The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

Director:

Cecil B. DeMille

Writers:

Fredric M. Frank (story) and
Theodore St. John (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 December 1952 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Romance

Tagline:

The Heartbeat Story of Circus People, Filmed with the Cooperation of Ringling Bros. - Barnum and Bailey Circus!

Plot:

The dramatic lives of trapeze artists, a clown, and an elephant trainer against a background of circus spectacle.

Plot Keywords:

Clown | Circus | Trapeze | Elephant | Elephant Trainer

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

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
Frank Wilcox	...	Circus doctor
Robert Carson	...	Ringmaster (as Bob Carson)
Lillian Albertson	...	Buttons' mother
Julia Faye	...	Birdie
James Stewart	...	'Buttons' A Clown
Lou Jacobs	...	Himself (clown)
The Alzanas	...	Themselves
Trisco	...	Himself
The Flying Artonys	...	Themselves
Lilo Juston	...	Herself
The Chaludis	...	Themselves
The Idnavis	...	Themselves
The Realles	...	Themselves
The Fredonias	...	Themselves
Luciana & Friedel	...	Themselves
Buzzy Potts	...	Himself
Ernie Burch	...	Himself
Felix Adler	...	Himself
Paul Jerome	...	Himself
Miss Patricia	...	Herself
Eddie Kohl	...	Himself
Tiebor's Sea Lions	...	Themselves
Mroczkowski's Liberty Horses	...	Themselves
The Zoppes	...	Themselves
Bones Brown	...	Himself
Fay Alexander	...	Himself
The Flying Concellos	...	Themselves
Lola Dobritch	...	Herself
The Henadas	...	Themselves
Christy and Gorilla	...	Themselves (as Christy & Gorilla)
Tonito	...	Himself
The Bokaras	...	Themselves
Prince Paul	...	Himself
Jimmy Armstrong	...	Himself
Paul Horompo	...	Himself
Paul Jung	...	Himself
Charley Bell	...	Himself
Gilbert Reichert	...	Himself
C.H. Lindsey	...	Himself
Peterson's Dogs	...	Themselves
Rix's Bears	...	Themselves
Arthur Burson	...	Himself
La Norma	...	Herself
Jeanne Sleeter	...	Herself
Bill Snyder	...	Himself
The Flying Comets	...	Themselves
Veronica Martell	...	Herself
Miss Loni	...	Herself
The Romigs	...	Themselves
Rusty Parent	...	Himself
The Maxellos	...	Themselves
Martha Hunter	...	Herself
Truzzi	...	Himself
Eugene Scott	...	Himself
James Barnes	...	Himself
Merle Evans	...	Himself (circus bandleader)
Frank McClosky	...	Himself
Mike Petrillo	...	Himself
Peter Grace	...	Himself
Bob Reynolds	...	Himself
George Werner	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lee Aaker	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Dorothy Adams	...	Sam's Wife (uncredited)
Eric Alden	...	Canvas Man (uncredited)
Erville Alderson	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Stanley Andrews	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Ross Bagdasarian	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Vicki Bakken	...	Vicki (uncredited)
Mary Bezemes	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Gladys Blake	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Oliver Blake	...	Spectator (uncredited)
William Boyd	...	Hopalong Cassidy (uncredited)
Arthur Q. Bryan	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Bobby Burns	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Paul E. Burns	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Lonnie Burr	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Bruce Cameron	...	Bruce (uncredited)
Charles D. Campbell	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Malcolm Cassell	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Iphigenie Castiglioni	...	Herself (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Dave (uncredited)
Ken Christy	...	Tightrope Act Spectator (uncredited)
Davison Clark	...	Farmer Sam (uncredited)
Lydia Clarke	...	Circus Girl (uncredited)
Rus Conklin	...	Rus (uncredited)
Gerald Courtemarche	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
John Crawford	...	Jack - Circus Attendant (uncredited)
Dorothy Crider	...	Dorothy (uncredited)
Bing Crosby	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Cecil B. DeMille	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Bobby Diamond	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	Midway Game barker (uncredited)
Gloria Drew	...	Ann (uncredited)
Jimmie Dundee	...	Utility Man / Stake Driver (uncredited)
Claude Dunkin	...	Claude (uncredited)
Don Dunning	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Art Dupuis	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Rosemary Dvorak	...	Rosemary (uncredited)
Daisy Earles	...	Midget (uncredited)
Bonnie Kay Eddy	...	Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Mary Field	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Norman Field	...	Truesdale (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Kathleen Freeman	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Mona Freeman	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Gerry Ganzer	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Nancy Gates	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Slim Gaut	...	Circus Man (uncredited)
Everett Glass	...	Board member (uncredited)
