The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

The more I think about this film, the more I really like it. The most impressive thing about the movie are the vibrant colors. In a time when many of the Best Picture winners were in black and white, this one was done in Technicolor. A movie about a circus probably should be done in really striking colors. It made the film for me.

In addition, I have to say that this may be my favorite Jimmy Stewart role thus far. I believed these characters were a family. The entire cast worked so well. I also loved the cameos of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. I spotted them in the crowd of the circus immediately.

I never attended a circus so viewing the one in the film was really my first experience too. The shots of the kids eating ice cream and it dripping down their hands never got old. Had I been eating ice cream while viewing the movie, I imagine I would have been doing something very similar.

I am not sure where this one falls on my list of "liked" Best Pictures but it is going to be toward the top. It was 2.5 hours long, yet I did not want it to end. I may have to add this film to my collection in the near future.