The FRiday Night Movie - Nightmare Alley (1947)

Youtube ^ | N/A | N/A

[DemforBush]

Tonight, an excellent film noir set in the seedy world of the carnival side show. A young but ambitious carney (Tyrone Power, in one of the best performances of his career), scams and schemes amongst the mentalists, strongmen, and geeks hoping to find the perfect routine to take him out of the sideshow and into the big time.

Co-Starring Joan Blondell and Coleen Gray.

[DemforBush]

This was Power's first major role outside of the usual swashbuckler/hero role, and he delivers in spades. He's just outstanding here, as is the supporting cast. Really good film. 7.75/10

Coleen Gray makes me wish I'd been born about 50 years earlier. What a beauty! (and a staunch conservative, too!)

[DemforBush]

Ping.

As always, if you want on or off my ping list, feel free to post a note or FReepmail me.

And, again as always, if I forget to add you after you asked, feel free to administer a Leroy Jethro Gibbs headsmack.

[DemforBush]

Previously shown:

The Stranger 7/10

Decision Before Dawn 7.5/10

The Woman in The Window 8/10

Plunder Road 6.75/10

The Hitchiker 7/10

Stalag 17 8/10

Kiss of Death8/10

D.O.A.7/10

Breaker Morant 8.5/10

Detour 7/10

The Flim-Flam Man7/10

Stalingrad 7.7/10

Sleuth 8/10

Evil Roy Slade 7/10

Rikki Tikki Tavi

Men in War6.75/10

Five Fingers/Operation Cicero 8/10

Escape From Sobibor 7.5/10

Better Off Dead 7/10

A Christmas Carol 8.25/10

The Earthling7.25/10

The Hill8/10

Ronald Reagan in Tennessee's Partner 7/10

Duel 7.5/10

Attack! 7.5/10.

Scarlet Street8/10.

Kansas City Confidential7/10

M8.25/10

Beat The Devil 6.5/10

Kanal7.75/10

[Pelham]

Asphalt Jungle is another film noir from that era. A hot 22 yr old unknown named Marilyn Monroe has a small part in it.

[Argus]

Thanks

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I saw it on TCM several years ago! Great movie! It shows just how easy it is to flim-flam the rubes into believing in almost anything!

I remember the stories of THE GEEK!, both men and women, may years ago.

[laplata]

Thanks. Sounds like a good one.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I remember going to the sideshows in the carnivals back in the 1950s. The FAT Woman who also ate fire while pounding her drum, what a show! Later, at the top of the Ferris Wheel we could see her waiving the torches and beating her drum.

Then at Santa Fe State Fair back in 1956, we saw the half man, cut off at the waist, Midgets, the weight lifter who lifted by placing heavy weights in holes cut in his skin, the OCTOPUS MAN (had to pay extra for that) and other sideshow freaks that would give the modern Libs nightmares!

I’ll never forget, at Santa Fe, my sister wanted to buy some Cotton Candy. We watched the candy man sell a cone to some other kid. The kid walked about ten paces and threw the candy into the dirt.
The candy man looked right, and left, then went over and picked up the dirty cotton candy, stripped off the outer dirty candy, then added fresh new candy to the cone, and placed it in the stand for sale. My dad saw that and refused to buy any for my sister.

[Mike Darancette]

I was made for the job.

[skinkinthegrass]

*

[G-Bear]

Watched this on YT about a week ago, excellent!

Just watched one called “The Strange Woman” with Hedy Lamar, who I had actually never seen in a movie before. Wonderful acting job, playing a woman so bad that Scarlett O’Hara would say, “That bitch can’t get away with THAT shit!”

[Silentgypsy]

Thank you!