Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Production Company: Paramount Pictures
"Listen, sugar, the only way that you can keep me warm is to wrap me up in a marriage license." - Angel [Gloria Grahame]
Setting
On Tour, USA, 1950's
The Plot
A fictional story based around the real-life Greatest Show On Earth by the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey following the ins and outs of life on the road as Brad tries to keep his circus in the black and his stars happy. Love blossoms, loyalty is tested and claws come out as they band together to bring audiences across the country The Greatest Show on Earth.
The Review
No, this is not a 1950's version of The Greatest Showman although it is based on a partnership that included PT Barnum's company; in fact, the film used many performers from that circus which added plenty of sparkle to the circus scenes.
The opening monologue, read apparently by Cecil B DeMille himself, gets you right in the mood for some serious entertainment! The dancers, clown, trapeze artists and animals came together for a spectacular show as we jump between the action and behind the scenes. A seemingly endless parade of colurful characters, animals and songs such as "Lovely Luawana Lady" performed by Holly [Hutton] with some suitably lovely ladies of Luwanian persuasion. Despite what PETA might have to say on the matter, I just wanted to go back and watch one of these reall full-blown circuses as they roll into town and put the show together, the noise, the anticipation, the roasted peanuts...
The dashing, womanising Adonis known as "The Great Sebastian" [Cornel Wilde] is brought in as the star act that will save the circus much to a chagrin of the ousted Holly though they quickly fall in love while dangerously trying to outdo each other's trapeze acts...seriously, why do women in movies always flock to the serial womaniser despite several warnings from his previous conquests? That torso though!
Overall it was a lot of fun with multiple sub-plots between the circus crew and certainly made circus life look exciting and it probably was, though I'm not sure if I'd be too keen on a blood transfusion if the acting medical professional was a clown called Buttons [Stewart]...
From amid the infighting, romance, fiascos, disasters and the odd criminal act or two comes the main point of the film's plot: the circus is a family and families stick together. As the Midway Barker [Edmond O'Brien] announced in the final monologue, you can shake the sawdust off your feet but you can't shake it outta your heart!
The Slap
The opening monologue, read apparently by Cecil B DeMille himself, gets you right in the mood for some serious entertainment! The dancers, clown, trapeze artists and animals came together for a spectacular show as we jump between the action and behind the scenes. A seemingly endless parade of colurful characters, animals and songs such as "Lovely Luawana Lady" performed by Holly [Hutton] with some suitably lovely ladies of Luwanian persuasion. Despite what PETA might have to say on the matter, I just wanted to go back and watch one of these reall full-blown circuses as they roll into town and put the show together, the noise, the anticipation, the roasted peanuts...
The dashing, womanising Adonis known as "The Great Sebastian" [Cornel Wilde] is brought in as the star act that will save the circus much to a chagrin of the ousted Holly though they quickly fall in love while dangerously trying to outdo each other's trapeze acts...seriously, why do women in movies always flock to the serial womaniser despite several warnings from his previous conquests? That torso though!
Overall it was a lot of fun with multiple sub-plots between the circus crew and certainly made circus life look exciting and it probably was, though I'm not sure if I'd be too keen on a blood transfusion if the acting medical professional was a clown called Buttons [Stewart]...
From amid the infighting, romance, fiascos, disasters and the odd criminal act or two comes the main point of the film's plot: the circus is a family and families stick together. As the Midway Barker [Edmond O'Brien] announced in the final monologue, you can shake the sawdust off your feet but you can't shake it outta your heart!
The Slap
This goes to Klaus [Lionel Bettger] who could be a poster boy for the #MeToo movement for his possessive harrasment of Angel and his attempted use of an elephant as a weapon. Plus his jealousy lead him to, well, what would be a pretty major spoiler alert so I'll zip it. Just trust me, he's a bad apple!
James Stewart (if you didn't recognise him), Cornel Wilde and Charlton Heston; Betty Hutton and Gloria Grahame, two of the Torso's conquests
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