Despite his made-to-order background as a real-life circus acrobat, Burt Lancaster declined the role of The Great Sebastian, a fact Cecil B. DeMille doubly regretted when he learned that Cornel Wilde was afraid of heights. Wilde was game, however, and ended up performing many of his own stunts on the flying trapeze.
Cecil B. DeMille was always demanding of his actors and actresses. He insisted that everyone truly learn to perform the circus stunts they were supposed to be performing. This meant that Betty Hutton really learned the trapeze and Gloria Grahame had to let an elephant rest its foot an inch from her face. Cornel Wilde probably had it the worst, since he was portraying a trapeze artist. He was seriously afraid of heights.
During one scene Sebastian (Cornel Wilde) is hanging from the trapeze by his knees. He catches Holly (Betty Hutton) then pulls her up and kisses her. During one of the early takes, Wilde tore the ligaments in his shoulder. He managed to make it through two more takes, then had to stop. He was unable to use his arm for several days so Cecil B. DeMille shot scenes where he was not needed.
Scenes of this motion picture were filmed at the actual winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Sarasota, Florida. Additional scenes were also filmed at an actual circus performance in which the film's actors participated in the Grand Hippodrome Parade with the regular circus performers. If you look very closely at the bottom left-hand portion of the screen during a brief long-shot of the Grand Parade, you can see Cecil B. DeMille's camera unit in a corner of the Hippodrome where the parade takes a turn around the ring, along with Mr. DeMille himself standing next to the camera.
In addition to mastering the tricks of their respective circus trades, the stars of the film had to athleticize their bodies to resemble the professionally toned circus performers who doubled for them. This was especially true for Betty Hutton and Cornel Wilde.
Bing Crosby, Bob Hope: Two circus spectators during the musical song "Lovely Luawana Lady" (sung by Dorothy Lamour, portraying Phyllis). Hope, Crosby, and Lamour famously co-starred in the Road to Singapore (1940), Road to Morocco (1942), Road to Utopia (1945) and several other "Road" pictures.
Merrill Reese: Circus spectator. Best known as the radio broadcaster for the Philadelphia Eagles after 1977, Reese was an unknown nine-year-old who happened to be at one of the filmed performances.