This has the fourth lowest IMDb rating of the 'Best Picture' winners, and came out the same year as Singin’ in the Rain (#84 on the top 250), which wasn't even nominated.

That said, I personally considered this an okay movie.

Lowest rated winners:
1. Cimarron (1931) 6.1
2. Cavalcade (1933) 6.4
3. The Broadway Melody (1929) 6.5
4. The Greatest Show On Earth (1952) 6.7
5. Around the World In 80 Days (1956) 6.8

It plods along and serves as almost a documentary of sorts. One can almost see it becoming a historical film as Barnum and Bailey just wrapped their final show a few days ago. Normally I really wouldn't mind that this got Best Picture in 1952 but the fact that Singin' in the Rain, one of the greatest films of all time, didn't even get nominated is cinematic blasphemy.

Man, Jimmy Stewart really hammed it up for his Joker origin story.