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Nightmare Alley Movie Review Summary

Actors: Tyrone Power, Coleen Gray, Joan Blondell, Helen Walker

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Nightmare Alley


NIGHTMARE ALLEY is a movie directed by Edmund Goulding in 1947.

Stanton Carlisle is a promising young man working with Zeena Krumbein, a down-and-out mind reader, in the carnivals and the fairs. When Pete, Zeena's alcoholic husband and former partner, asks him for booze one night, Stanton mistakenly gives him a bottle of industrial alcohol and Pete dies on the same night. Then Stanton asks Zeena to teach him the code that enabled the Krumbeins to become once a top attraction in the mind reading shows.
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A few weeks later, Stanton marries Molly and decides to create a mind reading sideshow with her by using Zeena's code. The act is a success and Stanton finally becomes Chicago's number one attraction. However, Stanton starts to have guilty thoughts about Pete Krumbein's death and has to see Lilith Ritter, a psychologist. Together, they will swindle a millionaire by making him believe that Stanton is able to act as a medium between the old man and his deceased beloved daughter.
The review of this Movie prepared by Daniel Staebler



Script Analysis of Nightmare Alley

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Plot & Themes

Time/era of movie:    -   1930's-1950's Inner struggle or disability    -   Yes Struggle with    -   guilt over actions that lead to death/injury Crime & Scandal    -   Yes Story of    -   con-artist/white collar crime Job/Profession/Poverty Story?    -   Yes Job:    -   circus

Main Character

Identity:    -   Male Profession/status:    -   mage/magician Age:    -   20's-30's Has magical powers?    -   Yes Magical/mental powers of main character:    -   mind reading Ethnicity/Nationality    -   White American

Setting

United States    -   Yes City?    -   Yes City:    -   Chicago Small town?    -   Yes Small town people:    -   ignorant small town people

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   generic/vague references to death/punishment Sex/nudity in movie?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   kissing Any profanity?    -   None Is this movie based on a    -   book

Movies with storylines, themes & endings like Nightmare Alley

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