The Greatest Show on Earth

1952
Approved
2h 32m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

16K

YOUR RATING

Charlton Heston, James Stewart, Gloria Grahame, Betty Hutton, Dorothy Lamour, and Cornel Wilde in The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

Play trailer6:54

1 Video

78 Photos

Drama Family Romance

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.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

16K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 2 Oscars
- 9 wins & 5 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 6:54

Watch The Greatest Show on Earth

Photos78

+ 71

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List

Storyline

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Trivia
Despite 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.

Goofs
When 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
[Phyllis is having her hair washed by Birdie as heart-throb Sebastian approaches;]
Phyllis: Why is it whenever he's around I'm all wet?
Birdie: In more ways than one.

Connections
Featured in Concept (1964)

Soundtracks
The Greatest Show on Earth
By Victor Young and Ned Washington
Sung by Betty Hutton (uncredited)

User reviews159

Review

Featured review

Great show and story

I know that some people are down on this movie, but I absolutely LOVE it. It has great ideals and good (not great) acting. It tells a story about the circus in a pseudo-documentary. The story has love, action, and humor. Three things that are missing from much of today's movie. I also love the color and the dramatic "feel" of the film for that era. It's a wonderful, wonderful, piece of 'Americana'.