Paramount Presents: THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH [1952 / 2021] [Blu-ray] [USA Release] The Mightiest Circus Picture for Everyone! From The Greatest Showman of All Time!
Newly restored from a 4K film transfer of the original negative, Cecil B. DeMille’s grand spectacle ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ makes its Blu-ray debut. This two-time Academy Award® winner, including BEST PICTURE, captures the thrills, chills and exhilaration of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus with an all-star cast that includes Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Charlton Heston, Dorothy Lamour, Gloria Grahame, and James Stewart. This essential movie of the Golden Age of Hollywood packs action, romance, laughs and treachery into an epic only Cecil B. DeMille could create, resulting in one of 1952’s biggest hits. Narrated by Cecil B. DeMille .
Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment is proud to spotlight a new line of Blu-ray releases for collectors and fans – PARAMOUNT PRESENTS. From celebrated classics to film-lover favourites, each title comes directly from the studio’s renowned library, spanning over 100 years of storytelling. The films have never looked better on Blu-ray – each lovingly remastered from 4K film transfers, featuring never-before-seen bonus content, and exclusive collectable packaging.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1952 Boxoffice Magazine Awards: Win: Boxoffice Blue Ribbon Award for Best Picture of the Month for the Whole Family (July 1952) for Cecil B. DeMille and Paramount Pictures. 1952 New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Nominated: Best Director for Cecil B. DeMille. 1952 Photoplay Awards: Win: Best Performances of the Month (March 1952) for Betty Hutton, Charlton Heston, Cornel Wilde, Gloria Grahame and James Stewart. 1953 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Picture for Cecil B. DeMille. Win: Best Writing for a Motion Picture Story for Frank Cavett, Fredric M. Frank and Theodore St. John. Nominated: Best Director for Cecil B. DeMille. Nominated: Best Costume Design in Color for Dorothy Jeakins, Edith Head and Miles White. Nominated: Best Film Editing for Anne Bauchens. 1953 Directors Guild of America: Nominated: DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures for Cecil B. DeMille. 1953 Golden Globes: Win: Best Motion Picture in a Drama. Win: Best Director for Cecil B. DeMille. Win: Best Cinematography in Color for George Barnes and J. Peverell Marley. 1953 Photoplay Awards: Win: Special Award for Cecil B. DeMille – In recognition of the magnificent contributions made to the film industry by this master showman.
FILM FACT No.2: The film 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. There are a number of unbilled cameo appearances (mostly in the circus audiences) including Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour's co-stars in the Road to ... movies. William Boyd appears in his usual guise of Hopalong Cassidy. Danny Thomas, Van Heflin, character actor Oliver Blake, and Noel Neill are seen as circus patrons, among others. Leon Ames is seen and heard in the train wreck sequence. A barker, kept anonymous until the very end, is seen in the closing moments of the film. The voice is finally revealed to be that of Edmond O'Brien.
Cast: Cecil B. DeMille [Narrator], Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Charlton Heston, Dorothy Lamour, Gloria Grahame, Henry Wilcoxon, Lyle Bettger, Lawrence Tierney, Emmett Kelly, Cucciola, Antoinette Concello, John Ringling North, Tuffy Genders, John Kellogg, John Ridgely, Frank Wilcox, Robert Carson, Lillian Albertson, Julia Faye, James Stewart, Lou Jacobs, The Alzanas, Trisco, The Flying Artonys, Lilo Juston, The Chaludis, The Idnavis, The Realles, The Fredonias, Luciana & Friedel, Buzzy Potts, Ernie Burch, Felix Adler, Paul Jerome, Miss Patricia, Eddie Kohl, Tiebor's Sea Lions, Mroczkowski's Liberty Horses, The Zoppes, Bones Brown, Fay Alexander, The Flying Concellos, Lola Dobritch, The Hemadas, Christy & Gorilla, Tonito, The Bokaras, Prince Paul, Jimmy Armstrong, Paul Horompo, Paul Jung, Charley Bell, Gilbert Reichert, C.H. Lindsey, Peterson's Dogs, Rix's Bears, Arthur Burson, La Norma, Jeanne Sleeter, Billy Snyder, The