The Greatest Show on Earth

Delivers the goods for what it is a big traditional circus flick

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus hires a popular Casanova trapeze artist, The Great Sabastian (Cornel Wilde), in order to keep their tour schedule full and he wastes no time romancing his rival for the center ring, Holly (Betty Hutton), whos in love with the solemn manager (Charlton Heston). But, wait, Angel, the elephant babe (Gloria Grahame), is also in love with the boss man! Meanwhile, the resident clown has a secret past (Jimmy Stewart) and Dorothy Lamour is on hand as a performer.

A Cecil B. DeMille production, The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) is infamous for winning the Best Picture award above High Noon and The Quiet Man (and maybe also Sin...

Hyperbole is quite common nowadays with a premium paid for hype and superlatives; but this film really does deserve one such accolade - it is a spectacular feast for the eyes. Set in a travelling circus that appears to employ the population of a small town, we are taken on the frequently bumpy journey of this collection of artistes, misfits and animals as they criss-cross America delighting audiences young and old. It's all headed up by "Brad" (Charlton Heston) who has quite a juggling act of his own trying to keep the profiteers from encroaching on his schedules, his staff from eating each other and to find time for a little romance of his own. On that latter front, we can look to lively efforts from Betty Hutton, Dorothy Lamour, Gloria Gr...