The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
"The Heartbeat Story of Circus People, Filmed with the Cooperation of Ringling Bros. - Barnum and Bailey Circus!"
ThumbScore
👍 80%audience score Estimated from TMDB user ratings and critic scores, calibrated to Google's former audience score. Google stopped publishing it in 2026.
Critics Score
🎬 50%
(RT: 50%) RT = Rotten Tomatoes (critic reviews). MC = Metacritic (weighted critic average). Critics Score is the average of both.
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Cast
Betty Hutton as Holly
Cornel Wilde as The Great Sebastian
Dorothy Lamour as Phyllis
Henry Wilcoxon as Agent Gregory
Lyle Bettger as Klaus
Is The Greatest Show on Earth good?
Most people think so. 80% audience score, estimated from 288 TMDB ratings. Critics scored it lower at 50%, but audiences disagreed.
Where it ranks on ThumbScore
Overview
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. Wikipedia ↗
