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Nightmare Alley (Fox Film Noir)

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Tyrone Power stars as Stanton Carlisle, a nobody working in a carnival who dreams of hitting the "big time". Stanton is having an affair with Zeena (Joan Blondell), whose drunk husband Pete is too out of it to notice...or care. Zeena and Pete perform a mindreading act via a special code they've worked out, but when Pete dies from a tragic accident (because of Stanton) Stanton becomes Zeena's partner in the mindreading act. Stanton feels guilty about Pete's death, however, and he also grows tired of Zeena's company, so he seduces the young and sexy Molly (Coleen Gray), who performs an "electrifying" act at the carnival while wearing close to nothing.

After Molly and Stanton give in to mutual lust, the carny people find out and force the two to marry. Accepting his fate bravely, Stanton and his new bride start touring the country with the same mindreading act that Zeena had taught him. Before long Stanton is known as "The Great Stanton" and his fame and fortune increase. After meeting the crafty psychiatrist Lilith (Helen Walker), Stanton comes up with his most ruthless plan yet: exploit wealthy men and women who've lost loved ones in the past by pretending to contact their dead lost loves or relatives. Stanton uses both his wife and Lilith in the scheme but it all comes crashing to an end when Molly breaks down and refuses to go on tormenting their naive "victims".

"The Great Stanton" is then reduced to hiding from the police after being betrayed by Lilith. He sends Molly back to the carnival where they first met while he begins a downward spiral made worse by alcoholism. Eventually he sinks even lower than Pete had and he gets hired by the carnival to play the "geek", an animal-like creature that bites the heads off chickens. Stanton finally loses control of himself and Molly discovers that her once great husband is now a raving psycho. "Nightmare Alley" was Tyrone Power's best performance and it was also one of the darkest noirs ever made (probably why it wasn't very successful in 1947). Power fought hard to get the role of Stanton Carlisle, and although Stanton was the flawed anti-hero you couldn't help but pity him, especially towards the end.

It's a good thing that Fox finally released this underated and neglected gem on dvd, because despite it's reputation as a cult classic I doubt if many movie buffs have been able to see it until now. The picture quality isn't perfect but is more than acceptable and the sound is great. Bonus features for "Nightmare Alley" include commentary from film noir historians James Ursini and Alain Silver as well as the original theatrical trailer. This classic noir has an outstanding cast, fine script, haunting music, and incredible cinematography and is sure to please any film noir buff. Highly recommended!

It's about time this amazing classic film is made available to the public! For years this movie has been withheld due to copyright disputes. I was fortunate enough to get an excellent VHS copy some years ago from a collector, and can attest firsthand that this movie is an absolute cinematic masterpiece.

Nightmare Alley is a twisted ride from the start in its depiction of the ugly side of carnival life. This movie is, hands down, Tyrone Power's finest hour in his acting career! He plays a heel with gritty realism as his character embarks upon his rise and fall, using everyone to further his own ambitions. His ambiguous performance leaves us sometimes sympathetic and sometimes with disgust.

And what an amazing supporting cast!! Joan Blondell plays a more evolved rendition of her 30's tough-mouthed, strong-shouldered, cynically-witted dames, and gives a very rounded performance. She has a dangerous edge despite her on-the-surface saintly devotion to her husband in the film. Joan's acting in this film is undeniably great, and worthy of recognition.

But my favorite performance in the film is that of Helen Walker, who also gives her finest and most memorable performance out of the many fine roles she's played in other significant film noirs. Her acting in the movie is wickedly fierce as she gives new meaning to the term 'femme fatale'.

Aside from the acting, the black and white cinematography is brilliant, and it has a perversely modern feel to it! And to say anything else would be to say too much! See for yourself.

