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Rating of
1.5/4
Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 05/28/2019
It's literally the worst movie to ever win Best Picture. Not only was it not the 'greatest' show on Earth, it wasn't even slightly decent.
Rating of
2/4
Unknown - wrote on 03/02/2013
Essentially a collection of circus performances mixed with 'backstage' drama. Its interesting to see the inner workings of a circus production and the death-defying stunts are entertaining. However, the film is overlong and gets bogged down by the individual characters stories.
Rating of
1.5/4
Yojimbo - wrote on 01/05/2013
Films about circuses are invariably rubbish and this is no exception. Clumsy melodramatic soap opera that's wall-to-wall cliches. Only James Stewart's enigmatic clown piques any interest at all.
Rating of
3.5/4
mitchellyoung - wrote on 09/02/2011
Despite the obvious melodrama, I feel drawn to the big spectacle of DeMille's films. In "The Greatest Show on Earth," he captures the magic and danger of the circus and I felt the film actually worked, for the most part, emotionally. Jimmy Stewart once again proves he is an amazing actor, despite being buried beneath clown makeup the whole film.
Rating of
2/4
Ichabod Crane - wrote on 12/04/2009
Buttons the clown part of the story is well done and James Stewart is great as he usually is. I wished that part of the story had gotten far more focus than it ended up getting instead everyone forgets about him at the very end of the film.Most of the film though is just circus acts over and over again with the acts rarely having any relevance to the plot. The plot of the criminals is poorly fleshed and boring, the relationships are standard and uninteresting. Although I must say that it was not horrible to watch and had a somewhat nostalgic quality to it. This does not make the film good but interesting to watch just once to see this best picture winner. It should have focused more on particular characters and story and less on the acts.
Rating of
2.5/4
Alex - wrote on 06/28/2009
Actually not that bad of a movie. I was expecting way worse. It is well past its age at 1952 (I mean come on, the 50s sci fi was in full swing). But, if you want to know anything about the circus or carnies this is a good start.
Rating of
1/4
Allison - wrote on 12/22/2007
Even though this was the best picture of the year and Betty Hutton was really good, I'm afraid this was a terrible film. I think even Robert Osbourne (TCM) has admitted that this is the Academy's most regrettable Best Picture, and it definitely was for the fifties without a doubt.
