Turning 52: The Greatest Show on Earth?

I’m continuing my insane tradition of looking at my birthday through the lens of the Best Picture winner from the year of my age. I started this practice way back in 2005 when I turned 46. I contemplated my year based on 1946’s Oscar-winning film, “The Best Years of Our Lives.” When I turned 47, I examined my connections (there were many) to “Gentleman’s Agreement.” 48 was “Hamlet” but I found I related more to the other Best Picture nominees, especially “The Snake Pit,” God help me. When I turned 49, the film was “All the King’s Men,” which seemed appropriate since my birthday fell on the last day of the Republican National Convention when John McCain made his big speech. My 50th birthday came during Charlie’s final week in the NICU and I discussed that and my relationship to 1950’s Best Picture, “All About Eve.” Last year, when I turned 51, I pondered my past as “An American in Paris.”

Glancing at these birthday posts, I am stunned at how long I’ve been writing in this blog and the sheer volume of material on these pages.  Most of my posts back then were endless—did anyone read that stuff? Thanks to all who are still paying attention to this nearly obsolete writing form. Is my refusal to give up this blog after all these years similar to my past reluctance to let go of typewriters, 8-track tapes, Betamax, and laserdiscs?

The Academy Awards for 1952 was the first Oscars ceremony that was televised, with live feeds from New York and the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. It was the 25th Academy Awards presentation, and in the view of many, the most perplexing. The five films nominated for best picture were Cecil B. De Mille’s circus extravaganza, “The Greatest Show on Earth,” Fred Zinnemann’s classic western, “High Noon,” Richard Thorpe’s costume epic, “Ivanhoe,” John Huston’s look at Toulouse-Lautrec’s Paris, “Moulin Rouge,” and John Ford’s uncharacteristic John Wayne vehicle, “The Quiet Man.”

The fact that the worst film of the bunch, “The Greatest Show on Earth,” won the top honors stinks of some kind of backroom deal. Everyone expected “High Noon” to take home the prize. But don’t forget that this was the height of the Cold War and McCarthy’s anti-commie crusade. Is it an accident that the right wing De Mille was a cooperative player in the witch hunt while Fred Zinnemann was not? Indeed, the producer of “High Noon,” Carl Foreman, would soon be blacklisted. Some critics have even called that film an allegory of the McCarthy era—it’s no wonder the jittery Motion Picture Academy left it alone (although they did award conservative Gary Cooper, a recent “friendly witness” before the House Un-American Activities Commission, the Best Actor Oscar).

“The Greatest Show on Earth” is a melodramatic look at a traveling circus troupe. Many actual members of the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey circus appeared in the film, mingling with trapeze artists Betty Hutton and Cornel Wilde, creepy clown Jimmy Stewart, elephant trainer Gloria Grahame, hula girl Dorothy Lamour, and the stressed-out circus manager, Charlton Heston. Oy. How this abomination even got nominated boggles the mind. And guess which films were  NOT nominated that year? Would you believe “The Member of the Wedding,” “The Bad and the Beautiful,” “Come Back, Little Sheba,” "Monkey Business," and “Singin’ in the Rain,” to name a few? WHAT WAS THE ACADEMY THINKING?!

Still, in terms of my life as I hit the ripe old age of 52, I’d say “The Greatest Show on Earth” is an apt description. I won’t even start on the whole issue of being in my 50s—it doesn’t seem possible, I feel like I'm in my low 30s at the most. Is that a case of dysfunctional arrested development or am I just young at heart? Whatever. But the good news about getting older, I have to say, is that my overall priorities have changed dramatically over the years. True, thanks to the crumbling economy I’m making less money now than I was ten years ago and I’m obviously not thrilled about that, but I no longer torment myself that this is a mark of my failure in life. If I dropped dead tonight, God forbid (even though, like Ingrid Bergman, I would like to go on my birthday one day!), I’d die a happy man, knowing that I lived a life that included so much loving and being loved. Isn’t that all that really matters? (Please forgive my De Mille-like schmaltziness!)

Despite several issues I have with Cecil B. De Mille, there are many of his films that I enjoy immensely, from the lavish Gloria Swanson silents to his campy Biblical dramas such as “Samson and Delilah” and “The Ten Commandments.” Whether you like his work or not, you have to concede that he was a master showman. He used to always narrate the previews to his films with great solemnity. I think this trailer for “The Greatest Show on Earth” is a hoot—way better than the film itself. Take a look:

 

See you next year, when, God-willing, I will be traveling “From Here to Eternity.”

Comments

[CB]

Happy Bday.

[June Kaiser]

Danny,
Wishing you and your family everything wonderful for many years to come. Hope you received our personal e-mail. We still love reading your blogs and hope you will continue them. Happy Birthday--all our best.
JK & SK

[Emily Barton]

Happy Birthday. I love your birthday/Oscar posts. I also STILL love your blog after all these years. You're the one who got me into blogging, and I, too, refuse to give it up, even though it's definitely a dying art form (and despite the fact I post so rarely these days, it's hard to tell I haven't given it up).

[Gordon]

Dear Danny,
I send out a very Happy Birthday wish to you.
And, I certainly agree with your assessment of "The Greatest Show on Earth." "High Noon" or "Singin' in The Rain" would have been a far better choice. But, almost every year I wonder what the Academy was thinking, with some of the stinkers that get nominated. Never the less, just like you, I always look forward to the "Oscars," and I'm as loyal a viewer as ever.
Thanks,
Gordon

[Gordon]

P.S.
I've read every word of your blog !
--Gordon

[Heather]

Happy Birthday!
I enjoy reading your blog, and I came across a few videos on YouTube you might be interested in; it's Roddy McDowall's home movies, filled with old Hollywood stars. Here's a link for one, which will take you to the others:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QienCIu_FQ