Joe Birrittella

Overblown, hokey, kid clever dialogue; a big top fantasy that abandons realism without shame. And I unapologetically love it without logic, rhyme or reason. It's nostalgic, old fashion fluff, packed with color, stripes, trapeze, clowns that AREN'T scary, songs, elephants and everything else the circus offers; climaxed by a loud train collision that were impressive for its time and holds up impressively if you surrender your imagination and realize that this was the best that could be done by the technical limitations of 1952 technology. Heston (surprisingly very good) & Stewart stand out. Hutton is at her cute, hammy best, mugging for the camera, Grahame sincerely steals anyone's ❤, and Bettger, Kellogg & Tierney are deliciously villainous. As for its Best Picture Oscar, I won't judge. The Quiet Man is the only film I enjoyed a wee bit more, except for the Irish attitude that it takes a physical kick ads to measure one's manhood. I'd rather be 12 yrs old, temporarily forget about circus harsh realities and animal mistreatment, and go with the cartoon flow.