This original top selling novel by William Lindsay Gresham, dealing with alcohol addiction, illegal carnival sideshow freaks, mind reading and especially the spiritualist movement is brought to the screen very effectively with Tyrone Power in one of his best roles as a opportunist looking to make a fortune by hook or crook. The film begins on a traveling Carnival circut where Stan is assisting in a mind reading act. Here also, we find Stan's fascination with the local circus "Geek", essentially a wildman paid to gross out the locals by chewing the heads off of live chickens! He wonders how a man could get so low as to work for a bottle of booze a day in that occupation, but the incident is to have stong implications later. Power then discovers that Joan Blondell and her alcoholic husband were famous nightclub entertainers at one time and he eventually wrestles a secret code from Blondell. Stan then leaves the carnival for fame but his ambition leads him to more than just being an entertainer. He desires to enter "the spook rackets", intending to fleece rich clients for big money. He makes a dark arrangement with a pretty psychologist (placing too much trust in her, he makes a mistake in confessing guilt feelings due to a tragic incident at the carnival for which he feels partially responsible) to gain inside information. Power then becomes "Reverend" Stanton and gains the confidence of a rich industrialist who seeks to contact a dead lover for forgiveness. The scam backfires and Power becomes a man on the run. Eventually Stan drifts back to his circus roots, not the great magician, but a tragic figure, when he is offered a position as a Geek! A great film, a great book!

I've been collecting noir DVDs for some time and this is a new one for me. It is just great. The "old-time" seedy carnival/sideshow feel is mesmerizing, the photography will put you in a trance and I never thought much of Tyrone Power but he is fantastic in this; I forgot he was a "bigtime actor" because he WAS the character. DVD quality for an old movie is top notch. Unusual for a noir too because there are no gangsters and I don't remember seeing a gun-- it's pure noir without the gangster baggage. If you have the mildest interest in noir you will love this.

"Nightmare Alley" was adapted for the screen from the novel by William Lindsay Gresham. Gresham was fascinated by the lifestyle of traveling carnival troupes, which he researched on Coney Island to write a non-fiction book on the subject. He also set "Nightmare Alley" in the carny world and incorporated his insider knowledge on the culture and tricks of the trade. Stanton Carlisle (Tyrone Power) is a born con artist, a handsome, ambitious schemer, who is never without a plan. He works in a traveling carnival show, where he meets Mademoiselle Zeena (Joan Blondell), whose mentalist act used to be a big vaudeville draw. Now she's on the carny circuit with her worn-out, alcoholic husband Pete (Ian Keith). Stan convinces Zeena to teach him the complex word/number code that she and Pete used to deceive audiences and to make him part of her act. But Stan cleverly ensures that a pretty young performer named Molly (Colleen Gray), with whom he is having an affair, has the opportunity to learn the code. When Stan is forced to marry Molly and leave the carnival, he sees his chance to use the code to make the big time.

"Nightmare Alley" benefits from being set in a very specific environment -that of the carny- and the film retains the insider perspective of the book. The carny is a perfect setting for a "noir" tale, since fantasy and reality are indistinct and scams are the name of the game. In true noir fashion, when the outside world is compared to the carny, it turns out to be the same. This was one of Tyrone Powers' brief attempts to get away from romantic leading roles and take on characters with more depth. He's terrific as Stanton Carlisle, but audiences preferred him in heroic roles, which hurt "Nightmare Alley" at the box office. Helen Walker is chilling as psychologist Lilith Ritter, whose desire to make a buck outweighs her commitment to doctor-patient confidentiality, to say the least. Lilith Ritter is the embodiment of the 1940s femme fatale: a shrewd, ruthless, sexually aggressive, professional woman without a scrap of scruples. Her big scene is really quite frightening. Colleen Gray's Molly is bright too, but of the opposite temperament. Her friendly, optimistic manner sometimes hide her savvy.

