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

[TravisR]

The 76 by 26 feet Cinerama screen was installed in 1953. South Seas Adventure had it's last show on 10/25/59. The Cinerama screen was removed and a flat screen was installed for the premiere of Ben-Hur on 11/24/59. The flat screen was removed after 7/16/62. The Cinerama screen was installed for the premiere of The Wonderful World of the Brothers Cinerama on 8/8/62. More info on the Boyd can be found at http://incinerama.com/boyd.htm

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I saw The Exorcist re-release there a couple years before it closed down. Having only been to multiplexes or small art theaters, I was taken aback by being in an old-time movie theater.

 

[Dennis Gallagher]

Continuing to take this discussion farther afield (and hopefully some additional scouting of sites such as Cinema Treasures will give me the answer) : nothing I've seen tells me how large the second Cinerama screen was. I believe it covered up much of the detailing above the proscenium (visible in the photos of the theater's final days). The three projection booths of the initial Cinerama installation were also replaced by a large central booth which remained until the theater's demolition.

 

[roxy1927]

'I saw The Exorcist re-release there a couple years before it closed down. Having only been to multiplexes or small art theaters, I was taken aback by being in an old-time movie theater.'

Having grown up going to the movies in real movie theaters and missing them so much there is nothing I loathe more than a multiplex. Well maybe a great old theater being sliced and diced is worse.

 

[Cineman]

I always assumed the reason there was little to no passion behind nominating Singin' in the Rain for the 1952 Best Picture Oscar either by the studio or its critical supporters was because another Gene Kelly musical had just won the Best Picture Oscar the previous year. So the chances of it happening for Kelly and MGM a second year in a row were probably deemed impossible.

In addition to which the win in that category for An American in Paris in 1951 opposite A Streetcar Named Desire and A Place in the Sun, not to mention the very popular and now venerated The African Queen, which was not even nominated in that category, was itself a controversial win that might rival that of the win for The Greatest Show on Earth in its year, making a repeat for the creators of Singin' in the Rain even more of a challenge.

 

[dukiejosh54]

Does anyone know why amazon is the only place that has this in stock? is it being discontinued already?

 

[roxy1927]

So is it true that TGSOE is considered the unworthiest film to win a best picture Oscar? Even beating out Cavalcade? I like them both a lot and would not take the award away from either. Though I would trim the later (the two endless montages towards the end of the film really hold things up)the whole upstairs/downstairs dynamic of this work created a template which is just as popular today. The embarkation scene is one of the most spectacular I have seen in a film.

Singin' in the Rain was just a musical comedy and did not have the pretensions that AAIP had with its spectacular ballet and therefore was not Oscar bait.

 

[seangood79]

So is it true that TGSOE is considered the unworthiest film to win a best picture Oscar? Even beating out Cavalcade? I like them both a lot and would not take the award away from either. Though I would trim the later (the two endless montages towards the end of the film really hold things up)the whole upstairs/downstairs dynamic of this work created a template which is just as popular today. The embarkation scene is one of the most spectacular I have seen in a film.

Singin' in the Rain was just a musical comedy and did not have the pretensions that AAIP had with its spectacular ballet and therefore was not Oscar bait.

When people talk about “unworthy” Oscar winners, they’re really faulting the voters’ inability to see into the future.
Sometimes movies receive a lot of enthusiasm that fades over time. Dramas tend to win Oscars, and they are more likely to become dated, while comedies from that same period become timeless.
Having said all that, I recently rewatched The Great Ziegfeld, and it’s just dreadful.

 

[Robert Harris]

If I’m recalling correctly, I believe I saw Zhivago at the Boyd.

just noticed this to be my 14,000th message.

 

[B-ROLL]

If I’m recalling correctly, I believe I saw Zhivago at the Boyd.

just noticed this to be my 14,000th message.

Congratulations - here's to 14,000 more !

 

[alistairKerr]

Does anyone know why amazon is the only place that has this in stock? is it being discontinued already?

