Work Will Always Be There But You Might Not Be: The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

Romantic Moment #4

The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) 

I love this film so much. It has Charlton Heston, Jimmy Stewart, and is directed by Cecil B. DeMille. It is fantastic! I could watch it over and over.

Brad Braden (Charlton Heston) is the circus manager of the Ringling Bros. He is all business never having time for anyone or anything not related to the circus.

This upsets his girlfriend, Holly (Betty Hutton) a trapeze artist, who wants more romance.

While he’s always busy, she spends the time she wishes they could be together, working hard to become the star of the show. Unfortunately for her, Brad has just added The Amazing Sebastian, a famous trapeze artist.

They compete with each other for center ring, but that isn’t the only thing that Sebastian is trying for-he also is trying to get with Holly.

Will adding The Amazing Sebastian bring more money and engagements for the circus? Or will it just cause strife between Brad and Holly? Will he focus on his girlfriend, or will he lose her by concentrating all his efforts on the circus?

Most Romantic Moment: Work Will Always Be There But You Might Not Be

***Spoiler Alert***

So this moment comes at the end of the film. There is a lot of action and things that happened in the film. Where this is centered, a Russian Elephant trainer has tried to rob the Circus train to get money to impress a girl, while his partner is trying to rob the Circus train to get back at Brad for shutting down his rigged games.

Wow

The trainer has had a change of heart and tried to stop his partner, but everything still ends in disaster. Animals and people are injured or killed. Sets and props are destroyed. Everything is in shambles.

Brad himself barely makes it, having a rare blood type and needing a transfusion. But all that makes him realize that he loves Holly and needs to show her more. That his work and the circus will always, always, be there-but life is fleeting and his could have been over.

He finally has decided that he is going to make time for Holly, romance her, and put her first. Even though, Holly is now busy trying to get the circus together.

Aw!

So romantic that he realizes how important she is. 🙂

To start Romance is in the Air: Part V, go to Who Says I Have to Stop: Fireproof (2008)

For the previous post, go to I Want to Recreate Your Perfect Christmas: Holiday in Handcuffs (2007)

For more on The Greatest Show on Earth, go to The Greatest Show on Earth

For more Charlton Heston, Oh, Moses, Moses: Happy 60th Anniversary to The Ten Commandments

Oh, Moses, Moses: Happy 60th Anniversary to The Ten Commandments

So this past Sunday I decided to celebrate Easter/Passover in the best way I could think of. Going to the movies to see the rerelease of The Ten Commandments for it’s 60th anniversary.

It originally came out on October 5th 1956, but as I will be doing Horrorfest, and they rereleased it this week, I felt it was better to review now.

This was actually my first time watching the film.

I know? How could a cinephile like me miss it? Well my mom tried to get me to watch it with her back when I was five, but my attention span was strong enough. Since then I never got around to seeing it. However, it was sooooo amazing I just can’t believe I missed viewing it before.

This movie is what The Price of Egypt is based on, but it is waaaaaay better. The tried to carefully follow the story in the bible along with other historical documents. The special effects they had were amazing for the time, the sets magnificent, and the actor unbelievable.

Wow

The film took four years to make, 13 million dollars, and was Cecille B. DeMille’s last film.

Every year since 1973, ABC airs this film on Easter, or Passover. In 1999, when they chose not to they received so many irate phone calls from people than they have for any other film they have ever telecast. I will say I think it has become my new Easter tradition.

AWESOME!!!

This film was the highest grossing film, after Gone With the Wind (1939), until The Sound of Music (1965). It was the highest grossing religious film until The Passion of the Christ (2004). This is currently the 7th highest grossing film of all time.

So we have the two main leads who were just phenomenal. First we have Yul Brynner as Rameses II, the pharaoh believed to live at the time of Moses. Brynner played the role as a jealous brother, which some may think Ralph Fiennes was better and more brotherly, but I think it was spot on. For those who don’t know history, the game of who would get the throne could get ugly.

There is no middle ground.

The Pharaoh would typically marry his nearest female relation to keep the blood pure; and then marry other wives/concubines. The wives and kids would battle each other in order to gain favor and the throne. In fact Rameses II had over 100 children, outlived most of his children due to their killing each other, and their mothers plots against each other (plus a few accidental deaths and illnesses.)

When Brynner found out he would be playing against Charlton Heston, he really worked out in order to prove that he deserved the role

And then we have the very hunky Charlton Heston. I mean you look at him and hear his voice, and you can see why every girl wanted him.

Not only did he make Moses a total action hero; but also presented the spiritual side beautifully.

Take note, rest of Hollywood.

Heston wasn’t the original choice, but was later picked because he bore a similarity to Michelangelo’s sculpture of Moses.

And let’s not forget that Vincent Price is the amazing, sinister, and sleazy master builder. Even if his character is horrible, I love him.

The rest of the actors were just as good; along with the sets, and the extravagant costumes. This was just a phenomenal film that everyone needs to view at least once in their lives.

For more anniversary posts, go to We Wish You a Merry Christmas

For more on Cecil B. DeMille and Charlton Heston, go to The Greatest Show on Earth

For more Vincent Price, go to A Man Without a Face: The Bat (1959)

The Greatest Show on Earth

Day 5) If You Could Go Anywhere, Where Would It Be?

If there was anywhere I could go I would want to go to the circus.

Not a circus of today, as those are pretty lame, but I would want to one from the 1950s, like in The Greatest Show on Earth.

That would be so cool! They have all kinds of animals, not just house cats and elephants; and all kinds of acts. Plus, look at those costumes!

Of course it would be even better if I could see Charlton Heston there.

So yeah, probably not what you all where expecting, but it’s what I’m feeling at the moment.

To start 30 Day Challenge from the beginning, go to Musical Madness

For the previous post, go to It’s a Way of Life