"Nightmare Alley"'s attitude toward clairvoyance is ambiguous. On one hand, it explicitly demonstrates that mentalists and spiritualists are shams. On the other hand, it imbues tarot cards with real wisdom, and some critics argue that Stanton has real gifts underneath the fakery. Stanton Carlisle dismisses the tarot cards as nonsense, but at the same time he seems to believe them and to consciously challenge fate. Lee Garmes' cinematography and low-key lighting are beautiful. It's surprising how often the actors' faces are in shadow. "Nightmare Alley" has a measured, slow pace, with dialogue that is delivered more slowly than was common in films of the 1940s. That grated on my nerves a bit, as did the neatly circular structure of the story, which seems contrived. But "Nightmare Alley" is a beautiful, dark film with a talented cast, including striking performances from Tyrone Power and Helen Walker.

The DVD (Fox Home Entertainment 2005): This print is not restored and suffers from small specks and lines, but no major flaws. The tonality looks good. Bonus features include a theatrical trailer (2 ½ minutes) and an audio commentary by film noir historians Alain Silver and James Ursini. It's a good commentary, without many lulls, that focuses primarily on characters and themes. Subtitles for the film are available in English and Spanish.

I waited years to finally see this rare film and am not disappointed. Much thanks to Fox for bringing this gem out at last. "Nightmare Alley" is unlike other noirs of the '40's in that it is a very dark and very sinister piece indeed. Tyrone Power gives what must have been an overlooked performance as Carlisle Stanton, a sideshow hustler who cons his way to the top of the "spiritualist" racket only to realize his own worst nightmare. To give that away would be to give away the punch this film has. "Alley" boasts first rate performances from Power, Joan Blondell as Zeena the carnival mind reader who invests too much in Stanton, pretty Coleen Gray as an "electrifying" side show attraction who's forced to marry Stanton by "carnival code", and especially Helen Walker as a pseudo-psychologist with a racket of her own. Everything about this film is dark, sleazy and fascinating from start to finish. Very adult for the era which may be why it wasn't more popular. It depicts a very tragic, dim and sordid view of alcoholism as well. Not since "Freaks" have I seen a more potent look at carnival life and all it's sensationalism and huckstering---including the "geek" which is a freak of a different kind. Directed by the esteemed Edmund Goulding from the novel and produced by George Jessel(!), "Nightmare Alley" is a must see for noir purists and a collector's item of a very rare vintage. The DVD is a good print considering the film's rarity and the music score reminds me of a horror film---intense and creepy. Just enjoy---and watch out for those Tarot cards.

Tyrone Power was so gorgeous that his looks got in the way of many of his roles - either he was cast in parts that emphasized his dazzling appearance or he was dismissed as a pretty boy and not taken seriously when he did a good job. With "Nightmare Alley," it's obvious that he could act and that his looks could be used to his advantage. But of course, anyone who followed his entire career would know that. In the last few years of his life, he played his best roles in "The Long Gray Line," "The Eddy Duchin Story," "Abandon Ship," "The Sun Also Rises" and "Witness for the Prosecution." He always got wonderful reviews when he appeared on stage, including as Mr. Roberts in London, and his recording of "John Brown's Body" and the Lord Byron poems are unequalled.

"Nightmare Alley" was a huge disappointment for Power because his own studio did not stand behind him. They allowed him to make it, all right, but then they did not publicize it and actually released it as a second feature. This is low behavior for the studio he kept solvent for so many years.

I'm glad to see that "Nightmare Alley" has achieved a sort of cult status. I'm sure Power is having a chuckle over that somewhere in the great beyond. It's a wonderful, dark, gritty film with marvelous performances, well directed, and always worth seeing. Once you've seen it, give the commentary a listen, as it's very interesting.

This is the rise and fall of a smooth-talking con man, played out in a tacky carnival sideshow, a ritzy Chicago nightclub and back to freak alley. Stanton Carlisle (Tyrone Power) is a two-bit opportunist, always on the lookout for a main chance, earning his keep in a mind-reading carnival sideshow act assisting Zeena, the mind-reader (Joan Blondell) and her lush of a husband. Carlyle can talk anybody out of just about anything, whether it's the secret code to fool the rubes from Zeena, the virginity from a young girl whom he is forced to marry (Coleen Gray) or the will to close down the show from a small town sheriff.

