The Greatest Show on Earth
“The Heartbeat Story of Circus People, Filmed with the Cooperation of Ringling Bros. - Barnum and Bailey Circus!”
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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Cast
51 people
Betty Hutton
Holly
Known for
Annie Get Your Gun
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
Cornel Wilde
The Great Sebastian
Known for
The Big Combo
Leave Her to Heaven
Charlton Heston
Brad Braden
Known for
Planet of the Apes
Ben-Hur
Dorothy Lamour
Phyllis
Known for
Creepshow 2
My Favorite Brunette
Gloria Grahame
Angel
Known for
In a Lonely Place
It's a Wonderful Life
James Stewart
Buttons
Known for
Rear Window
Vertigo
Henry Wilcoxon
Agent Gregory
Known for
Caddyshack
The Ten Commandments
Lyle Bettger
Klaus
Known for
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
All I Desire
Lawrence Tierney
Mr. Henderson
Known for
Reservoir Dogs
The Prowler
Emmett Kelly
Emmett Kelly
Also in
Wind Across the Everglades
The Fat Man
Cucciola
Cucciola
Antoinette Concello
Antoinette Concello
Cecil B. DeMille Director · Barré Lyndon Screenplay Fredric M. Frank Screenplay
Worldwide gross $36M · Budget $4M · United States release February 21, 1952
Box office
Budget
$4,000,000
Worldwide gross
$36,000,000
Gross vs. budget
9.0×
Production
Paramount Pictures
Production · Studio
United States
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English · Russian
Release dates
United States · January 10, 1952
Premiere · New York City, New York
United States · February 21, 1952
Limited theatrical · Los Angeles, California
Austria
September 1, 1953 · Theatrical
Brazil
December 25, 1952 · Theatrical
February 21, 2007 · Physical
Denmark
January 12, 1959 · Theatrical
France
March 27, 1953 · Theatrical
April 6, 2004 · Physical · DVD
November 4, 2019 · Digital
April 1, 2021 · Physical · Blu-ray
Germany
December 25, 1952 · Theatrical
Japan
April 25, 1953 · Theatrical
Netherlands
February 15, 2007 · Physical · DVD
South Korea
May 20, 1955 · Theatrical
Spain
February 16, 1952 · Theatrical
Sweden
February 16, 1952 · Theatrical
United Kingdom
February 16, 1952 · Theatrical
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Some details come from TheTVDB.