Or at least one of the most lavish: since Cecil B. DeMille's trademark was the Hollywood "epic," his Oscar-winning 1952 The Greatest Show on Earth--a circus action-romance-drama--does everything writ large, from the star-heavy cast to the daring stunts and explosive action finale. Although numerous minor subplots abound, the center ring story (as it were) here follows the relationship between circus boss Brad (Charlton Heston), his adoring star aerialist Holly (Betty Hutton), and just-hired high-wire superstar Sebastian (Cornell Wilde). Losing the spotlight to Sebastian, the plucky Holly fights tooth and toenail to get it back, resulting in some of the film's most amazing acrobatic sequences as Holly and Sebastian play a game of one-upmanship under the big top…without a net. Taking home Academy Awards for both Best Picture and Screenplay, the film's realism is enhanced by the cooperation of the Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Circus (a good chunk of the film is comprised of actual circus performances), and it benefits from a wonderful, characteristically understated turn by James Stewart as a sad clown hiding out from the law. Given the film's colorful production history and accolades, it's a shame that Paramount is debuting this in a barebones release that, while boasting a very nice transfer and solid Dolby Digital mono sound, lacks even a trailer. Still, this is a classic and it's prudently priced at $14.99. Recommended. (R. Pitman)
The Greatest Show on Earth
Paramount, 152 min., not rated, DVD: $14.99 Volume 19, Issue 4
The Greatest Show on Earth
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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