Home / The Greatest Show on Earth

The Greatest Show on Earth

Duration:

152 min

Genres:

Drama | Family | Romance

IMDB rate:

6.7

Director:

Cecil B. DeMille

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 4 nominations

Details

Country: USA

Filming Locations: Cedar City, Utah, USA

Earnings

Budget: $4,000,000

Gross: $36,000,000 (USA) Rentals $14,000,000 (USA)

Cast

Actor

Character

Angelo Rossitto

Betty Hutton

Holly

Cornel Wilde

The Great Sebastian

Charlton Heston

Brad Braden

Dorothy Lamour

Phyllis

Gloria Grahame

Angel

Henry Wilcoxon

FBI Agent Gregory

Lyle Bettger

Klaus

Lawrence Tierney

Mr. Henderson

Emmett Kelly

Himself

Cucciola

Himself

Antoinette Concello

Herself

John Ringling North

Himself

Tuffy Genders

Himself

John Kellogg

Harry

John Ridgely

Assistant Manager

Frank Wilcox

Circus Doctor

Robert Carson

Ringmaster (as Bob Carson)

Lillian Albertson

Buttons' Mother

Julia Faye

Birdie

James Stewart

'Buttons' A Clown

Lou Jacobs

Himself

The Alzanas

Themselves

Trisco

Himself

The Flying Artonys

Themselves

Lilo Juston

Herself

The Chaludis

Themselves

The Idnavis

Themselves

The Realles

Themselves

The Fredonias

Themselves

Luciana & Friedel

Themselves

Buzzy Potts

Himself

Ernie Burch

Himself

Felix Adler

Himself

Paul Jerome

Himself

Miss Patricia

Herself

Eddie Kohl

Himself

Tiebor's Sea Lions

Themselves

Mroczkowski's Liberty Horses

Themselves

The Zoppes

Themselves

Bones Brown

Himself

Fay Alexander

Himself

The Flying Concellos

Themselves

Lola Dobritch

Herself

The Hemadas

Themselves

Christy and Gorilla

Themselves (as Christy & Gorilla)

Tonito

Himself

The Bokaras

Themselves

Prince Paul

Himself

Jimmy Armstrong

Himself

Paul Horompo

Himself

Paul Jung

Himself

Charley Bell

Himself

Gilbert Reichert

Himself

C.H. Lindsey

Himself

Peterson's Dogs

Themselves

Rix's Bears

Themselves

Arthur Burson

Himself

La Norma

Herself

Jeanne Sleeter

Herself

Billy Snyder

Himself (as Bill Snyder)

The Flying Comets

Themselves

Veronica Martell

Herself

Miss Loni

Herself

The Romigs

Themselves

Rusty Parent

Herself

The Maxellos

Themselves

Martha Hunter

Herself

Truzzi

Himself

Eugene Scott

Himself

James Barnes

Himself

Merle Evans

Himself

Frank McClosky

Himself

Mike Petrillo

Himself

Peter Grace

Himself

Bob Reynolds

Himself

George Werner

Himself

Lee Aaker

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

Dorothy Adams

Sam's Wife (uncredited)

Eric Alden

Canvas Man (uncredited)

Erville Alderson

Spectator (uncredited)

Stanley Andrews

Spectator (uncredited)

Ross Bagdasarian

Spectator (uncredited)

Vicki Bakken

Vicki (uncredited)

Mary Bezemes

Minor Role (uncredited)

Gladys Blake

Spectator (uncredited)

Oliver Blake

Spectator (uncredited)

William Boyd

Hopalong Cassidy

Ralph Brooks

Spectator (uncredited)

Helen Brown

Spectator (uncredited)

Arthur Q. Bryan

Spectator (uncredited)

Bobby Burns

Spectator (uncredited)

Paul E. Burns

Spectator (uncredited)

Lonnie Burr

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

Bruce Cameron

Bruce (uncredited)

Charles D. Campbell

Spectator (uncredited)