Flying Comets, Veronica Martell, Miss Loni, The Romigs, Rusty Parent, The Maxellos, Martha Hunter, Truzzi, Eugene Scott, James Barnes, Merle Evans, Frank McClosky, Mike Petrillo, Peter Grace, Bob Reynolds, George Werner, Lee Aaker (uncredited), Dorothy Adams (uncredited), Eric Alden (uncredited), Erville Alderson (uncredited), Stanley Andrews (uncredited), Ross Bagdasarian (uncredited), Frank Baker (uncredited), Vicki Bakken (uncredited), Arthur Berkeley (uncredited), Mary Bezemes (uncredited), Gladys Blake (uncredited), Oliver Blake (uncredited), William Boyd [Hopalong Cassidy] (uncredited), Ralph Brooks (uncredited), Helen Brown (uncredited), Jeanne Browning (uncredited), Arthur Q. Bryan (uncredited), Donna Burke (uncredited), Bobby Burns (uncredited), Paul E. Burns (uncredited), Lonnie Burr (uncredited), Bruce Cameron (uncredited), Charles Campbell (uncredited), Frances Campbell (uncredited), Malcolm Cassell (uncredited), Iphigenie Castiglioni (uncredited), Lane Chandler (uncredited), Nathalie J. Christian (uncredited), Ken Christy (uncredited), Archie D. Clark (uncredited), Davison Clark (uncredited), Ronnie Clark (uncredited), Lydia Clarke (uncredited), Rocky Clinton (uncredited), Rus Conklin (uncredited), Gerald Courtemarche (uncredited), John Crawford (uncredited), Dorothy Crider (uncredited), Bing Crosby [Spectator] (uncredited), Bob Crosby [Spectator] Bobby Diamond (uncredited), Lester Dorr (uncredited), Gloria Drew (uncredited), Jimmie Dundee (uncredited), Claude Dunkin (uncredited), Don Dunning (uncredited), Art Dupuis (uncredited), Rosemary Dvorak (uncredited), Daisy Earles (uncredited), Bonnie Kay Eddy (uncredited), Monie Ellis (uncredited), C.L. Elslander (uncredited), Franklyn Farnum (uncredited), Mary Field (uncredited), Norman Field (uncredited), Elizabeth Fillman (uncredited), Bess Flowers (uncredited), Kathleen Freeman (uncredited), Mona Freeman (uncredited), Curt Furberg (uncredited), Gerry Ganzer (uncredited), Nancy Gates (uncredited), Slim Gaut (uncredited), Everett Glass (uncredited), Joseph Granby (uncredited), Greta Granstedt (uncredited), Linda Green (uncredited), Otto Griebling (uncredited), Robert Haines (uncredited), Dolores Hall (uncredited), Scott H. Hall (uncredited), William Hall (uncredited), John Hamer (uncredited), Chuck Hamilton (uncredited), Peter Hansen (uncredited), Charmienne Harker (uncredited), Joe Harper (uncredited), Kathleen Hartnagel (uncredited), Helene Hatch (uncredited), Bradford Hatton (uncredited), Jimmy Hawkins (uncredited), Erin Hennessey (uncredited), Patsy Henry (uncredited), William Henry (uncredited), Bette Hill (uncredited), Paula Hill (uncredited), Fay Holderness (uncredited), Ronny Hooker (uncredited), Bob Hope [Spectator] (uncredited), Jerry James (uncredited), Michael Jeffers (uncredited), Adele Cook Johnson (uncredited), Brad Johnson (uncredited), Lorna Jordon (uncredited), Frances Karath (uncredited), Milton Kibbee (uncredited), Mona Knox (uncredited), Fred Kohler Jr. (uncredited), Anne Kunde (uncredited), Ethan Laidlaw (uncredited), Larry Lapham (uncredited), Rudy Lee (uncredited), Leota Lorraine (uncredited), Herbert Lytton (uncredited), George Magrill (uncredited), Ted Mapes (uncredited), Anthony Marsh (uncredited), Sydney Mason Gay McEldowney (uncredited), Pattie McKenzie (uncredited), Peggy McKim (uncredited), James McNally (uncredited), William Meader (uncredited), David M. Mee (uncredited), Frank Meredith (uncredited), John Merton (uncredited), Gertrude Messinger (uncredited), Patricia Michon (uncredited), Royce Milne (uncredited), Ralph Montgomery (uncredited), Beverly Mook (uncredited), Lyle Moraine (uncredited), Clarence Nash (uncredited), Howard Negley (uncredited), Noel Neill (uncredited), Richard Neill (uncredited), Ottola Nesmith (uncredited), Joel Nestler (uncredited), David Newell (uncredited), Eric Nielsen (uncredited), Noralee Norman (uncredited), Judy Nugent (uncredited), Edmond O'Brien (uncredited), Lillian O'Malley (uncredited), Susan Odin (uncredited), Sammy Ogg (uncredited), Ruth Packard (uncredited), John Parrish (uncredited), 'Snub' Pollard [Spectator] (uncredited), Luce Potter (uncredited), Hugh Prosser (uncredited), Gilman Rankin (uncredited), Harry Raven (uncredited), John Rice (uncredited), Keith Richards (uncredited), Bruce Riley Jr. (uncredited), William