'' Man on a Tightrope '' is a 1953 American film directed by Elia Kazan , starring Fredric March , Terry Moore and Gloria Grahame . It was entered into the 3rd Berlin International Film Festival . The screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood was based on a 1952 novel of the same title by Neil Paterson . Paterson based his true story , which first appeared as the magazine novelette '' International Incident '' , on the escape of the Circus Brumbach from East Germany in 1950 . Members of the Circus Brumbach appeared in the film version in both character roles and as extras
3rd Berlin International Film Festival
3rd Berlin International Film Festival
Man on a Tightrope