Malcolm Cassell

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

Iphigenie Castiglioni

Herself (uncredited)

Lane Chandler

Dave (uncredited)

Ken Christy

Tightrope Act Spectator (uncredited)

Davison Clark

Farmer Sam (uncredited)

Lydia Clarke

Circus Girl (uncredited)

Rus Conklin

Rus (uncredited)

Gerald Courtemarche

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

John Crawford

Jack - Circus Attendant (uncredited)

Dorothy Crider

Dorothy (uncredited)

Bing Crosby

Spectator (uncredited)

Bob Crosby

Spectator (uncredited)

Cecil B. DeMille

Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Bobby Diamond

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

Lester Dorr

Midway Game Barker (uncredited)

Gloria Drew

Ann (uncredited)

Jimmie Dundee

Utility Man / Stake Driver (uncredited)

Claude Dunkin

Claude (uncredited)

Don Dunning

Spectator (uncredited)

Art Dupuis

Spectator (uncredited)

Rosemary Dvorak

Rosemary (uncredited)

Daisy Earles

Midget (uncredited)

Bonnie Kay Eddy

Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)

Franklyn Farnum

Spectator (uncredited)

Mary Field

Spectator (uncredited)

Norman Field

Truesdale (uncredited)

Bess Flowers

Spectator (uncredited)

Kathleen Freeman

Spectator (uncredited)

Mona Freeman

Spectator (uncredited)

Gerry Ganzer

Spectator (uncredited)

Nancy Gates

Spectator (uncredited)

Slim Gaut

Circus Man (uncredited)

Everett Glass

Board Member (uncredited)

Joseph Granby

Spectator (uncredited)

Greta Granstedt

Spectator (uncredited)

Linda Green

Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)

Dolores Hall

Circus Girl (uncredited)

Scott H. Hall

Spectator (uncredited)

William Hall

Bill (uncredited)

John Hamer

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

Chuck Hamilton

Ambulance Driver (uncredited)

Peter Hansen

Spectator (uncredited)

Charmienne Harker

Charmienne (uncredited)

Joe Harper

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

Kathleen Hartnagel

Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)

Helene Hatch

Spectator (uncredited)

Bradford Hatton

Osborne (uncredited)

Jimmy Hawkins

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

William Henry

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

Paula Hill

Spectator (uncredited)

Fay Holderness

Spectator (uncredited)

Bob Hope

Spectator (uncredited)

Jerry James

Spectator (uncredited)

Adele Cook Johnson

Mable (uncredited)

Brad Johnson

Reporter (uncredited)

Van Johnson

Spectator (uncredited) (unconfirmed)

Lorna Jordon

Lorna (uncredited)

Frances Karath

Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)

Milton Kibbee

Pickpocket Victim (uncredited)

Mona Knox

Mona (uncredited)

Fred Kohler Jr.

Train Fireman (uncredited)

Ethan Laidlaw

Hank (uncredited)

Rudy Lee

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

Herbert Lytton

Foreman (uncredited)

George Magrill

Circus Man (uncredited)

Anthony Marsh

Tony (uncredited)

Sydney Mason

Carson (uncredited)

Gay McEldowney

Gay (uncredited)

Peggy McKim

Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)

James McNally

Spectator (uncredited)

William Meader

Spectator (uncredited)

Frank Meredith

Train Engineer (uncredited)

John Merton

Chuck (uncredited)

Gertrude Messinger

Gertrude (uncredited)

Patricia Michon

Patricia (uncredited)

Royce Milne

Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)

Ralph Montgomery

Spectator (uncredited)

Beverly Mook

Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)

Lyle Moraine

Spectator (uncredited)

Clarence Nash

Spectator (uncredited)

Howard Negley

Truck Boss (uncredited)

Noel Neill

Noel (uncredited)

Ottola Nesmith

Spectator (uncredited)

Joel Nestler

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

David Newell

Spectator (uncredited)

Eric Nielsen

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

Noralee Norman

Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)

Judy Nugent

Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)

Edmond O'Brien

Midway Barker at End (uncredited)

