The Greatest Show on Earth is a 1952 American Technicolor epic drama film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and released by Paramount Pictures. Set in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the film stars Betty Hutton and Cornel Wilde as trapeze artists competing for the center ring and Charlton Heston as the circus manager. James Stewart also stars as a mysterious clown who never removes his makeup, and Dorothy Lamour and Gloria Grahame also play supporting roles.
The film won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Story and was nominated for Best Costume Design, Best Director and Best Film Editing. It also won Golden Globe Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Director and Best Motion Picture – Drama.
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Plot
Brad Braden is the general manager of the world's largest railroad circus. The show's board of directors wants a short 10-week season rather than risking losing money in a postwar economy. Brad bargains to keep the circus on the road as long as it is profitable, keeping the 1,400 performers and staff employed.
