Noirsville

Nightmare Alley (1947)

Episode #3

Twentieth Century Fox released Nightmare Alley to theaters on October 28, 1947. Edmund Goulding directed the film starring Tyrone Power, Joan Blondell, and Coleen Gray.

‘Nightmare Alley’ Movie Summary

Stan Carlisle works in a sideshow as carny and assistant to the mentalist Zeena Krumbein. She’s married to an alcoholic named Pete, and the two have successful mentalist act using a secret code that allows them to pretend to audience member’s minds. They’ve been successful since before Pete’s drinking problem began, and now Stan’s looking to learn their act so he can leave the small time and become a successful mentalist. On the side, Stan is in lust with a gorgeous woman named Molly, but she lives with the show’s strongman, Bruno. While Stan eventually learns the code, not everything is sunshine sprinkles once he hits the big time.

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This podcast is intended for entertainment and information purposes only. The theme music for Noirsville, In Your Arms is provided courtesy of Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All original content of this podcast is the intellectual property of Noirsville, the MHM Podcast Network, and Fuzzy Bunny Slippers Entertainment LLC unless otherwise noted.

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Twentieth Century Fox released Nightmare Alley on October 28, 1947. Edmund Goulding directed the film starring Tyrone Power, Joan Blondell, and Coleen Gray.

User Rating: 4.25 ( 1 votes)
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Eddie
6 years ago

glad you all liked it, surprised at how high your scores were! Sorry that it was such a downer though:)
Your discussion of religion was interesting, I didn’t recall Stanton talking about his childhood, might pop in the DVD to refresh my memory. My definition of noir has changed over the years as I’ve seen more and more of them and I do agree that some films incorrectly get called that, but not this one. This is about as noir as it gets(don’t think murder or femme fatales are required to be a noir. There are even some great noirs that entirely take place in prison) This one rates high among noir historians, it only got a DVD release after it was rediscovered at a noir festival in the early 2000s.
I’ll have to check out the movie Bobby mentioned, the Long Gray Line. I just watched another great Tyrone Power film called Abandon Ship. Think it could also be a good remake, it’s based on a true event that is pretty crazy. I’m surprised none of you talked about who should be cast in the remake, what do you think? DiCaprio as Stanton?

Robert Taylor
6 years ago
Reply to  Eddie

Hey, Eddie. 🙂 Thanks for the response. We wouldn’t have known about this one without you so we are thankful to have seen something this powerful that is so obscure. It definitely deserves a bigger audience. Yes, I believe faith was important not only in the movie but in our discussion. Anytime someone preys on personal loss is always something to be discussed. Lori had a good feel for that point. Noir… Well, Shane and I have our views based on the ones we’ve seen. Too much Mitchum and Bogart I guess. Maybe we just need to see more to have a better understanding of the genre. Can’t argue with historians. 🙂 The Long Gray Line was a revelation for me. Not a noir movie at all but we don’t get military pageantry like that anymore. Truly worth a watch for an American patriotic audience. As to whom I think would be a good choice of Stanton — not a big DiCaprio fan. I’m thinking maybe someone along the lines of a Jon Hamm (similar looks of Tyrone but maybe not quite the actor) or a younger version of Sam Rockwell. Someone with the gift for gab that can also play a slimy character without being unlikeable. Either way, it will need to be a quality actor to pull that role off. If they do it well, this remake of the story would garner an Oscar nomination if not the win outright. Here’s hoping they cast well!! 🙂 Please let us know if you have any other recommendations. Although, I’m not sure another sucker punch like Nightmare Alley will be good for my heart. 🙂 Thanks for all your support!!!

Eddie
5 years ago
Reply to  Robert Taylor

Hi Bobby. Curious what you think of Robert Taylor? Was sort of like Tyrone Power in that he was considered just a pretty face, but he also showed some good acting at times. Also made a few good noirs(High Wall is worth a look)

Robert Taylor
5 years ago
Reply to  Eddie

Hi, Eddie. Despite Robert and I sharing the same name, I’ve never thought of him as a great actor (although I am jealous he starred with Greta Garbo). I agree he’s very much a pretty face like Tyrone. But while Tyrone stretched himself, especially later in his career, Robert stayed in mostly the same roles and never seemed to grow as an actor. I compare them to Rob Lowe (Robert Taylor) and Brad Pitt (Tyrone Power). Rob and Brad both started out getting mainly pretty boy roles also, but Brad branched out and tried new things and I think grew as an actor. Rob never did. Ironic that Rob Lowe and Robert Taylor played the same character in “A Yank at Oxford” and the remake, “Oxford Blues”. 🙂

Eddie
5 years ago
Reply to  Robert Taylor

Have you seen Devil’s Doorway and The Last Hunt? I thought Taylor gave great performances in those.

Robert Taylor
5 years ago
Reply to  Eddie

No, I haven’t seen those. I’ll believe you though. He’s not a bad actor, I just never cared for him. Kinda like Charles Boyer in that manner to me.

Eddie
5 years ago
Reply to  Robert Taylor

Both films are must sees if you like westerns. Don’t know if they are easily available, but TCM shoes then occasionally. Taylor plays a disturbing villain in last hunt. Kubrick seems to have borrowed a famous shot from this film for The Shining. Both films are a bit darker and fast paced than john ford westerns. you said you wouldn’t put either the searchers or liberty valance in your top 100, are you a big fan of any of his westerns?

MHMChris
5 years ago
Reply to  Eddie

I believe those are both on Filmstruck right now.

Robert Taylor
5 years ago
Reply to  Eddie

Honestly, my problem with John Ford westerns isn’t necessarily John Ford as much as John Wayne. His characters never seem to change, which isn’t bad until he became a caricature of himself. Both The Searchers and Liberty Valance are good movies, but that’s despite John Wayne not because of him in my opinion. I like John Wayne sometimes, but it’s a taste thing more than anything. But there are so many better movies out there for my top-100. I have some westerns in my top, but more like Josey Wales, Jeremiah Johnson, stuff like that. 🙂

Eddie
4 years ago
Reply to  Robert Taylor

Hi Bobby, I guess you may have heard but it was announced today that DiCaprio is playing Stanton!

BobbyT2412
4 years ago
Reply to  Eddie

Good morning, Eddie. Yes, I saw that about Leonardo. So much for me being a casting director. 🙂 As long as Leo sticks to the written script and doesn’t become “Leonardo, the Oscar Winner”, I think it has a chance w del Toro at the helm. Praying they stick to the original book and not the Hollywoodized ending tacked onto the Power film. With this story, it will be much more evocative to end it the way the author intended originally. I very much wish them well. It’s a story that sticks with you for sure.

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