Susan Odin

Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)

Sammy Ogg

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

Ruth Packard

Spectator (uncredited)

John Parrish

Jack Lawson (uncredited)

Luce Potter

Midget (uncredited)

Hugh Prosser

Hugh (uncredited)

Harry Raven

Circus Man (uncredited)

Keith Richards

Keith - Circus Attendant (uncredited)

William J. Riley

Policeman (uncredited)

Peter Roman

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

Gladys Rosson

Spectator (uncredited)

William Ruhl

Circus Barker (uncredited)

Robert W. Rushing

Policeman (uncredited)

Russell Saunders

Circus Man (uncredited)

Syd Saylor

Circus Barker (uncredited)

Queenie Smith

Spectator (uncredited)

Robert St. Angelo

Spectator (uncredited)

Mabel Stark

Spectator (uncredited)

Robert R. Stephenson

Spectator (uncredited)

Tony Taylor

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

Roland Tiebor

Himself - Sea Lion Trainer (uncredited)

Stuart Torres

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

Dale Van Sickel

Man in Train Wreck (uncredited)

Dorothy Vernon

Spectator (uncredited)

Judith Ann Vroom

Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)

Wally Walker

Spectator (uncredited)

Beverly Washburn

Little Girl Spectator (uncredited)

Joan Whitney

Spectator (uncredited)

Josephine Whittell

Spectator (uncredited)

Kay Wiley

Spectator (uncredited)

Robin Winans

Little Boy Spectator (uncredited)

Christine Wright

Spectator (uncredited)

Fred Zendar

Spectator (uncredited)

Alberto Zoppe

Himself - Trick Rider (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

Rights to use of the title motto and the Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey's facilities and performances were purchased for $250,000. Cecil B. DeMille advised the writers to view the German film Jealousy (1925) as a model for the type of story he wanted. DeMille toured the Midwest for two months with the circus, collecting anecdotes, slang, and behind-the-scenes ideas. Publicity resulting from his involvement drew sell-out crowds to the performances.

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Special effects produced a green halo around Gloria Grahame and Betty Hutton in the Grand Parade scene, so a shot was added of green floodlights turning on above them.

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The first movie that Steven Spielberg ever saw. His father took him to the theater, promising him a trip to the circus. He was six years old at the time.

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Goofs

When Sebastian misses his mark and falls to the ground, he can be clearly seen landing on a cushioned surface.

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In one scene Buttons the clown is wrapping cloth tape around Holly's trapeze bar. He wraps it for about a third of its length then lays it down. When he lays it down it is clear that there is almost no tape left on the roll. When he picks it back up a short time later the bar is wrapped almost three quarters of the way and the roll of tape is much bigger.

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The Walt Disney characters are seen getting their costume heads prior to the parade. When the characters are seen on parade inside the tent, they are in different costumes to what they were wearing when they got the heads.

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Quotes

Narrator: We bring you the circus, pied piper whose magic tunes greet children of all ages, from six to 60, into a tinsel and spun-candy world of reckless beauty and mounting laughter and whirling thrills; of rhythm, excitement and grace; of blaring and daring and dance; of high-stepping horses and high-flying stars. But behind all this, the circus is a massive machine whose very life depends on discipline and motion and speed. A mechanized army on wheels, that rolls over any obstacle in its path, that meets calamity again and again, but always comes up smiling. A place where disaster and tragedy stalk the big top, haunt the backyard, and ride the circus train. Where death is constantly watching for one frayed rope, one weak link, or one trace of fear. A fierce, primitive fighting force that smashes relentlessly forward against impossible odds. That is the circus. And this is the story of the biggest of the big tops, and of the men and women who fight to make it "The Greatest Show on Earth."

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Angel: [Sebastian almost drives his car into the elephant Angel is riding] Hey! Don't crowd, mister! Can't you see an elephant or do I have to paint her red?

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Sebastian: [Sebastian, speaking French] Qu'est-ce qu'al y a?

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