Plot: What’s it about?
The circus seems like the happiest, most carefree place in the world, with laughter, games, and excitement around every corner. But the circus is also a business and of late, the gates haven’t been as crowded as usual. This presents a problem, as profits fuel the circus and without solid attendance, some stops might be taken off the schedule. Ringling Brothers is one of the biggest, most popular circus attractions, but business has been down even for them, which has caused some talk of a shortened run. But Marc Braden (Charlton Heston) has no intentions of cutting out shows, as he plans to do whatever is needed to keep the schedule intact. Of course, that means the money has to be coming in, but Braden is confident. In order to ensure the profits rise, he has turned over the main attraction status to The Great Sebastian (Cornel Wilde). Sebastian is not well liked with the troupe, with a few people in particular who despise him. In the process of bumping up Sebastian, Braden had to demote his own girlfriend, trapeze artist Holly (Betty Hutton). This doesn’t sit well with Holly, as she worked hard to become the circus’ main attraction. Now Braden must hold the circus together, as it ventures from town to town, with internal woes of all kinds. Will his efforts be rewarded, or will the group break down from the inside out?
This Cecil B. DeMille circus epic scored with a Best Picture win, but has this tale of life in the big top still as effective? In truth, I have to think that The Greatest Show on Earth is one of the luckiest motion pictures ever, as it is not Oscar level material. Then again, when films like Gladiator and Titanic can rake in the awards, its hard to take the decisions seriously. This turns out to be a simple, but fun movie that has some great moments, but lacks the kind of depth we expect, especially since the film was so acclaimed. DeMille produced this picture with a lot of assistance from Ringling Brothers circus, so the performances are real and that adds a little to the experience. But that realism hurts some of the actors, as when stacked up against the real deal, some of the actors are revealed as less than impressive. Jimmy Stewart (Its a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) is rather bland here, with a paper thin character and no real life in his performance. His antics as a clown come off as dull and unfunny throughout. Charlton Heston (The Omega Man, Planet of the Apes) is a blast to watch, as he is given a bold, larger than life character and he runs with it, delivering perhaps the film’s best performance. In the end, I was unimpressed with The Greatest Show on Earth, but those interested should still rent this disc.
Video: How does it look?
The Greatest Show on Earth is presented in full frame, as intended. As this movie won a Best Picture award for Paramount, you’d expect a full on restoration, but instead, we have a solid, though unremarkable treatment. The print is in good condition, but you’ll some grain creep in, as well as some debris at times. Not enough defects to be that concerned about, but given the film’s status as a Best Picture winner, I expected better. The colors look good, with ample brightness, while contrast remains even and consistent also. So in the end, we have a more than acceptable transfer, but it could have been improved.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original mono track is used and seems more than adequate, no real problems to report. There is a slight amount of harshness, but not enough to lower the score, so no serious harm in the end. This film was made in 1952, but it shows few signs of age and that’s impressive, especially when you figure in the nature of the picture. The music is clean and effective, while the sound effects are as sharp as the mono format allows. No problems with the dialogue either, each word could be heard in crisp form and with no volume errors. It might not push your home theater at all, but this mix is more than enough for this material.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
