8mm Forum: Greatest Show On Earth To Close

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Topic: Greatest Show On Earth To Close

Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted January 15, 2017 09:39 AM

After 146 years "The Greatest Show On Earth" is to close. The circus run by Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey will shut in May.
Its famous elephants were retired in May of last year.
This takes me back to my first year as a cinema projectionist when in 1952 we screened the famous Paramount film of the same name made by Cecil B. DeMille.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38627073

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Maurice

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David Michael Leugers
Master Film Handler

Posts: 264
From: Fairfield, OH, USA
Registered: Feb 2004

posted January 16, 2017 01:58 PM

Without elephants, the circus is not the same. Two years ago my wife and I got to attend the Carson and Barnes circus. They were down to a couple of elephants from the previous time we'd seen them when they had around twelve. Sadly, the days of traveling circuses are just about over.

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Live Free or Die

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Tom Spielman
Master Film Handler

Posts: 339
From: Minneapolis, MN, USA
Registered: Apr 2016

posted January 16, 2017 02:20 PM

I have mixed feelings about it. You'd be hard pressed to find any kind of show that has that sort of history. At the same time, the animals featured in the show had a pretty horrible existence and I have no interest in seeing another circus like that.

Cirque Du Soleil is a more modern traveling show. One problem with all of them is that the ticket price has put them out of reach for many people.

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted January 17, 2017 12:13 PM

Quite sad. The lack of elephants largely killed them off, and that's from the person who actually owned the circus these days.

... but he had a second point in that in large part, young people are more interested in what's popping up on thier danged phones, than a live performace in front of them. A lot of adults are like that, I've noticed it in my own home. My family will be only half watching something and only look up when something explodes or a loud bit of audio happens, and they completely miss the story of something, and then, after the film is done, they say "I didn't get it". Well, duh, you maybe watched five minutes of a two hour film!

Hence, audiences watching 5 minutes of a two hour circus performance.

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 17, 2017 12:18 PM

The last show ever is actually local for us: Nassau Coliseum.

-where we have seen Billy Joel, the New York Islanders and Ringling Brothers a couple of times!

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Mike Newell
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 826
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 17, 2017 01:10 PM

I think we have outgrown circuses to be honest. Their treatment of animals was disgusting and disgraceful. Clowns I never found funny. My Dad used to pay attention to female trapeze artists when they appeared on television in Billy Smartts Chistmas Circus Specials but that a different story.

Can't stand Pantomines either at least US are spared them. A special UK torture.

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 17, 2017 01:14 PM

Modern life is enough of a Circus all by itself!

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Mike Newell
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 826
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 17, 2017 01:26 PM

There are enough clowns about outside the circus Steve.

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 17, 2017 07:20 PM

Local news says that the final show has sold out and tickets are already being scalped in the thousands!

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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