Joseph Granby	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Greta Granstedt	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Linda Green	...	Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)
Dolores Hall	...	Circus Girl (uncredited)
Scott H. Hall	...	Spectator (uncredited)
William Hall	...	Bill (uncredited)
John Hamer	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Ambulance Driver (uncredited)
Peter Hansen	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Charmienne Harker	...	Charmienne (uncredited)
Joe Harper	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Kathleen Hartnagel	...	Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)
Helene Hatch	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Bradford Hatton	...	Osborne (uncredited)
Jimmy Hawkins	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Bill Henry	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Paula Hill	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Fay Holderness	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Bob Hope	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Jerry James	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Adele Cook Johnson	...	Mable (uncredited)
Brad Johnson	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Van Johnson	...	Spectator (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Lorna Jordon	...	Lorna (uncredited)
Frances Karath	...	Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Pickpocket Victim (uncredited)
Mona Knox	...	Mona (uncredited)
Fred Kohler Jr.	...	Train Fireman (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw	...	Hank (uncredited)
Rudy Lee	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Herbert Lytton	...	Foreman (uncredited)
George Magrill	...	Circus Man (uncredited)
Anthony Marsh	...	Tony (uncredited)
Sydney Mason	...	Carson (uncredited)
Gay McEldowney	...	Gay (uncredited)
Peggy McKim	...	Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)
James McNally	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Bill Meader	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Frank Meredith	...	Train Engineer (uncredited)
John Merton	...	Chuck (uncredited)
Gertrude Messinger	...	Gertrude (uncredited)
Patricia Michon	...	Patricia (uncredited)
Royce Milne	...	Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Beverly Mook	...	Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)
Lyle Moraine	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Clarence Nash	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Howard Negley	...	Truck boss (uncredited)
Noel Neill	...	Noel (uncredited)
Ottola Nesmith	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Joel Nestler	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
David Newell	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Eric Nielsen	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Noralee Norman	...	Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)
Judy Nugent	...	Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)
Edmond O'Brien	...	Midway barker (uncredited)
Susan Odin	...	Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)
Sammy Ogg	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Ruth Packard	...	Spectator (uncredited)
John Parrish	...	Jack Lawson (uncredited)
Luce Potter	...	Midget (uncredited)
Hugh Prosser	...	Hugh (uncredited)
Harry Raven	...	Circus Man (uncredited)
Keith Richards	...	Keith - Circus attendant (uncredited)
William J. Riley	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Peter Roman	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Angelo Rossitto	...	Midget (uncredited)
William Ruhl	...	Circus Barker (uncredited)
Robert W. Rushing	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	...	Circus Man (uncredited)
Syd Saylor	...	Circus Barker (uncredited)
Queenie Smith	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Robert St. Angelo	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Robert R. Stephenson	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Tony Taylor	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Roland Tiebor	...	Himself (sea lion trainer) (uncredited)
Stuart Torres	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Man in train wreck (uncredited)
Dorothy Vernon	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Judith Ann Vroom	...	Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)
Wally Walker	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Beverly Washburn	...	Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)
Josephine Whittell	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Kay Wiley	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Robin Winans	...	Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)
Alberto Zoppe	...	Himself (trick rider) (uncredited)

Directed by
Cecil B. DeMille

Writing credits
Fredric M. Frank		(story) and
Theodore St. John		(story) and
Frank Cavett		(story)
Fredric M. Frank		(screenplay) and
Barré Lyndon		(screenplay) and
Theodore St. John		(screenplay)

Produced by
Cecil B. DeMille	....	producer
Henry Wilcoxon	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Victor Young

