The Greatest Show on Earth is a 1952 American drama film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The film is set in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and stars Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Charlton Heston, and James Stewart. It depicts the lives of trapeze artists competing for the center ring and the circus manager. The film was well-received and won several accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Writing -Motion Picture Story.
It was also nominated for Best Director, Best Film Editing, and Best Costume Design (Color). The film's train crash scene has been cited as a major influence on other filmmakers, such as Steven Spielberg. Despite some criticism, the film has been celebrated for its portrayal of the circus world and its human story. The film's integration of real circus performers with actors was seamless, capturing a time when it was at its peak. The film's running time is 152 minutes, and it was released by Paramount Pictures.
Plot
The film follows the competition between two aerialists, Holly and Sebastian, which becomes increasingly dangerous. The duel ends when Sebastian removes his safety net, then suffers a serious fall when a stunt goes wrong.
Buttons, the clown, tends to him before the ambulance comes, impressing the circus doctor. Holly finally has the center ring and star billing but is not happy with how she got it.
Trailer
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Cast
- Betty Hutton as Holly
- Cornel Wilde as The Great Sebastian
- Charlton Heston as Brad Braden
- Dorothy Lamour as Phyllis
- Gloria Grahame as Angel
- Henry Wilcoxon as FBI Agent Gregory
- Lawrence Tierney as Mr. Henderson
- Lyle Bettger as Klaus
- Bob Carson as Ringmaster
- John Ridgely as Assistant Manager
- Frank Wilcox as Circus doctor
- Brad Johnson as unnamed reporter
- John Kellogg as Harry
- Julia Faye as Birdie
- Lillian Albertson as Buttons' mother
- Cecil B. DeMille as Narrator (uncredited)
- Charmienne Harker as Charmienne (uncredited)
The film also features about 85 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus acts, including clowns Emmett Kelly and Lou Jacobs, midget Cucciola, bandmaster Merle Evans, foot juggler Miss Loni, and aerialist Antoinette Concello. John Ringling North plays himself as the owner of the circus.
Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Writer: Fredric M Frank, Theodore St. John, Frank Cavett, Fredric M Frank, Barré Lyndon, Theodore St. John
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Drama, Romance
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 10, 1952
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2011
Themes & Reception
The Greatest Show on Earth received generally positive reviews from critics and audiences. The film won several accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Writing (Motion Picture Story). It was also nominated for Best Director, Best Film Editing, and Best Costume Design (Color).
The film's portrayal of the circus world and its human story has been celebrated, and the integration of real circus performers with actors was seamless. The film's train crash scene has been cited as a major influence on other filmmakers, such as Steven Spielberg. The self-titled theme song later served as the theme for WGN-TV's long-running Bozo's Circus.
Challenges Faced
•Talent availability: The film featured some of the best sportsmen and sportswomen in the world, and their schedules were constantly changing. The production team had to keep the schedule fluid and be reactive to accommodate their availability.
• Acrobatic performances: The film's central theme involved acrobatic performances, which required careful choreography and coordination. The director used stunt doubles to practice the acrobatic actions and deepfake AI technology to replace some of the acrobats' faces to look like the celebrity talent.
•Integration of real circus performers: The film aimed to seamlessly integrate real circus performers with actors. This required close collaboration between the production team and the circus performers, as well as a willingness to adapt to their needs and schedules.
• Authenticity: The film aimed to portray the circus world as authentically as possible. This required careful attention to detail and an understanding of the unique culture and community of circus performers.
Visual Styles & Techniques
• Technicolor: The film was shot in Technicolor, a color film process that was widely used in Hollywood during the 1950s.
• Cinematography: The film features a variety of camera techniques, including close-ups, tracking shots, and aerial shots, to capture the spectacle of the circus world.
• Realism: The film aimed to portray the circus world as authentically as possible, with attention to detail and an understanding of the unique culture and community of performers.
• Integration of real circus performers: The film aimed to seamlessly integrate real performers with actors, using their unique talents and skills to create a sense of authenticity.
• Special effects: The film's train crash scene has been cited as a major influence on other filmmakers, such as Steven Spielberg, and required careful planning and execution to create a realistic and dramatic effect.
Trivia
• The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1952, making it the first Technicolor film to win the award.
• The film was the first film to use the deepfake technique, which was used to replace the faces of some acrobats with those of their celebrity counterparts.
• The film's train crash scene has been cited as a major influence on other filmmakers, such as Steven Spielberg.
• The film was shot in sequence, which allowed the production team to capture the real emotions of the performers as they competed for the center ring.
• The film's director, Cecil B. DeMille, was known for his autocratic style on set, which sometimes clashed with the independent spirit of the circus performers.
• The film's theme song, "The Greatest Show on Earth," was written by Irving Berlin and became a hit after the film's success.
• The film's production designer, Lyle Wheeler, was known for his elaborate sets, which helped create the authentic atmosphere of the circus world.
• The film's editor, Robert L. Simpson, was known for his innovative editing techniques, which contributed to the film's dynamic pacing.
Fun Fact
During the filming of the train crash scene, the Paramount sound stage was filled with animals running around loose, including a large cage of monkeys. When the monkeys saw the lions and tigers, they panicked and fled the building, ending up in the adjoining Hollywood Cemetery. According to Cecil B. DeMille biographer Charles Higham, it proved almost impossible to retrieve them.
