Common Sense Media Review
By Tracy Moore
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sprawling circus tale is a visual feast with heavy themes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Greatest Show on Earth
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
The show must go on and must stay in the black. That's why circus manager Brad (Charlton Heston) will do anything to turn a profit, even if it means bringing in an expensive trapeze artist Sebastian (Cornel Wilde) to lead the show and moving his girlfriend Holly (Betty Hutton) to second ring. Meanwhile, Buttons the Clown (James Stewart) is wanted for murder, and an elephant trainer's jealous love for his girlfriend must be reined in.
Is It Any Good?
This rare combination of directorial dazzle and P.T. Barnum's involvement (there's even a parade featuring decades-old Disney characters) make for a unique look at life under the big top. THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH offers lavish costumes, dangerous high-wire acts, cutthroat competition, and petty rivalries to tell the story of an epic production kids today are likely to see once a year or even once a lifetime. That is in part because of changing attitudes toward circuses and the animals they've long mistreated -- and for good reason. This film is fairly innocuous, but there are some heavy themes here -- wanted murderers, unrequited love, damaged people trying to make art under tenuous circumstances at best -- that are likely too heavy for younger kids. But for kids old enough, and with long-enough attention spans (152 minutes!), this is a visual spectacle from a bygone era.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the circus. Have you ever been to the circus? How is this movie's depiction of circus life different from the way the circus is portrayed now?
What are some of the reasons the tide has turned against circuses during the years since this film?
What does the movie say about fame and the potential of the circus life?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 10, 1952
- On DVD or streaming : April 6, 2004
- Cast : Charlton Heston , James Stewart , Betty Hutton
- Director : Cecil B. DeMille
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Adventures , Animals ( Wild Animals ) , Transportation ( Trains )
- Run time : 152 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Awards : Academy Award , Golden Globe - Golden Globe Award Winner
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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