Nightmare Alley (1947)
89%RT Audience Score: 86%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 4 Oscars
20 wins & 100 nominations total
Nightmare Alley is a film that delves into the dark and twisted world of carnival life, where the lines between reality and illusion are blurred. The cast, led by the talented Tyrone Power, delivers a captivating performance that draws the audience into the seedy underbelly of the circus. Director Edmund Goulding masterfully captures the grit and grime of the carnival, creating a world that is both alluring and repulsive. While the subject matter may be unsettling, the film’s exploration of human nature and the lengths people will go to achieve their desires is both thought-provoking and entertaining. Overall, Nightmare Alley is a must-see for fans of film noir and those who enjoy a good psychological thriller.
If you’re in the mood for a movie that’s equal parts creepy and captivating, then Nightmare Alley is the perfect pick. With a cast of talented actors and a storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this film is not for the faint of heart. But if you’re up for a little bit of darkness and intrigue, then settle in and get ready for a wild ride. Just don’t blame us if you have nightmares afterwards!
Production Company(ies)
Amazon Studios, Stay Gold Features, Kindred Spirit
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Buffalo, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong/bloody violence, some sexual content, nudity and language
Year of Release
1947
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:D-Cinema 48kHz 5.1 Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English, French
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 9, 1947 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 7, 2005
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
Keyword(s)
Nightmare Alley, Tyrone Power, Edmund Goulding, Joan Blondell, Coleen Gray, Ian Keith, Crime, Drama, Box Office, Budget, Critic Reviews, Pauline Kael, Mildred Martin, Helen Bower, Mae Tinee, Thomas M Pryor, Philip K Scheuer, Los Angeles Times, Matt Brunson, Rob Aldam, Mike Massie, Linda Cook, Kevin Carr, Hortense Morton, San Francisco Examiner, MPAA Rating, Fresh Kernels, Audience Score, Director, Written by, Produced by, Reviewed by, Noir, Carnival, Mind-Reading, Chicago, Stanton Carlisle, Zeena Krumbein, Molly, Pete Krumbein, The Great Stanton, Traveling Carny, High-Class Audiences, Philadelphia Inquirer, Detroit Free Press, Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Film Frenzy, Backseat Mafia, Gone With The Twins, OurQuadCities, Fat Guys at the Movies, Screen Scout, Alec B, Kevin M W, Clintus M, Aj V
Worldwide gross: $39,629,195
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $43,100,979
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,403
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 4,700,216
US/Canada gross: $11,338,107
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $12,331,401
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,557
US/Canada opening weekend: $2,811,703
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $3,058,027
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,161
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $60,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $65,256,403
Production budget ranking: 636
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $35,140,573
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$57,295,998
ROI to date (est.): -57%
ROI ranking: 1,730
Joan Blondell – Zeena Krumbein
Coleen Gray – Molly
Ian Keith – Pete Krumbein
Edmund Goulding – Director
Director(s)
Edmund Goulding
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Toronto
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 4 Oscars
20 wins & 100 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (61) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (53) | Rotten (8)
The material… is unusual and the cast first-rate.
July 6, 2022
Pauline Kael
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
If Nightmare Alley isn’t precisely tasty entertainment, at least it has been colorfully and harshly set forth with better than average character sketches lending it a certain unsavory interest and morbid fascination.
December 7, 2021
Mildred Martin
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
All together the film has a great deal of accumulative impact. It is a thoroughly unpleasant, but salutary picture. It should pull both potential dupes and the potentially ruthless up good and short.
December 7, 2021
Helen Bower
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
The dialogue has plenty of punch, and the photography, especially in the tawdry tent world, is expert. If you like your movies rough and realistic, you’ll find this one entertaining for the most part.
December 7, 2021
Mae Tinee
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Despite some fine and intense acting by Mr. Power and others, this film traverses distasteful dramatic ground and only rarely does it achieve any substance as entertainment.
December 7, 2021
Thomas M. Pryor
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
Edmund Goulding is a director who knows how to squeeze emotions out of players; and his production, repellent as its theme may be, develops considerable fascination up to the closing reel or so.
December 7, 2021
Philip K. Scheuer
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
One of the bleakest of all ’40s flicks.
March 27, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
An entertaining drama which explores the perils of flying too close to the sun.
January 13, 2022
Rob Aldam
Backseat Mafia
Although this story is unexpectedly macabre and sinister, the finale is easily guessable and better fit for a “Twilight Zone” episode than a feature-length production.
January 2, 2022 | Rating: 5/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
I can’t figure out whether “Nightmare Alley” or “Nightmare Alley” is my favorite film noir.
December 12, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
Linda Cook
OurQuadCities / WHBF-TV (Illinois)
It deals with some unpleasant things… but it’s an interesting movie.
December 11, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
Kevin Carr
Fat Guys at the Movies
If the picture serves to expose racketeers in human emotions, it has accomplished something important. Certainly it is well done. But we hope Mr. Jessel goes back to his giddy musicals.
December 7, 2021
Hortense Morton (Screen Scout)
San Francisco Examiner…
Plot
In Nightmare Alley, a carnival worker named Stanton Carlisle becomes a successful mind-reader, but his ambition leads him down a dark path of deceit and betrayal.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Tyrone Power delivers some of his best work in Nightmare Alley, playing against type as the conniving Stanton Carlisle.
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