OSCAR WILD DAY 6: THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH (1952)

On just about every poll or list that I have found, this film ranks consistently among the least-deserving and least-admired Best Picture winners. After watching it, I can attest that the criticism is warranted. Maybe this was something of a family-friendly spectacle in its day (it was, after all, the highest grossing film of 1952), but the pinnacle of filmmaking it is not. For a film boasting the excitement and intrigue of a traveling circus, this film barely elicited a reaction out of me.

Charlton Heston stars as Brad Braden, the straight-shooting, tells-it-like-it-is general manager of the granddaddy of all traveling circuses. The postwar economy has the suits at the top nervous about profitability, forcing Brad to execute some changes among the circus talent while keeping the peace behind the scenes. From jealousy among the trapeze artists (Betty Hutton and Cornel Wilde), to a sulking clown who never takes his makeup off named Buttons (James Stewart), and other hot heads stirring up trouble, Brad has his hands full.

Save for the set piece train wreck near the end of the film and a subplot about Buttons being a wanted man, there’s not a lot driving the plot. Sure, it’s a twist on the traditional backstage drama, but watching Brad manage the talents and egos of a bunch of circus performers makes for a pretty dull two and a half hours. Families may have enjoyed it as a way to see the circus without going to the circus, and the film may work in those people’s favor- there are plenty of circus acts and rehearsal scenes to give you a feel for the dangers involved.

Cecil B. DeMille always had a knack for special effects and entertainment, and he tries to bring his trademark flair to this movie as well. DeMille obtained the services of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s full troupe of performers and crew, which adds an air of authenticity to the overall production. DeMille’s quest for spectacle betrays him in the end though. Maybe the train wreck scene looked more convincing on the big screen, but on my TV, it was clear that the sequence was filmed largely using an ordinary miniature train set. This low-quality element negates some of the appreciable circus act bits. Kudos to actress Betty Hutton, however, for learning and performing her character’s trapeze act. That’s dedication.

So why did this film win Best Picture? Perhaps it’s because it was a winner at the box office and the Academy wanted to celebrate that which was popular again. Perhaps it had something to do with McCarthyism scaring Oscar voters away from productions with cast and crew likely to be blacklisted. And perhaps yet it was because the Academy felt DeMille was near the end of his career and didn’t want to see a Hollywood legend ride off into the sunset without a major award to his credit (they didn’t know his last film, 1957’s The Ten Commandments would have been a more worthy film to crown him for).

No one knows for sure why this claimed Hollywood’s top prize for 1952, but it added to the notion Best Picture had more to do with the Academy’s process than the quality or importance of the film itself. If you’re on an Oscar journey like me, watch it. Otherwise, I can neither recommend no oppose watching this film. It has some interesting parts, but there are probably better uses of your time.

FINAL RATING: 2.5 out of 5