Nightmare Alley (1947) by Edmund Goulding

[cranefly]

This is the original, which I was prompted to watch to allow comparison with the 2021 remake.  I now expect the remake to be a pitiful disappointment.

Tyrone Power plays against type as an ambitious small-time carnival barker with ambitions of playing cocktail lounges with a mind-reading act.  Tarot cards enter the picture.  And women -- three of them -- all of them with important roles.  And booze.  Very intelligent, great script, very well done.  Black and white.

The sword-fights are not to be missed.

Though I must have napped through them...

[Greg]

CF ===> The Completist

Where was the film available?

[cranefly]

CF ===> The Completist

Where was the film available?

Apparently not as complete as I strive to be.  Shoulda said I saw it on Criterion.  Just checked, and not on Hoopla or Kanopy.

Tyrone Power had to fight for this role.  The studio, and studio head Zanuck in particular, wanted him to stick with good-guy romantic leads, war heroes, swashbucklers. etc.  But to Zanuck's credit, once he gave in, he gave it A-list production values.  On the down side, once it was released, he did his very best to make it disappear.

Zanuck deserves a big stab, in the shape of a Z, for that.  Dotted for clarity.

Then again, you probably know all this.

[Greg]

Woohoo! The remake by Guillermo Del Tor will be appearing on HBOMax on February 1. Can't wait. Sad I missed this in theaters. Well not this, but the remake.