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The Greatest Show on Earth

film by DeMille [1952]

Quick Summary

"The Greatest Show on Earth" is a 1952 film that won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It features real circus performers and animals, bringing attention to the circus world. The film's success came during a time when circuses faced increasing competition from other forms of entertainment like movies, radio, and television. By the mid-1950s, these challenges, along with high labor costs, led to the cessation of operations for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1956, though it later resumed performances. The film itself is a spectacle that captures the essence of the circus during its golden age.12

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