The Greatest Show on Earth is the slogan for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. It is also the title of a 1952 film set in that circus. The film was produced, directed, and even narrated by Cecil B. DeMille. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3178x2495, 5023 KB)TITLE: The Barnum & Bailey greatest show on Earth, the worlds largest, grandest, best amusement institution CALL NUMBER: POS - CIRCUS - Bar. ... Look up Slogan on Wiktionary, the free dictionary A slogan is a memorable phrase used in political or commercial context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. ... Ringling Bros. ... See also: 1951 in film 1952 1953 in film 1950s in film years in film film // Events February 20 - The film The African Queen opens (Capitol Theater in New York City). ... Jump to: navigation, search The Big Top of Billy Smarts Circus Cambridge 2004. ... Cecil Blount DeMille (August 12, 1881 - January 21, 1959) was one of the most successful filmmakers during the first half of the 20th century. ...

The film stars Betty Hutton and Cornel Wilde as trapeze artists competing for the center ring, and Charlton Heston as the circus manager running the show. The three are also involved in a romantic triangle. Other subplots involve performers played by Dorothy Lamour and Gloria Grahame, and a clown who never removes his makeup, played by Jimmy Stewart. Bob Hope and Bing Crosby get cameo roles as circus spectators. Betty Hutton, (born Elizabeth June Thornburg on February 26, 1921 in Battle Creek, Michigan) is an American actress, musician and comedienne. ... Cornel Wilde Cornel Wilde (October 13, 1915 – October 16, 1989) was an American actor. ... An acrobat below a balloon Trapeze artists, in lithograph by Calvert Litho. ... Jump to: navigation, search Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter on October 4, 1923, although the year is usually given as 1924), is an American film actor noted for heroic roles, and his long involvement in political issues. ... Jump to: navigation, search A love triangle refers to a romantic relationship involving three people. ... Dorothy Lamour (December 10, 1914 - September 22, 1996) was a motion picture actress, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, died in Hollywood, California. ... Gloria Grahame Gloria Grahame (November 28, 1923 – October 5, 1981) was an American film actress. ... Jump to: navigation, search A clown participating in a Memorial Day parade A clown today is one of various types of comedic performers, on stage, television, in the circus and rodeo. ... Jimmy Stewart, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1934 James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American film actor beloved for his persona as an average guy who faces adversity and tries to do the right thing, an image which was largely reflected in his own personality. ... Leslie Townes Hope KBE (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003), best known as Bob Hope, was a famous entertainer, having appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, on radio and television, movies and in army concerts. ... Jump to: navigation, search Bing wooed fans with a sensuous voice, wit, and good looks. ... Since its first use in 1851, a cameo role or cameo appearance has been a brief appearance in a play (or later, a movie) that stands out against the general context for its éclat or dramatic punch. ...

Behind-the-scene melodrama is interweaved with almost documentary-style scenes of realistic circus performances in lavish costumes (by Edith Head and others), and towards the end, a spectacular scene involving the two trains that carry the circus from town to town. Jump to: navigation, search Poster for The Perils of Pauline (1914). ... A documentary is a work in a visual or auditory medium presenting political, scientific, social, or historical subjects in a factual and informative manner. ... Edith Head (October 28, 1897 – October 24, 1981) was an American costume designer who had a long career in Hollywood that garnered more Academy Awards than any other woman in history. ...

The movie won an Academy Award for Best Picture. It also won an Oscar for Best Story. The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; the awards are voted on by other people within the industry. ... The Academy Award for Best Story was the Academy Award that was the predecessor to the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay which was introduced in 1940. ...

Controversies

Best picture award

Despite its awards, The Greatest Show on Earth has often been cited by film historians and movie buffs as one of Cecil B. DeMille's lesser motion pictures. Discussions among film fans (especially on the Internet movie newsgroups) have jokingly referred to this film as "the worst movie ever to win Best Picture." Supporters of this belief especially note that High Noon and The Quiet Man are generally held in higher critical acclaim. Jump to: navigation, search A newsgroup is a repository, usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users at different locations. ... Jump to: navigation, search High Noon is a 1952 western film which tells the story of a town sheriff, who has just married a pacifist Quaker woman. ... The Quiet Man was a 1952 American film starring John Wayne, Maureen OHara and Barry Fitzgerald, and directed by John Ford. ...

Euthenasia

Jimmy Stewart's clown character is a doctor running from the law. He never removes his makeup because wants to remain undetected after the "mercy killing" of his terminally ill wife. Some critics believe that the "Best Picture" Oscar was Hollywood's method of voicing support for the euthanasia. Jump to: navigation, search Euthanasia (Greek: ευθανασία - ευ good, θανατος death) is the practice of killing a person or animal, in a painless or minimally painful way, for merciful reasons, usually to end their suffering. ... Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century for an active and progressive disease which cannot be cured and is expected to lead to death or a disease for which curative treatment is not viewed as appropriate. ...