The Greatest Show on Earth was a spectacular circus film produced by Cecil B. DeMille in 1952. The drama is developed when a circus crew tries to get the show to go on after a train crash. The movie includes several sub-plots. Adding to the spectacular effect is a star studded cast which includes Charlton Heston, James Stewart, Betty Hutton, Cornel Wilde, Dorothy Lamour, Gloria Grahame, Lawrence Tierney, Emmett Kelly, and John Ringling North in significant roles. It also includes Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in the minor roles of circus spectators.

The movie won two Oscars

  • Best Picture - Cecil B. DeMille, producer
  • Best Writing, Motion Picture Story - Frank Cavett, Fredric M. Frank, and Theodore St. John

It was nominated for a further three Oscars
  • Best Director - Cecil B. DeMille
  • Best Costume Design, Color - Edith Head, Dorothy Jeakins, and Miles White
  • Best Film Editing - Anne Bauchens