Carlisle reaches for the big-time, makes it and almost keeps it. But as they say, he reached too far. His mind-reading act is a big hit in Chicago, but the spook racket -- spiritualism -- looks even richer. From fooling the rubes its only a small step to stretching the law...and then stepping over the line. He hooks up with a classy psychologist, Lilith Ritter (Helen Walker), who turns out to be just as corrupt as he is. When the law comes looking, he finds out she is harder, more ruthless and just as willing to manipulate things as he fancied he was. He winds up just another carney drunk, grateful for a bottle and the worst job in the place.

When he was talking late one night with Pete Krumbein, Zeena's husband, before he made his big play for success, they watched the carnival's geek go crazy, running and screaming across the empty midway. "I remember that fella when he first showed up here," Pete says. "Who was he?" Carlisle asks. "He used to be plenty big-time." "Mental act?" "What difference does it make? He's cold smoked meat now. Just a bottle-a-day rumdum. He thinks his job's heaven as long as he has his bottle a day and a dry place to sleep it off in." They both know what the geek's job is...biting the heads off live chickens before a paying crowd.

This is a first-rate movie with a second-rate ending. The movie is tough-minded noir, with some terrific performances. Tyrone Power oozes cheap charm like hair oil. Helen Walker turns in a number that is fascinating, cold and unnerving. "I think you're a perfectly normal human being," she tells Carlisle. "Selfish and ruthless when you want something, generous and kindly when you've got it." What makes the movie work so well is the strong story. It grabs you at the start and keeps you with it...but then there's the ending. Hollywood often needs redemption, and that's what Hollywood gave the film story. Don't get me wrong; this remains a first-class noir. But do your self another favor (the first is to watch this film). Find a copy of the book, Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham. It'll knock you back when you read it. There's no redemption in the book.

The DVD picture looks very good.

Arguably the Holiest of Grails for true Film Noir devotees has finally caught up with the digital age (I have performed the approriate sacrifical ceremony in thanks to the Gods with my sacred, tattered 20-year-old VHS copy taped off Cinemax). Unavailable for years (even on VHS) due to legal wrangling with producer George Jessel (or perhaps his estate?), this darkest noir of them all can perhaps finally be appreciated for the buried classic it has been all along. Star Tyrone Power fought tooth and nail for this role, eager to shed his muscleheaded pretty boy screen image, and certainly achieved that goal as a charismatic, Elmer Gantry-type carny con man whose fall from grace is anything but graceful. In true noir fashion, there are very few characters in this film who escape a descent into one kind of bleak personal hell or another by the end of the tale. The film actually works in several genres-while you could easily "double bill" it with any other noir, it works equally as well alongside "Freaks" or "The Elephant Man". In case you're wondering how far-reaching the cult around this movie stretches-I'm suspecting that HBO's recent mini-series "Carnivale" took more than a "little" inspiration from "Nightmare Alley", in both character ideas and overall atmosphere. DVD notes: The print has not necessarily been restored (its fairly grainy thoughout; but can be softened with your contrast/sharpness adjustments) but it's still the best looking print I've ever seen of this rarity, and audio is decent. Commentary is provided by James Ursini and Alain Silver, two of the editors of the highly-regarded "Encyclopedia of Film Noir" (see my review on this site). Kudos to Fox for NOT taking advantage of this film's cult and over-inflating the price of a 55+ year old film (as many releasing studios greedily do).

I recently embarked on a Film Noir journey, and this film is the best one I've seen yet. It is full of dark settings, dark characters, and has an interesting and captivating story with a real cool ending. This is definitely worth your money.

By the way, there's no need to read all the super long reviews that give away the whole plot. I can't understand why people do that.