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Barnum

Play trailer Poster for Barnum TV-G 1986 1h 40m Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
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The rags to riches life of P.T. Barnum (Burt Lancaster), the iconic carnival showman and co-creator of "The Greatest Show on Earth," is told in this TV movie. The elderly and still puckish Barnum recounts via flashbacks his adventures as a floundering teenage salesman and an exhibitor of human oddities, and his eventual role as the entertainer who brought attractions such as Tom Thumb (Sandor Raski) and "the Swedish Nightingale," Jenny Lind (Hanna Schygulla), to the American masses.

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Barnum

Critics Reviews

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Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The 72-year-old former circus trapeze artist Burt Lancaster delightfully plays the title role. Rated: B- Sep 2, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Michael Crawford puts on a clinic with his performance in "Barnum". And we're not just talking about singing and acting - you have to include dancing, gymnastics, juggling, and tightrope walking. This show is filmed during a live performance and would not be the same any other way. The circus scenes are impressive because of the energy that fills the auditorium, and filming the circus stunts on a soundstage simply would not have the same effect. The show has a festive atmosphere as Barnum oftedn breaks the fourth wall and make the audience a part of the story, as if they were actually under the big tent watching the circus. The music is exciting at first but becomes monotonous after a while. Certain songs are heartfelt while some are too cheesy ("One brick at a time, one single solitary brick) and after 90 minutes, they all start to sound the same. The story culminates with a show-stopping ending that will make you want to join the circus. "Barnum" is far from my favorite musical but this rendition is the best portrayal that this musical will ever see. Michael Crawford. Wow. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Ideal lazy post Sunday lunch watch. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member [i]Barnum[/i] is my musical director's favorite musical, and after seeing the DVD of a theater performance starring the incredible Michael Crawford (AKA Cornelius Hackl and the Phantom), it's not hard to see why. The story of P.T. Barnum is a lot of fun, especially with so many acrobatics and a lot of great music. The sets and costumes also add a lot to the show, which whizzes by. The performances are solid all around, and it's just so much fun. It's a bit hard to track down, but if you can, do. A wonderful show. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Barnum

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Cast & Crew

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Lee Philips

Director

Burt Lancaster

Phineas Taylor `'P.T.'` Barnum

Hanna Schygulla

Jenny Lind

Laura Press

Charity

John Roney

Young Barnum

Sandor Raski

Tom Thumb
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Barnum

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Movie Info

Synopsis The rags to riches life of P.T. Barnum (Burt Lancaster), the iconic carnival showman and co-creator of "The Greatest Show on Earth," is told in this TV movie. The elderly and still puckish Barnum recounts via flashbacks his adventures as a floundering teenage salesman and an exhibitor of human oddities, and his eventual role as the entertainer who brought attractions such as Tom Thumb (Sandor Raski) and "the Swedish Nightingale," Jenny Lind (Hanna Schygulla), to the American masses.
Director
Lee Philips
Rating
TV-G
Genre
Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 3, 2018
Runtime
1h 40m
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