PTB the Greatest

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 2017)

Phineas Taylor Barnum is one of my biggest heroes in life. You all know that I just love musicals. PT inspires me all the time. He in real life was a marketing genius. If he were still alive, the Ringling Bros Barnum and Bailey Combined Circus would not have gone out of business in May, 2017. That was a total tragedy.
I have studied this man's life, for many decades. Here was a man who came from a poor New England time period - specifically born before the War of 1812 and growing up in the midst of a financial depression - one of many U.S. depressions. He could make money from absolutely nothing. He found that people, a lot of them, would fork over their small amounts of hard-earned cash in order to participate in one of his hocus-pocusy outrageous ideas.
He built upon these small successes. He was no dummy. He was very smart and shrewd. Eventually he brought the lovely famous Scandinavian singer to these shores, as depicted in this film. Jenny Lind Crib, anyone? Yes, her name is still famous here.
More of his famous talent are depicted in this film, ala Tom Thumb. What about Jumbo, Barnum's famous elephant? I don't remember Jumbo from the reviews.
Late in life, after several entertainment careers, he began his famous circus, with an accountant names James A. Bailey. After Barnum passed away in 1891, the circus kept going and during the decade of the First World War (100 years ago) merged with that of the Ringling Brothers.
I have been out ill this year, having heart surgery, but I still have made a few movie reviews. This is one of them. Please post this review. I hope to see this new film today or tomorrow, Wednesday or Thursday. This Friday is my birthday.
Again, I am an historian, with a university degree in American History. I am also an actress, singer, dancer, film critic and movie reviewer. I feel that some of P.T. Barnum's greatest successes occurred after the time period of America's Civil War. Certainly, his famous circus came from that historic era.
I will give this film a ten out of ten, sight unseen. I just love musicals, so add more points. Everyone, go see this film. Have some fun in your lives. Phineas Taylor Barnum still inspires.
Note 1: PT was the mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut. I visited there, looking for memorials to his life. I saw some, like a plaque in front of one of the buildings or perhaps the old city hall, in 2006.
Note 2: I saw a PT Barnum televised film starring Beau Bridges as Barnum, some decades ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a drama. I don't remember it being as colorful, however, as this new 2017 Barnum is said to be.