A Few Words About A few words about…™ The Greatest Show on Earth – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Gary16]

I just preordered it from Amazon two minutes ago. Says it will be delivered on March 30.

 

[seangood79]

I doubt “Lifetime Achievement” was on the voters’ mind that year, considering they also gave John Ford his record breaking 4th directing Oscar.
It’s more likely that the independently produced High Noon and Quiet Man split votes so a big studio like Paramount was able to use its clout and resources to campaign more effectively.
If they had ranked voting back then as they do today, there probably would have been another winner.

 

[RichMurphy]

Actually, it's never been available for a 'live' pre-order. You just get this:

Temporarily out of stock.
We are working hard to be back in stock as soon as possible.

You can add it to your wish list, but that isn't the same as a legitimate pre-order, which this title has yet to all on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca. Just odd. Very odd.

Strange, it's been available for pre-order and release date delivery on both amazon.com and amazon.ca. Maybe the abstract cover art is confusing you.

 

[David Weicker]

Actually, it's never been available for a 'live' pre-order. You just get this:

Temporarily out of stock.
We are working hard to be back in stock as soon as possible.

You can add it to your wish list, but that isn't the same as a legitimate pre-order, which this title has yet to all on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca. Just odd. Very odd.

it was available for order, because I did.

 

[Andrew Budgell]

Actually, it's never been available for a 'live' pre-order. You just get this:

Temporarily out of stock.
We are working hard to be back in stock as soon as possible.

You can add it to your wish list, but that isn't the same as a legitimate pre-order, which this title has yet to all on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca. Just odd. Very odd.

Nick, it's not eligible for shipping to Canada. I suspect this will change once it's officially released.

 

[Mark Booth]

I just found that 'The Greatest Show on Earth' is currently available for streaming through Paramount+. I have a subscription to Paramount+ (formerly, CBS All Access). Does anyone know if the streaming version is the new transfer?

Mark

 

[Robert Crawford]

I just found that 'The Greatest Show on Earth' is currently available for streaming through Paramount+. I have a subscription to Paramount+ (formerly, CBS All Access). Does anyone know if the streaming version is the new transfer?

Mark

It's not!

 

[Robert Crawford]

Actually, it's never been available for a 'live' pre-order. You just get this:

Temporarily out of stock.
We are working hard to be back in stock as soon as possible.

You can add it to your wish list, but that isn't the same as a legitimate pre-order, which this title has yet to all on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca. Just odd. Very odd.

It must be a Canadian thing with Amazon as it's been available here to pre-order in the States for several weeks.

 

[ahollis]

i‘ve had it ordered since the the page went live on Amazon.
View attachment 92501

 

[Stephen_J_H]

The preorder link is now up at amazon.ca, but Paramount has been hit or miss on the Paramount Presents titles on this side of the border. Some have been issued as plain Paramount titles for whatever reason, so it's good to see the actual link.

 

[dana martin]

After the stellar review, it obviously became and instant pre order, and happy for the Paramount Presents line of putting this out, surprised that they didn't have a 4k to coincide with it.

so I take it you need to provide your own sawdust

 

[aPhil]

Ha, 5 for image & audio, that'll do for me. As corny as hell, but I like it (I only read these reviews for technical info, I know what I like by now), I'm glad I pre-ordered it. So that's, Unconquered (1947), Samson & Delilah (1949), The Greatest Show On Earth 91952) & The Ten Commandments (1956), a nice run of Technicolor DeMille films on Blu-ray (my favourite there is Unconquered).

I had to check as I did not know Unconquered was on Blu-ray.
I do see an Elephant Films region free blu and a German Explosive Media region B, but no USA release. Is that correct?

 

[battlebeast]

It must be a Canadian thing with Amazon as it's been available here to pre-order in the States for several weeks.

I have it preordered on Amazon.ca. Have for a couple weeks now.

 

[Alan Tully]

I had to check as I did not know Unconquered was on Blu-ray.
I do see an Elephant Films region free blu and a German Explosive Media region B, but no USA release. Is that correct?

Yes, it's been licensed out in Germany & France (I have the German release & it looks great), & Universal released it themselves in Spain (they've released a lot of their DeMille films there for some reason) & I don't know about the other two, but the Spanish release is regions ABC.

