IMDb > The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
The Greatest Show on Earth
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The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) More at IMDbPro »


IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   3,897 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Fredric M. Frank (story) and
Theodore St. John (story) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Greatest Show on Earth on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
19 December 1952 (Sweden) more
Genre:
Tagline:
The Heartbeat Story of Circus People, Filmed with the Cooperation of Ringling Bros. - Barnum and Bailey Circus! more
Plot:
The dramatic lives of trapeze artists, a clown, and an elephant trainer against a background of circus spectacle. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(6 articles)
It's The Greatest Show On Earth
 (From EmpireOnline. 13 July 2009, 11:22 PM, PDT)

Charlton Heston Dead At 83
 (From WENN. 6 April 2008, 7:11 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Great show and story more (82 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Betty Hutton ... Holly

Cornel Wilde ... The Great Sebastian

Charlton Heston ... Brad Braden

Dorothy Lamour ... Phyllis

Gloria Grahame ... Angel

Henry Wilcoxon ... FBI Agent Gregory
Lyle Bettger ... Klaus
Lawrence Tierney ... Mr. Henderson
Emmett Kelly ... Himself
Cucciola ... Himself
Antoinette Concello ... Herself
John Ringling North ... Himself
Tuffy Genders ... Himself
John Kellogg ... Harry
John Ridgely ... Assistant manager
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth (USA) (complete title)
more
Runtime:
152 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
Australia:G | Australia:PG (TV rating) | USA:Approved (certificate #15440) | Netherlands:12 | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:16 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:U (original rating) (cut) | UK:U (video rating) (1988) (uncut) | Canada:PG
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The first movie that Steven Spielberg ever saw. His father took him to the theater, promising him a trip to the circus. He was four years old at the time. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When Sebastian misses his mark and falls to the ground, he can be clearly seen landing on a cushioned surface. more
Quotes:
Angel: You are a sourpuss, aren't you?
Brad Braden: Yeah.
Angel: You want to bite somebody?
Brad Braden: Yeah.
Angel: Well, pick your spot.
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Dream Lover more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
17 out of 20 people found the following comment useful.
Great show and story, 1 October 2002
Author: Graceland316 from Sugar Land, Texas, USA

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'.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (82 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
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Dirty Humor adpiccar
Charlton Heston's wardrobe fcolli
heston injuries? scarletto_hare
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