Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962) is one of the last musicals to emerge from MGM's illustrious stable. It stars Doris Day as Kitty Wonder, a performer in her father's circus. Pop Wonder (the irrepressible Jimmy Durante) is the proprietor of one of the greatest acts in circus history Jumbo; a gargantuan elephant. He's also engaged to the sad -eyed spinster and fortune teller, Lulu (Martha Raye). Together, they front line a troupe of jolly nomads who pitch the idea of circus life as the greatest of all traveling trades. But a fly in this cotton candy surfaces with the arrival of Sam Rawlins (Stephen Boyd).
Unbeknownst to Kitty and company, Sam is a spy for a rival traveling show owned by the unscrupulous John Noble (Dean Jagger). Sam sets himself up as a rigger in Pop's show and observes the inner workings of his operation, all the while with one eye firmly zeroed in on Kitty for himself. Perhaps sensing his less than honorable intentions, Kitty's initial reception to John is cool and aloof. However, after he rescues her from a near fatal accident, she falls into his arms quite willingly, and thereafter is bitterly disillusioned when Sam lays the ground work for Noble Enterprises to steal Pop's circus out from underneath him.
Based on the rollicking Broadway smash, director Charles Walters opens the play up with great panache, adding depth, scope and heart to what was in essence a flashy spectacle minus substance on the stage. The numbers, particularly "This Can't Be Love", "Little Girl Blue" and "Why Can't I?" are engaging diversions unto themselves, seamlessly blended into the dramatic milieu. Although Stephen Boyd does look a tad uncomfortable in the role of Sam, he proves to be in very good voice with the charming, "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World." Yes, the film is hopelessly hokey by today's standards but that's primarily its charm. The final musical number too is a bit flat when compared to the rest of the score but staged by veteran choreographer, Busby Berkeley in a way that almost distracts one from the absence of magic.
Warner's DVD is a treat. The anamorphic picture sparkles with renewed vigor. Colors are rich, bold and vibrant. Blacks are deep, rich and solid. Whites are very clean. Contrast and shadow levels are bang on. There are only trace elements of age related artifacts for an image that is quite smooth and engaging throughout. The audio has been remixed to 5.1 but lacks in bass tonality, often sounding thin and just a tad strident. The musical sequences fair much better sonically than the dialogue. Extras include a few shorts, including a Tom and Jerry oddity.
Final thoughts: it may not be "The Greatest Show on Earth" but "Billy Rose's Jumbo is a respectable sideshow of glamorous big top entertainment. The acting is solid; the score, supreme. If only the box office receipts of its day had managed to match the considerable effort put forth by the studio, there might have been more good-natured entertainment from MGM in the years that followed.
Unbeknownst to Kitty and company, Sam is a spy for a rival traveling show owned by the unscrupulous John Noble (Dean Jagger). Sam sets himself up as a rigger in Pop's show and observes the inner workings of his operation, all the while with one eye firmly zeroed in on Kitty for himself. Perhaps sensing his less than honorable intentions, Kitty's initial reception to John is cool and aloof. However, after he rescues her from a near fatal accident, she falls into his arms quite willingly, and thereafter is bitterly disillusioned when Sam lays the ground work for Noble Enterprises to steal Pop's circus out from underneath him.
Based on the rollicking Broadway smash, director Charles Walters opens the play up with great panache, adding depth, scope and heart to what was in essence a flashy spectacle minus substance on the stage. The numbers, particularly "This Can't Be Love", "Little Girl Blue" and "Why Can't I?" are engaging diversions unto themselves, seamlessly blended into the dramatic milieu. Although Stephen Boyd does look a tad uncomfortable in the role of Sam, he proves to be in very good voice with the charming, "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World." Yes, the film is hopelessly hokey by today's standards but that's primarily its charm. The final musical number too is a bit flat when compared to the rest of the score but staged by veteran choreographer, Busby Berkeley in a way that almost distracts one from the absence of magic.
Warner's DVD is a treat. The anamorphic picture sparkles with renewed vigor. Colors are rich, bold and vibrant. Blacks are deep, rich and solid. Whites are very clean. Contrast and shadow levels are bang on. There are only trace elements of age related artifacts for an image that is quite smooth and engaging throughout. The audio has been remixed to 5.1 but lacks in bass tonality, often sounding thin and just a tad strident. The musical sequences fair much better sonically than the dialogue. Extras include a few shorts, including a Tom and Jerry oddity.
Final thoughts: it may not be "The Greatest Show on Earth" but "Billy Rose's Jumbo is a respectable sideshow of glamorous big top entertainment. The acting is solid; the score, supreme. If only the box office receipts of its day had managed to match the considerable effort put forth by the studio, there might have been more good-natured entertainment from MGM in the years that followed.