J. Riley (uncredited), Edwin Rochelle (uncredited), Peter Roman (uncredited), Angelo Rossitto (uncredited), Gladys Rosson (uncredited), John Roy (uncredited), Robert E. Royal (uncredited), William Ruhl (uncredited), Robert W. Rushing (uncredited), Russell Saunders (uncredited), Syd Saylor (uncredited), Ritz Schroder (uncredited), Queenie Smith (uncredited), Squeaky (uncredited), Robert St. Angelo (uncredited), Mabel Stark (uncredited), Robert R. Stephenson (uncredited), Tony Taylor (uncredited), Roland Tiebor (uncredited), Nina Torres (uncredited), Stuart Torres (uncredited), Arthur Tovey (uncredited), Dale Van Sickel (uncredited), Dorothy Vernon (uncredited), Judith Ann Vroom (uncredited), Wally Walker (uncredited), Beverly Washburn (uncredited), Joan Whitney (uncredited), Josephine Whittell (uncredited), Kay Wiley (uncredited), Dickie June Williams (uncredited), Robert N. Wilson (uncredited), Robert Winans (uncredited), Christine Wright (uncredited), Fred Zendar (uncredited) and Alberto Zoppe [Trick Rider] (uncredited)
Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Producers: Cecil B. DeMille and Henry Wilcoxon
Screenplay: Barré Lyndon (screenplay), Fredric M. Frank (screenplay/story), Theodore St. John (screenplay/story), Frank Cavett (story) and Jack Gariss (additional writer) (uncredited)
Composer: Victor Young (music score)
Choreography: Richard Barstow
Costume Design: Dorothy Jeakins (costumes), Edith Head (costumes) and Miles White (circus costumes)
Circus Costumes Executed: Brooks Costumes Co., New York
Cinematography: George S. Barnes, A.S.C. (Director of Photography), J. Peverell Marley, A.S.C. (Director of Photography) and Wallace Kelley, A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Special Photographic Effects: Devereux Jennings, A.S.C., Gordon Jennings, A.S.C. and Paul Lerpae, A.S.C.
Technicolor Color Consultant: Robert Brower
Image Resolution: 1080p (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio
German: 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio
French: 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French and German
Running Time: 152 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ [1952] is the penultimate film credited to director Cecil B. DeMille, and contains all the elements loved by the great director: larger-than-life characters, sumptuous visuals, a long running time, and cutting-edge special effects. Although ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ isn’t as popular as Cecil DeMille’s swansong, ‘The Ten Commandments,’ it’s every bit as much of a spectacle and gave the filmmaker the only Best Picture Oscar of his 42-year career, which stretched all the way back into the early days of silent cinema. ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ is a spectacular circus melodrama, centring on a love triangle between a circus boss, a high wire girl and an acrobat, featuring real circus performers.
The main story revolves around the circus struggling to stay on the road despite financial pressures and manage to run a full profitable season. Charlton Heston plays Brad Braden, the workaholic ringmaster who seems to be married to the circus. To ensure its success, he brings in a famous trapeze artiste, handsome womaniser The Great Sebastian [Cornel Wilde] – but this infuriates Brad Braden’s on-off girlfriend, also a trapeze artiste, Holly [Betty Hutton], who is thrown into The Great Sebastian’s shadow. Holly is determined to prove she can outdo him, and the two begin a series of reckless stunts high above the crowd, night after night and inevitably leading to disaster, when The Great Sebastian plunges to the ground and is badly injured. And just when everything is rolling merrily along, drop your jaw as sudden, startling disaster strikes!
These scenes of rivalry on the high wire are compelling to watch, probably the most exciting sequences of the whole film, with the stunts seeming to go on and on. Surely parts of these scenes must have been performed by expert members of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, but on the screen it’s all seamless and looks as if it really is Cornel Wilde and Betty Hutton doing it all. And, of course, there were no modern day CGI special effects, so it is all really happening up there on the silver screen.
‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ honours the circus and its traditions and, in that respect, is a worthy piece. But as a piece of film, Cecil B. DeMille’s penultimate directorial effort is simply inadequate. Though one has to give credit to all of the leading actors except Charlton Heston for learning their respective circus roles, whereas Betty Hutton, James Stewart, Cornel Wilde, Dorothy Lamour, Gloria Grahame, and so many more all learned their role’s circus acts. One has to give most credit to Cornel Wilde as he is widely reported to have been morbidly afraid of heights and his performance is so filled with chest-thumping machismo that no one who has ever seen ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ has even entertained the notion of Cornel Wilde being so terrified during this film’s production.
For a film that triumphs its closeness to reality, the admirable stunt work from the cast is overshadowed by the film’s construction. Too many similarly framed shots exude a feeling of déja vu during the circus scenes and deplete subsequent circus scenes of their pure entertainment value, also keep your eyes peeled for the cameo scenes of Dorothy Lamour, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.
‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ is a well-photographed pageantry and its primary value was in giving Cecil B. DeMille the momentum to tackle this most enduring film, and takes you inside one of the biggest circus attractions to ever exist. The film follows a collection of individuals within the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus as they try to keep the show in its prime form while struggling to keep the road tour moving along amid lacking income and expenses. Featuring a noteworthy cast and ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ brings all of the fun, thrills and excitement of the legendary circus to film for an event that was unlike anything that had graced the silver screen prior.
‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ certainly makes a splendid addition to the line-up and even while much of the film is of course slightly dated in its standards which should not surprise anyone in the slightest and it makes for a welcome reminder of how much things have changed since the 1950’s and it still delivers more than enough delightful excitement, romance, tension and just downright enjoyable circus-related fun to make it a notable film that’s well worth giving a shot even nearly 70 years after its initial release if you haven’t previously had the pleasure. At least seemingly intentional is its tone and often carefree attitude paired with some powerful moments sprinkled throughout allows it to serve as a light-hearted tale that you can just sit back and relax with and won’t require you to think too hard or handle too many strong emotions.
One aspect of the film which is probably worrying to many modern viewers is the use of performing animals and especially in the visually stunning almighty train crash scene, where big cats are seen slowly climbing out of the wrecked carriages. I personally wouldn’t go to see a circus which used animals nowadays, but, in all honesty, this aspect didn’t ruin the film for me. All in all, I found this Paramount Pictures production, which also stars Gloria Grahame as Holly’s love rival, and Dorothy Lamour as another member of the circus, an exciting epic to watch, and to some people they are very surprised to see why it won the Oscar for best film, still that is really up to the induvial to make up their mind if it deserved all its awards?
Please Note: Eventually near the end of the film we finally get to find out the real mystery behind the make-up of James Stewart as the clown “Buttons” and the reason why we never see him take off his make-up, but eventually we find out the real reason why he wore his make-up all of the time and we get to see the reason why “Buttons” the clown is able to save the life of Charlton Heston as Brad Braden.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH MUSIC TRACK LIST
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH (Written by Victor Young and Ned Washington) [Sung by Betty Hutton] (uncredited)
BE A JUMPING-JACK (Written by Victor Young and Ned Washington) [Sung by Betty Hutton and James Stewart] (uncredited)
LOVELY LUAWANA LADY (Written by John Ringling North and E. Ray Goetz) [Sung by Betty Hutton] (uncredited)
P0PCORN AND LEMONADE (Written by Henry Sullivan and John Murray Anderson) [Sung off-camera by Chorus]
A PICNIC IN THE PARK (Written by Henry Sullivan and John Murray Anderson) [Sung off-camera by Bill Roberts]
SING A HAPPY SONG (Written by Henry Sullivan and John Murray Anderson) [Sung off-camera]
ONLY A ROSE (1925) (uncredited) (Music by Rudolf Friml) (Lyrics Brian Hooker) [Sung by Betty Hutton and Chorus]
OH SUSANNA (1848) (uncredited) (Music by Stephen Foster) [Played during the opening scene]
An der schönen blauen Donau Walzer (The Blue Danube Waltz), Op. 314 (1867) (uncredited) (Music by Johann Strauss) [Played during the sword swallowing demonstration]
William Tell Overture (1829) (uncredited) (Music by Gioachino Rossini) [Played during the dog and pony show]
(I Got Spurs That) JINGLE JANGLE JINGLE (1942) (uncredited) (Music by Joseph J. Lilley) [Played while Sebastian rides in the parade]
JINGLE BELLS (1857) (uncredited) (Written by James Pierpont) [Played during the parade around the rings and briefly sung]
O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL Played during the "Lovely Luawana Lady" sequence (ca 1743) (uncredited) (Music attributed to John Reading) [Played during the parade around the rings]
ALOHA OE (1908) (uncredited) (Music by Queen Liliuokalani) [Played during the "Lovely Luawana Lady" sequence]