I have the same query. I pre-ordered this (I'm in the UK) from WowHD and, a few weeks later, without any explanation, my order was cancelled and I was refunded. I finally had to order it from amazon.com and it is on its way now.
Alistair

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Having said all that, I recently rewatched The Great Ziegfeld, and it’s just dreadful.

Wow - I disagree.

Or at least I disagreed when I watched "Ziegfeld" 17 years ago:

The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

Reviewed by Colin Jacobson: Though it drags at times and could have lost an hour of its running time, The Great Ziegfeld mostly presents a fun experience. Generally a light and plucky little romp, it boasts solid production values, fine acting, and enough clever moments to make it a winner...

dvdmg.com

 

[roxy1927]

I've seen only 3 scenes from The Great Ziegfeld; Brice singing the intro to My Man, A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody and the telephone scene. For some reason they never inspired me to watch all 3 hours of it.

 

[Gerani53]

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH was the STAR WARS of its day, in that it was a big, exciting 'family' movie that inspired repeat visits to the theater. Perversely, it seemed aware of that special potential before it even opened, with barker Edmond O'Brien (in the movie's final cameo) exhorting patrons to "come again, come again!". And they did, in droves. The experience was like a visit to a super-circus at a time when that meant something to people... and in case you didn't care for animals, clowns and aerial acts, DeMille tosses in a memorable train wreck to keep things interesting. Never a great work of cinema, but always a grand entertainment that clearly delighted audiences of the day.

As for not standing "the test of time," many consider that a badge of honor, given our current social conditions. During a period when most people had hope and joy in their souls, GREATEST SHOW resonated. It has no place in today's brittle, self-righteous and fatally immature culture, other than as a time capsule, innocent nostalgia for those of us who saw it as a kid. But that's more than enough to justify a beautiful upgraded video release, one I intend to add to my collection.

 

[dukiejosh54]

I have the same query. I pre-ordered this (I'm in the UK) from WowHD and, a few weeks later, without any explanation, my order was cancelled and I was refunded. I finally had to order it from amazon.com and it is on its way now.
Alistair

That's weird. I was trying to do some pricing checking before buying at amazon but it is not being sold any where else. Some places like Walmart, have removed the title completely

 

[roxy1927]

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH was the STAR WARS of its day, in that it was a big, exciting 'family' movie that inspired repeat visits to the theater. Perversely, it seemed aware of that special potential before it even opened, with barker Edmond O'Brien (in the movie's final cameo) exhorting patrons to "come again, come again!". And they did, in droves. The experience was like a visit to a super-circus at a time when that meant something to people... and in case you didn't care for animals, clowns and aerial acts, DeMille tosses in a memorable train wreck to keep things interesting. Never a great work of cinema, but always a grand entertainment that clearly delighted audiences of the day.

As for not standing "the test of time," many consider that a badge of honor, given our current social conditions. During a period when most people had hope and joy in their souls, GREATEST SHOW resonated. It has no place in today's brittle, self-righteous and fatally immature culture, other than as a time capsule, innocent nostalgia for those of us who saw it as a kid. But that's more than enough to justify a beautiful upgraded video release, one I intend to add to my collection.

That's exactly how I felt about it when I finally got to see it in the movies which I've already written about. I'm so glad I didn't know about that climax because it was quite the shocker. And to have seen it at the Music Hall right before it when they expanded the screen to its Magnascope dimensions must have given it an extra thrill. People were probably like why is the screen growing larger? And then they were hit by it so to speak. Of course DeMille had already made fun of disaster movies decades before in Madame Satan with its costume party aboard a dirigible.

Another 'unworthy' Oscar winner I've seen mentioned is 80 Days. For some reason this has never been shown in Todd AO since its original engagements. Does it exist or is it lost forever? Did Taylor own it? Has the negative deteriorated beyond salvaging? Considering its popularity in its day I've always wondered why nobody ever talks about its original format(except of course the late great Martin Hart) and we have never seen it. It was a far bigger hit than Oklahoma and we are fortunate to have that film preserved in its original glory.

