The Greatest Show on Earth

Movie

1952

2h 32m

English

Drama, Romance

User Score:

6.3

Critic Score:

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To ensure a full profitable season, circus manager Brad Braden engages The Great Sebastian, though this moves his girlfriend Holly from her hard-won center trapeze spot. Holly and Sebastian begin a dangerous one-upmanship duel in the ring, while he pursues her on the ground....

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The Greatest Show on Earth

Movie

1952

2h 32m

English

Drama, Romance

Play Trailer

Watch on Kanopy

WATCHMODE

6.3

IMDB

CRITIC SCORE

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$2.49SD

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Available in 3 other countries.

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Cast

Holly

The Great Sebastian

Brad Braden

Phyllis

Angel

Buttons

FBI Agent Gregory

Klaus

Mr. Henderson

Himself

The Ringmaster

Harry

Birdie

Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Himself

Himself (clown)

Reporter at RIngside

Doctor

Buttons' mother

Picked-pocket Customer

Davison Clark

Sam, game customer

Dorothy Adams

Sam's Wife (uncredited)

Arthur Q. Bryan

Ice-Cream Eating Spectator

Bess Flowers

Spectator (uncredited)

Directed By: Cecil B. DeMille

Written By: Fredric M. Frank (Story), Barré Lyndon (Screenplay), + 3 more

Featured Comments/Tips

kaymon says...

12 months ago

The major complaint of this film is it’s overstuffed with boring circus bullshit, my counterpoint is: if DeMille hadn’t captured this in the 50s, no one would ever believe that it happened. The plot is a bit too spread out and I understand that criticism, but I wouldn’t have the film made any other way.

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Spiritualized Kaos says...

10 months ago

Super-production about the world of the circus.

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The_Argentinian says...

3 years ago

This movie appears on every list of undeserved Oscar winner and I can see why now. The plot is not good enough to carry a 2 hours and half movie. Still, not the disaster I expected.

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Muero says...

3 years ago

Many, many animals were harmed in the making of this film.

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Featured User Reviews

CinemaSerf

2 years ago

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 journ More

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Wuchak

4 years ago

***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 r More

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