Wiener Blut (Vienna Blood), Op. 354 (1873) (uncredited) (Music by Johann Strauss) [Played after Sebastian cuts down the net]
Die Schoene Galathea: Ouverture (The Beautiful Galathea Overture) (1849) (uncredited) (Music by Franz von Suppé) [Played during the royal parade]
YANKEE DOODLE (ca. 1755) (uncredited) (Traditional music of English origin) [Played as the crowd arrives at the last circus set-up]
(I Wish I Was in) DIXIE LAND (1860) (uncredited) (Music by Daniel Decatur Emmett) [Played as the crowd arrives at the last circus set-up]
DREAM LOVER (1929) (uncredited) (Music by Victor Schertzinger) [Performed by the orchestra during an acrobatic performance in one of the circus scenes]
IT’S A HAP-HAP-HAPPY DAY (1939) (uncredited) (Music by Sammy Timberg and Winston Sharples) [Played during the parade of cartoon characters]
THREE BLIND MICE (uncredited) (Traditional) [Played in the score]
ROCK-A-BYE BABY (1886) (uncredited) (Written by Effie I. Canning) [In the score after "A Picnic in the Park"]
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Blu-ray Image Quality – ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ has been remastered by Paramount Pictures that features a full 1080p High Definition presentation of the film that was "newly restored from a 4K scan of the original negative," and with an also stunning enhanced 1.37:1 aspect ratio. What you get to view is a lush, vibrant colour, exceptional clarity and contrast, and glorious film-like appearance reflect the care that went into it, but if you're going to restore an almost 70-year-old classic, you need to go the whole nine yards. And just when it seems Paramount is poised to score a touchdown with this long-awaited Blu-ray release, the studio fumbles the ball. A true restoration not only yields a sharp, balanced picture that bursts with brilliant hues, it also boasts an image that's free of any age-related wear-and-tear. ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ contains plenty of processed shots that superimpose the actors over an array of backdrops. Paramount worked hard to smooth out the visible borders outlining the actors, but no attempts have been made to soften or mitigate the green and black lines hugging the actors' frames in ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH.’ Some shots feature more noticeable lines than others, but the overall effect can be quite jarring. There's also some distracting green noise around Betty Hutton's hair during the scene when she chats with ‘Buttons’ the Clown played by James Stewart early in the film. So, it is most gratifying to report that the new 4K scan from original negatives, another first in the Paramount Presents…line-up Blu-ray debut of this epically mounted and escapist fluff entertainment has yielded the meticulous efforts put forth by the studio to finally do - almost - right by DeMille and create a master that is, quite simply, as near to perfection as one might hope. The lush hues of 3-strip Technicolor come bursting forth from the screen as never before with an eye-popping brilliance that will surely delight young and old. Wow! What a stunningly handsome image harvest it is, with bang-on contrast, a light smattering of grain looking indigenous to its source, and oodles of fine detail, popping as it should. Gone is the Technicolor mis-registration issues that abounded on the inferior DVD release, also the instances of gate weave that made certain process shots appear quite unstable. Bold reds you’re your attention, and Gloria Grahame's green velvet dress looks sumptuously rich, the purple capes pop, and all the rainbow hues in between are gorgeously defined. Flesh tones are spot-on, blacks are deep, bright whites remain stable, and excellent shadow delineation keeps crush at bay. The close-ups of Betty Hutton and Gloria Grahame showcase their fresh-faced beauty, while those of Charlton Heston and Cornel Wilde highlight their rugged complexions. A couple of exterior scenes appear a bit overexposed and some shots look either soft or slightly fuzzy, but that's to be expected from a film of this vintage that relies so heavily on special effects. ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ deserved its Best Picture Oscar or not, the film nevertheless won the coveted award, and that distinction alone should merit the extra care and expense necessary to make this presentation perfect and preserve this classic motion picture for future generations.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ Blu-ray release brings you just one standard 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio experience. It is well-modulated sound that immerses us in the circus atmosphere. Excellent fidelity brings Victor Young's vibrant score to life, and a wide dynamic scale handles all of its highs and lows without a hint of distortion. The train wreck sequence is especially impressive, with booming bass combining with high-pitched screeches to create a thrilling sonic cacophony. The snarls, roars, and squeals of the animals are crisp, all the human dialogue is easy to comprehend, and you get no age-related hiss, pops, or crackle intruding the sound experience. While a multi-channel audio mix would really put us in the thick of the action, this potent 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio experience track more than suffices for the very popular success for a film released in 1952.