It's odd that I'd never heard of this film--I pride myself in my knowledge of movies from that era. Now, after seeing it, I really wonder why it's not among the more famous films of the later 1940s, as it's very slickly and intelligently written.

The DVD box advertises it as part of Twentieth Century Fox's "Film Noir" collection, and this is a tad deceiving. While it does have some elements of Noir, to me this isn't a noir film. Yes, there's some of the snappy and gritty Noir dialog, but only a bit. And while there is some crime in the film, it's not murder or robbery (the usual Noir themes),but fraud. But, I still think lovers of that genre will appreciate the film. What stands out most in my mind was the wonderful and well thought-out plot as well as the acting of Tyrone Power. The writers made this movie with a complex and engaging plot as well as a lot of terrific symbolism. Power, instead of his usual "nice guy" image, plays a despicable man--almost as rotten as the guy he played in the wonderful WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION. Tyrone is a sociopathic con man who has no compunction about using those around him to get rich. Lying, stealing and conning are not usually the sort of behaviors I'd expect to see from the man--he did a much better job than I expected playing such a despicable rogue.

As far as describing the plot goes, it was rather reminiscent of Claude Rains' film THE CLAIRVOYANT as a starting point, but then morphs into a film highly reminiscent of ELMER GANTRY. A fine, fine film that I heartily recommend to all.

Saw 'Nightmare Alley' in the "recommended for you" section and as a big classic film fan it did strike me as a film well worth checking out, especially with it being regarded highly here despite its financial failure. The story also sounded like it would be right up my alley and the cast saw some interesting choices that made me want to see whether they would work or not.

My thoughts after seeing 'Nightmare Alley' were that it was a very good film if not quite a classic, where any interest points or worries came off very well. Brilliantly even. It deserves the fondness it has, and actually to me it doesn't quite have enough, and deserved to do much better financially, that it was a flop is a poor representation of what the film's quality really is. Contrastingly we have had, and still have, films that do big at the box office but are not good films (not going to name examples in fear of being snobbish) and don't score high with critics.

'Nightmare Alley' is not quite perfect. The ending jars a bit tonally, the more hopeful tone amidst such darkness and bleakness didn't ring true for me.

Coleen Gray does her best but her character is rather bland.

However, a cast against type Tyrone Power is at his most despicable, he has a challenging role (perhaps the most complex and darkest role of his career) and he does an amazing job with it. Living proof that he should have done more dramatic roles, because he certainly had it in him. The other great performance is from a chilling Helen Walker as a demon of a character. Mike Mazurki is appealingly oafish and Ian Keith is movingly conflicted. Joan Blondell is also in a different role, and apart from one overplayed "crying" scene she also excels.

It's not just the cast that's great in 'Nightmare Alley'. The production values are also extremely good, especially the atmospheric cinematography and shadowy lighting. The music has a haunting vibe while the film is strongly directed and thoughtfully scripted. The story is always compelling and has lots of suspenseful chills, moving emotion and nightmarish atmosphere, it is a complex story and perhaps a bizarre one in that it is not always easy to define what genre it is when there is a mix. On paper that sounds like a disaster, the phrases bizarre and mix of genres don't sound like good things usually, in 'Nightmare Alley's' case it works and fits the complexity of the characterisation and atmosphere.

In conclusion, very good with many wonderful elements. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Nightmare Alley is forever known in Hollywood as the film in which Tyrone Power made a total break with his typecast image, playing a completely evil and ultimately weak individual. Post World War II, Power made it clear to Darryl Zanuck that he was looking to expand his range as an actor. Zanuck reluctantly allowed him to do this film. He usually indulged his favorite at the studio. Of course he also had a backup plan just in case Nightmare Alley was a bust.

Well critically it wasn't a bust, Power got deservedly rave reviews for his portrayal of small time hustler and carnival sharpie Stan Carlisle. Power had a variation on his previous roles, he was either a straight out hero as in The Mark Of Zorro, Lloyds Of London, or The Razor's Edge. More often he was a combination hero/heel as in Blood And Sand, The Black Swan or A Yank In The RAF most of all in Rose Of Washington Square, probably the closest part to Stan Carlisle he had played before. Still he was never as unredeemingly evil as in Nightmare Alley on screen until his last completed film, Witness For The Prosecution.

Power is working in a small time carnival where Joan Blondell and Ian Keith have a mind reading act with a good code between them that allows Keith to pull some really strange and good answers out of left field. Power would like to learn it and does after Keith dies when he gets into some wood alcohol. Power then teams with Blondell.

He's forced to marry innocent young Coleen Gray when circus strongman Mike Mazurki thinks he's ruined her reputation. But even with the inconvenience of a wife, Power has his eyes on bigger game. He gets a mind reading act going at a swank Chicago nightclub and then partners with Helen Walker who is a quack psychologist.

Ty Power was great in the role, no question about that, but 1947 must have been a great year for scheming women. Helen Walker never gets the credit she's due for her part. She's every bit as bad as Power and more than up to whatever games he's playing. Her part is very similar to Jane Greer's in Out Of The Past which also came out in 1947.

The critics loved Power in Nightmare Alley, but 20th Century Fox took a big loss from it because the public wouldn't accept Power in so evil a role. Darryl Zanuck absolutely knew this would happen so he hedged his bets a little by withholding from release Captain From Castile, a big budget spectacular where you'll Tyrone Power at his most noble and heroic on screen without a bit of heel shading. That came out within six weeks of Nightmare Alley and Power's fans were appeased.

Power's character was a man essentially out of his depth in going for the big con. But as an actor in Nightmare Alley he expanded his range beyond anything anyone ever expected from him. Now Nightmare Alley is considered a cinema classic and box office bust that it was, it remained a personal favorite among Tyrone Power's films.

Though Darryl Zanuck preferred to forget the experience.