The Greatest Show on Earth Trivia Quiz

Answer: Circus

"The Greatest Show on Earth" was based on Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, arguably then the entertainment highlight of the world. The mixture of acrobats, high flyers, clowns and animal performances keep the audience spell bound.

Answer: Charlton Heston and Betty Hutton

Charlton Heston played the part of Brad Braden the general manager of the circus with Betty Hutton playing Holly the star of the show on the trapeze. The tension through the movie is based on these two characters with lots of side plots to keep the audience involved.

Answer: Cornel Wilde

Cornel Wilde played a high flyer who became the circus draw card relegating Holly, the trapeze artist, from the centre ring and from being the star of the show. The intrigue continued when Holly became infatuated with Cornel's character setting up a triangle of lovers.

Answer: The Great Sebastian

The circus' main draw prior to the hiring of the Great Sebastian was Holly, a trapeze artist. The hiring of The Great Sebastian caused a lot of friction between Holly and Brad, and escalated when Holly started to fall romantically for Sebastian. To earn top billing Holly and Sebastian started to compete with tricks that became more and more dangerous, resulting in Sebastian falling and severely injuring himself.

Answer: James Stewart

The character of Buttons was surrounded with mystery as Buttons always wore his face paint, not just when the circus was on but in between times. There are hints about his identity throughout the film especially when mentioned with his ability to handle medical situations.

Answer: Angel

Angel, played by Gloria Grahame, is one of the dance girls, whom Klaus, the elephant trainer, is infatuated with. This is one of the many subplots of the film.

Answer: Best Story

"The Greatest Show on Earth" won the Oscar for the Best Picture and Best Story. It was nominated for Best Costume Design, Best Director, and Best Film Editing.

Answer: Cecil B DeMille

Cecil B DeMille was a prolific director with a career spanning from the 1910s to the 1950s. "The Greatest Show on Earth" was DeMille's first Academy Award nomination for Best Director.

Answer: True

Cecil B DeMille was the narrator. These are the opening lines:

"We bring you the circus, pied piper whose magic tunes greet children of all ages, from six to sixty, into a tinsel and spun-candy world of reckless beauty and mounting laughter and whirling thrills; of rhythm, excitement and grace; of blaring and daring and dance; of high-stepping horses and high-flying stars. But behind all this, the circus is a massive machine whose very life depends on discipline and motion and speed. A mechanized army on wheels, that rolls over any obstacle in its path, that meets calamity again and again, but always comes up smiling. A place where disaster and tragedy stalk the big top, haunt the backyard, and ride the circus train. Where death is constantly watching for one frayed rope, one weak link, or one trace of fear. A fierce, primitive fighting force that smashes relentlessly forward against impossible odds. That is the circus. And this is the story of the biggest of the big tops, and of the men and women who fight to make it 'The Greatest Show on Earth.'" (Wikipedia)

The opening scene of the movies was a back drop of the hustle and bustle of the circus whilst the narrator said those words.

Answer: Edith Head

Edith Head was acknowledged as the main costume designer on the movie and although she did not win for this movie she has won many other Best Costume Designer Academy Awards. Also acknowledged were Dorothy Jeakins and Miles White.