Editing Cornel Wilde (section)

===Freelance===
[[File:Cornel Wilde in The Greatest Show on Earth trailer 2.jpg|right|thumb |Wilde in ''[[The Greatest Show on Earth (film)|The Greatest Show on Earth]]'' (1952) |alt=Frame from a film showing the torso of a bare-chested man standing on a circus trapeze; the man's arms are extended outwards from his body, and he's facing somewhat left of the camera.]]

At Columbia, Wilde was in ''[[Shockproof]]'' (1949), another noir, with his then-wife Patricia Knight. They appeared together in ''Western Wind'', a play at the Cape Playhouse.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 5, 1949 |title=Cornel Wilde from Hollywood |newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor |id={{ProQuest|508069729}}}} {{closed access|date=November 2017}}</ref>

Wilde starred opposite [[Simone Signoret]] in ''[[Swiss Tour]]'', aka ''Four Days' Leave'' (1949), a romantic comedy about American servicemen in Switzerland.<ref>{{cite book |last=David |first=Catherine |author-link=Catherine David (writer) |year=1993 |title=Simone Signoret |location=[[Woodstock, New York]] |url=https://archive.org/details/simonesignoret0000davi |url-access=registration |translator-last=Sampson|translator-first=Sally|publisher=[[Overlook Press]] |page=209 |isbn=0-87951-491-4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Bouchardeau |first=Huguette |author-link=Huguette Bouchardeau |year=2005 |title=Simone Signoret: Biographie |language=French |location=Paris |url=https://archive.org/details/simonesignoretbi0000bouc |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Groupe Flammarion|Flammarion]] |page=269 |isbn=2-08-068749-2}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Monserrat |first=Joëlle |year=1983 |title=Simone Signoret |language=French |location=Paris |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9782853361934 |url-access=registration |publisher=PAC |pages=308-309, 349-350 |isbn=9782853361934}}</ref> He returned to Fox for ''[[Two Flags West]]'' (1950),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/26542|title=Two Flags West|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> then went to RKO for ''[[At Sword's Point]]'' (filmed in 1949, but not released until 1952), a swashbuckler with Maureen O'Hara.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/50400|title=At Sword's Point|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref>

Cast in a leading role, he played a trapeze artist in ''[[The Greatest Show on Earth (film)|The Greatest Show on Earth]]'' (1952) for [[Cecil B. de Mille]], an enormous ensemble cast hit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/50496|title=The Greatest Show on Earth|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-04-14}}</ref><ref name="timesobit" />

At Columbia, he was in ''[[California Conquest]]'' (1952), a Western for producer [[Sam Katzman]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/53598|title=California Conquest|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> He went over to Warner Bros. for ''[[Operation Secret]]'' (1952),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/50607|title=Operation Secret|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> then was back at Fox for ''[[Treasure of the Golden Condor]]'' (1952).<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1953/05/23/archives/article-8-no-title-treasure-of-the-golden-condor-fox-technicolor.html | work=[[The New York Times]] | page=19 | title='Treasure of the Golden Condor,' Fox Technicolor Adventure Yarn, Opens at Globe |  last=H.H.T. | author-link=Howard Thompson (film critic) | date=23 May 1953 |url-access=subscription | access-date=4 May 2025}}</ref>

He focused on adventure stories: ''[[Saadia (film)|Saadia]]'' (1953) for MGM,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/51000|title=Saadia|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> ''[[Star of India (film)|Star of India]]'' (1954) for United Artists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/52014|title=Star of India|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> He had a part in the all-star executive drama ''[[Woman's World (1954 film)|Woman's World]]'' (1954) for Fox,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/51407|title=Woman's World|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref> then went back to action and adventure with ''[[Passion (1954 film)|Passion]]'' (1954) for RKO.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/53466|title=Passion|website=afi.com|access-date=2025-05-04}}</ref>