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Filmmaker Focus: Leonard Maltin on ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ [2021] [1080p] [1.78:1] [7:42] features the acclaimed Leonard Maltin [Film Critic & Historian] discussing Cecil B. DeMille's style and character, especially with this film's quasi-documentary style. Leonard Maltin feels that director Cecil B. DeMille was one of the most famous moviemaker of his time, who directed the following films ‘The Sign Of The Cross,’ ‘Samson and Delilah,’ ‘Unconquered’ and ‘The Ten Commandments’ and started his illustrious well known, respected, and admired career which started in his teens in the late 1950’s and was one of the greatest promoter of his time, especially at the time when people had trouble naming any film director and on top of all that he was very theatrical and was never subtle, but at the same time was very entertaining and knew how to capture an audience, and his films still do that for modern audiences today. To get a flavour of what a circus life was like, Cecil B. DeMille travelled with a circus for several months and was so taken on what he saw and also took a sketch artist with him to capture specific atmosphere of the circus life. Paramount Pictures paid a small fortune to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus so that Cecil B. DeMille had complete control of everything, especially the actual Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus performers, and especially the colourful characters. The main actors Cecil B. DeMille hired to perform in the ring were not circus performers and Cecil B. DeMille insisted that those actors had to perform their own stunts to give it realism and made those specific actors seriously train and work for several months in an actual real life circus, especially the aerial work. James Stewart heard that Cecil B. DeMille was making a circus film and telephoned the director to ask if he could appear in his film as a clown and the director agreed to offer him the part as “Buttons” the clown and of curse at the time the film was released, people did not know why watching the film that it was actually James Stewart playing the character of a clown, because he never ever took his make-up off. Leonard Maltin really loved the dramatic train wreck scene, and especially with all the animals escaping, and was supervised by legendary Oscar winner Gordon Jennings who was a pioneering special effects genius and of course with today’s modern films, any train wrecks would all be done by CGI computer generated images, but even though the train wreck was filmed with miniature models, it still looked very realistic. The old fashioned big top spectacular featured in ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ is now resigned to a historic document and the film preserves it for all time. Leonard Maltin thinks ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ is Cecil B. DeMille’s best film so far and was also one the most popular film with the pubic when released and Leonard Maltin also confirms Cecil B. DeMille his status as not just a great story teller, but also a great showman. Leonard Maltin really gives a very breezy entertaining look at the making of Cecil B. DeMille's classic film ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH.’ In his inimitable style, Leonard Maltin also praises the actors, applauds the circus spectacle, and shares some fun behind-the-scenes anecdotes and trivia information on the amazing ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ film and this Blu-ray release is the 16th “Paramount Presents” franchise and includes the slipcover with fold-open poster artwork. But what we also get to view as a bonus with this Leonard Maltin’s special feature is clips from ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ and is shown in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio and what a shame they could not of given us as a bonus extra ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ film in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio so we had a choice of viewing the film in the different ratios to make up our own mind.
Finally, ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ is rare combination of directorial dazzle and P.T. Barnum's involvement and there's even a parade featuring decades-old Disney characters, which make for a unique look at life under the big top. ‘THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH’ is a sprawling, lavish, over-two-hour look at the life of the circus from 1952 and offers a visual feast of lavish costumes, dangerous high-wire acts, cutthroat competition, and petty rivalries all tell the story of an epic production and performances, and the glamour of a show in an era when it was still a respectable way of life, not to mention still a major draw in any city. It shows in part the changing attitudes toward circuses and the animals they've long mistreated and for good reason. This epic drama is, perhaps, not as great as its title would have us believe, though it did earn director Cecil B DeMille a best picture Oscar. On display is a jumbo-sized package of all the clichés that money can buy, as circus owner Charlton Heston strives to control the untamed emotions of Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde and Gloria Grahame. James Stewart gives the most original performance, playing a clown who, for reasons too complicated to explain, never takes off his make-up. As usual, Cecil DeMille megaphones his direction to let us know where we've been, where we are and where we're going, but overall this remains really marvellous and dramatic entertainment. Bottom line: Paramount has done the picture proud with a newly restored and remastered element that, at long last, resurrects the true grandeur of director Cecil DeMille’s spectacular show of shows. This is A “must have” Blu-ray release of the year. Buy today, and treasure it forever! Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
