I will admit that there seems to be an audience for this musical, based on the fact that it managed to get a release on the Blu-ray format. But to be honest, the movie left this viewer somewhat cold. For starters, the title is kind of odd, seeing how the elephant Jumbo only makes sporadic and brief appearances throughout the movie. But there are further problems with the screenplay. At over two hours in length, the thin story is extended way past the breaking point. As for the songs, while they are not awful, they are not very memorable (though the song "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" has its moments.) And you'd never figure that the great Busby Berkeley staged the musical numbers, because they sorely lack the punch of his earlier musicals. While the cast is bright and likable, and the movie boasts some pretty good production values and circus acts, these things don't raise the movie much from the level of being instantly forgettable. It's no wonder that the movie was a box office failure, and was one of the final nails in the coffin of the Hollywood musical until "The Sound Of Music" temporarily revived the genre a few years later.

The story isn't much here: boy meets girl, they fall in love etc. BUT what is terrific are the performances, singing, and acting by all of the main actors. Especially good is Jimmy Durante: he has some really funny lines (like, "Elephant? What elephant?") and more and he and Martha Raye are a great comic team. He also shows he can dance and sing (kind of, once you get used to the snozola's voice).Doris Day is Doris Day; she's lovely here. Some people on these reviews think she was too old. Actually, she looks about right for S. Boyd, the heartthrob of the movie. She's divine in that pink outfit she wears when he sings, "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." He by the way is very virile and sings fairly well (it does sound like HIS voice and not dubbing). Day was the biggest star of her time and she delivers in this movie. Especially touching is her rendition of "Little Girl Blue".I've seen this movie at least 3 times on Turner Classic Movies and the color and sound are spectacular. I also think the story moves along fairly briskly and the music is well integrated into the action. What is remarkable about this movie is that it doesn't seem dated, or have lost its charm (in contrast, for instance, to many musicals like "Meet me in St. Louis). Because of the elemental themes involved: love/hate; struggles between father and son; struggles for a circus to make it economically etc. it's message is timeless. The ending, about a 7 minute collage of music, is also fantastic and centers around the song, "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." I think this movie never made it, oddly enough because of its cumbersome name. "Billie Rose's Jumbo"? Billie Rose was involved in the play and stipulated that if this was ever made into a musical, his name had to appear in the titles. I think this hurt the movie. It's well worth watching and if you see it, you'll want to see it again and again.

Doris Day, Jimmy Durante, Martha Raye, and Great Songs. That's what makes this film so good. Other than that, this tale about life in the circus may seem predictable with a paper-thin plot. But, the stars boost it to a fun, non-stop rollick with elephants, high-wire acts, and clowns. There is also Stephen Boyd. But while he may seem fairly nice to look at, he doesn't quite have the star power to carry the viewer's interest his character should have, even if he really was singing "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" and didn't need to be dubbed. With Doris Day singing "Little Girl Blue" and "My Romance" as highlights, this pleasing musical should keep the viewer out of trouble for well over two hours and in the world of the greatest show on earth.

The acting is horrid, the plot and dialogue predictable, the switching from the stars to stunt actors is so blatant, and there aren't any really good songs except "Little Girl Blue." Watch this movie and you will give yourself a headache from the number of times you will roll your eyes.I was praying for this movie, which I had to sit through for politeness's sake, to end quickly, and it doesn't. It is over two hours long.I LOVE musicals, but this one? EW. If you want to watch a movie about circuses, get The Greatest Show on Earth instead.