On N List of Movie Reviews

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Nightmare Alley (1947)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 7/18

NightAlley
7/18: An unusual picture for the film noir genre, Nightmare Alley makes for a compelling viewing with sharp dialogue.

Although the cast is decent, it's Tyrone Power who gives the strongest performance of his career. He's the main reason to watch Nightmare Alley, calling it his favorite film. I'm surprised that Tyrone Power could act this well given his history of being cast in romantic and swashbuckler roles.

Darryl F. Zanuck, the head honcho of 20th Century-Fox, didn't want Tyrone Power, a top ten money-maker, to do the film out of fear that his image might be ruined. Yet Power fought for the role. The film had an obscure release, causing it to die at the box office; afterwards, it was dropped from circulation for many decades. After years of legal battles, Nightmare Alley finally saw the light of day in 2005 by being granted a DVD release.

Jules Furthman's well-written screenplay is absorbing to listen to which was adapted from William Lindsay Gresham's debut novel whose film rights were bought by Tyrone Power. Although the movie is long, it's the dialogue that held my attention from start to finish. It also serves as a great example of how charlatans, hucksters, and clairvoyants work to fool the unsuspecting customers. There are two films I can think of that did it so well, and they're Elmer Gantry and Leap of Faith.

All in all, Tyrone Power took his acting to the next level by giving the best performance of his career in Nightmare Alley.