.
This is my favorite Cecil B. DeMille picture and it rightfully deserves it's title. The cast is well cast. Heston makes a fine circus manager and a perfect "don't take nothing from nobody" type of guy when it comes to dealing with local gamblers. Cornell Wilde is perfect as the typical heart-throb of a trapezist. Betty Hutton is good as the daring young star fighting for the center ring. Last, but certainly not the least, James Stewart is wonderful as the lonely clown with a terrifying secret (I will not give it away!!! See the movie!!!). Cecil was a man of tremendous persona with a hunger for showcasing spectacle by means of careful, intense, and thorough research. He achieves amazing success in portraying (to the best of his ability of the times) the most realistic circus acts without the use of raw footage, and covering the stories behind the characters involved. The thing that really moves everything along though, is the musical score. Two words on that GOOD GOD!!! The music will make you want to go to the circus, even if you didn't like this picture. For those of you who didn't like this picture, why not go to the circus instead? You may be entertained to the point that you'll end up silencing your bad reviews. I'm not saying you have top like this picture, but if you haven't seen it yet, and it's because of the certain bad reviews it got from some people, you're really going to miss something.
helpful•186
- DrezenMedia
- May 5, 2004
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Den stora världscirkusen
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $4,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $36,000,000
- Gross worldwide
- $36,000,000
- Runtime2 hours 32 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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By what name was The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) officially released in India in Hindi?
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