Cinematography by
George Barnes		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Anne Bauchens

Art Direction by
Hal Pereira
Walter H. Tyler		(as Walter Tyler)

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ray Moyer

Costume Design by
Edith Head
Dorothy Jeakins
Miles White		(circus costumes)

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur Rosson	....	unit director
Edward Salven	....	assistant director
Frank Baur	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
Jack Senter	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Cope	....	sound recordist
Harry Lindgren	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Barney Wolff	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Devereaux Jennings	....	special photographic effects (as Devereux Jennings)
Gordon Jennings	....	special photographic effects
Paul K. Lerpae	....	special photographic effects (as Paul Lerpae)

Stunts
Polly Burson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
W. Wallace Kelley	....	additional photographer (as Wallace Kelley)
J. Peverell Marley	....	additional photographer

Music Department
John Murray Anderson	....	stager: circus musical
Sidney Cutner	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Richard Barstow	....	choreographer
Robert Brower	....	technicolor color consultant
Arthur M. Concello	....	general manager: Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Circus
John Ringling North	....	president: Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus
John Ringling North	....	technical advisor
Henry Ringling North	....	vice president: Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Circus
Pat Valdo	....	general director of performance: Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Circus
James Vincent	....	dialogue supervisor
Lynn Couch	....	aerialist coach: Cornel Wilde (uncredited)
Barlow Simpson	....	animal handler: elephant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1952) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount British Pictures (1952) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1960) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount (1953) (France) (theatrical)
• ARC (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• First Trading (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• GP Museum Soft (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Maxter (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• PSG (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Tone (2005) (Japan) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Brooks Costume Company  circus costumes executed by (as Brooks Costume Co., New York)
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies (uncredited)
• Ringling Bros.and Barnum & Bailey  produced with the cooperation of

Also Known As:

Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

152 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

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:

Cedar City, Utah, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Rights to use of the title motto and the Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey's facilities and performances were purchased for $250,000. DeMille advised the writers to view the German film Varieté (1925) as a model for the type of story he wanted. DeMille toured the Midwest for two months with the circus, collecting anecdotes, slang, and behind-the-scenes ideas. Publicity resulting from his involvement drew sell-out crowds to the performances.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the circus train is leaving to start the season, as it passes the priest performing the blessing, we see the car carrying Holly (clearly visible in the open door) pass twice - two nearly identical shots, one right after the other.

Quotes:

Angel: [Sebastian almost drives his car into the elephant Angel is riding] Hey! Don't crowd, mister! Can't you see an elephant or do I have to paint her red?
Sebastian: I was blinded by the memory of a beautiful night in Paris.
Angel: [to the other circus performers] Blow up your water wings, girls, here comes the big wave!
[to Sebastian]
Angel: How come no husband ever shot you?
Sebastian: I never offer a sitting target.
Angel: I thought I'd seen the last of you when you got mixed up with that wire walker in Lisbon.
Sebastian: You will never see the last of me, Angel.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Get Smart: The Greatest Spy on Earth (#2.10)" (1966)

Soundtrack:

William Tell Overture

Betty Hutton and Cornel Wilde are superb in their 'flyer' roles!

I saw this film in a theatre when it first came out and, had forgotten a great deal of it, until I saw it again last evening.

Much of the film is actual footage of the REAL Barnum and Bailey Circus, setting up, tearing down and loading up for the trip to the next venue.

I had also forgotten how superb both Betty Hutton and Cornel Wilde are doing a great deal of their own 'flying'! While you realize that they have a net just under the view of the camera, they both perform physically demanding stunts with the camers right in their faces! I can't stand on my head on the floor much less on a swinging trapeze!!

Wilde's front summersault from one swinging bar to another swinging bar is breathtaking!!

Some of the action is quite dated and the trainwreck is...well, DeMille's rendition of a massive trainwreck. The plot creaks a bit here and there, but the many performers do their bits with conviction.

Hutton and Wilde steal the show from Heston and Stewart. I recommend this film to Circus lovers everywhere and to people who appreaciate actors placing themselves in Harms Way to create illusions (be they VERY dangerous illusions) of the REAL thing! I give it an 8.