Best Picture Winner: 1952

The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

This colorful ode to the circus and those who bring us “the greatest show on earth” stars Charlton Heston as manager Brad Braden who’s having problems with the circus’ Board of Directors. They want him to cut the circus’ season to maximize profits. Brad wants to do a full season so as not to demoralize the performers and deny smaller towns the joy of the circus. To this end he hires a notorious trapeze artist know as The Great Sebastian (Cornel Wilde), notorious because trouble seems to follow him everywhere. However, hiring Sebastian means Holly (Betty Hutton), the girl whom Brad loves, will lose center ring, the place where the most notable acts perform. Throw in a clown (James Stewart) with a secret (he’s never seen without his makeup), Sebastian’s old girlfriend (Gloria Grahame), some crooked circus folk, and some actual circus performances and you have what might be called, “As the Circus Turns.”

In a year that saw such classics as High Noon and The Quiet Man, The Greatest Show on Earth is looked upon by some as a blunder in voter thinking. But it’s not too hard to understand why the Academy went with this spectacle of a film. It’s lively, is well cast, features impressive feats from the performers, is ultimately upbeat, and features a spectacular catastrophe near films end. The cast is energetic and attractive. And James Stewart’s Buttons the Clown provides the pathos.

The film, however, sets up a challenge for itself that it cannot overcome. Watching the circus live is a totally different experience from watching a film of an audience watching the circus live. Or, to put it another way, we’re supposed to have fun watching other people have fun. The film clocks in at about two and half hours and there is too much time spent on just watching circus acts. Unfortunately, The Greatest Show on Earth does not successfully capture the atmosphere or sense of danger that a real circus provides.

There is intermittent suspense in scenes such as Gloria Grahame being threatened by a jealous elephant trainer (with a real elephant) and the battle of dangerous trapeze stunts between Holly and Sebastian. And the train crash provides excitement. But, The Greatest Show on Earth is an uneven film, trying to mix character stories with mostly unrelated circus acts. Nearly all of it is watchable but only occasional moments involve us emotionally. But man, now I want to go see the circus next time it comes to town.