 

[RichMurphy]

I've seen only 3 scenes from The Great Ziegfeld; Brice singing the intro to My Man, A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody and the telephone scene. For some reason they never inspired me to watch all 3 hours of it.

If you can only bear to watch excerpts, I would suggest checking out the New Amsterdam Roof Garden sequence that begins after the intermission. The "You" production number, in particular, impressed me more that the "Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody" wedding cake. How did those showgirls keep their balance as the stage split into strips?

 

[Gerani53]

It's funny you mention AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, which, like GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH, was "more than just a movie" when it first came out, justifying its award-winning status, even if the competition might have been superior cinematically. Today's dismissive critics are simply incapable of understanding the impact 80 DAYS made on audiences in the mid-'50s... it was the World's Fair and a trip across the globe all in one sitting, a unique, jaw-dropping adventure for viewers, most of whom had never even been on a commercial airliner. Sure, superior cinema should be served. But if you asked someone in 1956, which is the more satisfying experience... a night at the bijou (with a good or even great movie playing), or a trip around the world, they'd most likely chose the trip. 80 DAYS made that possible, in grandly entertaining fashion, and Oscar returned the love.

 

[Garysb]

I always assumed the reason there was little to no passion behind nominating Singin' in the Rain for the 1952 Best Picture Oscar either by the studio or its critical supporters was because another Gene Kelly musical had just won the Best Picture Oscar the previous year. So the chances of it happening for Kelly and MGM a second year in a row were probably deemed impossible.

In addition to which the win in that category for An American in Paris in 1951 opposite A Streetcar Named Desire and A Place in the Sun, not to mention the very popular and now venerated The African Queen, which was not even nominated in that category, was itself a controversial win that might rival that of the win for The Greatest Show on Earth in its year, making a repeat for the creators of Singin' in the Rain even more of a challenge.

I had read that "Singin' In The Rain" was pulled from theaters to make way for a re release of "An American in Paris" in 1952. Perhaps because "An American in Paris" had won Best Picture. Time made "Singin' In The Rain" the beloved film it is today. Also it was the last great Gene Kelly film. He went to make films in Europe for I think 2 years. There was a tax break at the time that earnings overseas were not subject to US Income taxes. Many stars took advantage of this. This resulted in a lot of pictures made overseas in 1952 and 1953.

 

[B-ROLL]

I had read that "Singin' In The Rain" was pulled from theaters to make way for a re release of "An American in Paris" in 1952. Perhaps because "An American in Paris" had won Best Picture. Time made "Singin' In The Rain" the beloved film it is today. Also it was the last great Gene Kelly film. He went to make films in Europe for I think 2 years. There was a tax break at the time that earnings overseas were not subject to US Income taxes. Many stars took advantage of this. This resulted in a lot of pictures made overseas in 1952 and 1953.

Cough, cough

 

[Robert Harris]

That's exactly how I felt about it when I finally got to see it in the movies which I've already written about. I'm so glad I didn't know about that climax because it was quite the shocker. And to have seen it at the Music Hall right before it when they expanded the screen to its Magnascope dimensions must have given it an extra thrill. People were probably like why is the screen growing larger? And then they were hit by it so to speak. Of course DeMille had already made fun of disaster movies decades before in Madame Satan with its costume party aboard a dirigible.

Another 'unworthy' Oscar winner I've seen mentioned is 80 Days. For some reason this has never been shown in Todd AO since its original engagements. Does it exist or is it lost forever? Did Taylor own it? Has the negative deteriorated beyond salvaging? Considering its popularity in its day I've always wondered why nobody ever talks about its original format(except of course the late great Martin Hart) and we have never seen it. It was a far bigger hit than Oklahoma and we are fortunate to have that film preserved in its original glory.

80 is a problem film for a number of tech reasons.