Movie

The Greatest Show on Earth

1952 · 152 min

A sprawling, colorful big-top spectacle that mixes romance, danger and melodrama into a grand, old-fashioned crowd-pleaser.

Tagline: The Heartbeat Story of Circus People, Filmed with the Cooperation of Ringling Bros. - Barnum and Bailey Circus!
Overview: To ensure a full profitable season, circus manager Brad Braden engages The Great Sebastian, though this moves his girlfriend Holly from her hard-won center trapeze spot. Holly and Sebastian begin a dangerous one-upmanship duel in the ring, while he pursues her on the ground.

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How it feels

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Tone: earneststrength 2 of 3
romanticstrength 2 of 3
melancholicstrength 1 of 3
tensestrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: easy-watch, 2 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: love
ambition
found family
loyalty
redemption
Places: road trip
workplace
Era: contemporary
Audience: family
Form: ensemble
Content intensity: Gore mild
Language none
Violence mild
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	5
Horror	1
Humour	4
Realism	6
Romance	6
Tension	5
Darkness	4
Complexity	4
Emotional weight	6

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Details

Genres: drama, romance
Directed by: Cecil B. DeMille
Written by: Fredric M. Frank, Theodore St. John, Barré Lyndon
Starring: Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Charlton Heston, Dorothy Lamour, Gloria Grahame, James Stewart, Henry Wilcoxon, Lyle Bettger
Music: Victor Young
Cinematography: George Barnes
Runtime: 152 min
Country: United States of America
Languages: English, Russian

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The Greatest Show on Earth

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