See on Amazon

 

[Nick*Z]

Nick, it's not eligible for shipping to Canada. I suspect this will change once it's officially released.

I ordered through Movies Unlimited, which has no compunction about idiot 'not shipping to Canada' rules like Amazon. But just received an email from Screen Archives regarding GSOE which reads, "I do not show any news on The Greatest Show on Earth Yet". So, I'm not misrepresenting this when I say, certain releases are being blocked, oddly, and on both sides of the border.

Amazon.com's page still reads:
See on Amazon

Paramount Presents: The Greatest Show on Earth (Blu-ray + Digital)​

Blu-ray + Digital​

Temporarily out of stock.
We are working hard to be back in stock as soon as possible.

Additional Blu-ray options

Edition

Discs

Price

New from

Used from

Blu-ray March 30, 2021

Blu-ray + Digital

—

—

—

—

 

[David Weicker]

I ordered through Movies Unlimited, which has no compunction about idiot 'not shipping to Canada' rules like Amazon. But just received an email from Screen Archives regarding GSOE which reads, "I do not show any news on The Greatest Show on Earth Yet". So, I'm not misrepresenting this when I say, certain releases are being blocked, oddly, and on both sides of the border.

Amazon.com's page still reads:
See on Amazon

Paramount Presents: The Greatest Show on Earth (Blu-ray + Digital)​

Blu-ray + Digital​

Temporarily out of stock.
We are working hard to be back in stock as soon as possible.

Additional Blu-ray options

Edition

Discs

Price

New from

Used from

Blu-ray March 30, 2021

Blu-ray + Digital

—

—

—

—

Since Covid, Amazon has been 'hiding' merchandise for people who are not local to the website.

Amazon UK has been showing the Temporarily Out Of Stock message to US inquiries but Available to UK inquiries.
That seems to be their current way of handling shipping issues. Since many cross-border shipments by law are not allowed even now, they are preventing any issues due to a possible change in the law.

So, for example, today (March 17) shipments are allowed between the US and Canada, but on March 25th the border is shut by either of the two governments, Amazon would have to cancel those pre-orders, since the law would not allow them to fulfill the order. On the other hand, once the order goes live on the 30th, if the law allows shipments, then Amazon US would now allow orders.

It is not a 'stupid policy'. They are merely trying to navigate a constantly changing legal issue. If they allowed cross-border preorders, and had to cancel orders because of new laws, they would endure a much larger s**t-storm.

 

[AlexNH]

Braden

Bennifer?

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Gee, Brad, it's not as bad as all that. Some contemporary reviews really liked it.

Mr. DeMille's 1952, 152 minute circus extravaganza, The Greatest Show on Earth finally arrives from Paramount, as one of the hold-out Best Pictures to hit Blu-ray as spine number 16.

It just doesn't stand that "test of time" everyone talks about.

Derived from a scan of the original negative(s), it looks just fine, Brad.

Peopled with actual circus performers, with a handful of SAG players thrown in for good measure, it comes of as being what it was back in 1952, a quasi-professional production, directed with all the verve that Cecil DeMille could throw at it.

As noted, people have been requesting this one for ages, and now they have it...

Fans of the circus should love it. I'm one of those who can still not figure out how it won Best Picture.

Image – 5

Audio – 5

Pass / Fail – Pass

Upgrade from DVD – Yes

RAH

RAH, I'm curious about the 5 rating for picture when the image comes with quite a few specks and spots.

Do you view those as unavoidable for some reason?

I could tell some came from opticals but others just appeared to be "the standard print flaws", and there's some reel change markers too...

 

[Robert Harris]

RAH, I'm curious about the 5 rating for picture when the image comes with quite a few specks and spots.

Do you view those as unavoidable for some reason?

I could tell some came from opticals but others just appeared to be "the standard print flaws", and there's some reel change markers too...

I actually love cue marks. As to a bit of detritus, you can get to 95% clean. To reach 96, add 25% to the budget. No matter how much cleaning one performs, once a certain size minus density is cleaned, those slightly smaller come to the fore.

 

[JPCinema]

I just found that 'The Greatest Show on Earth' is currently available for streaming through Paramount+. I have a subscription to Paramount+ (formerly, CBS All Access). Does anyone know if the streaming version is the new transfer?

Mark

It is in the wrong aspect ratio....