Nightmare Alley
is the sordid tale of a conniving young man who, in the words of one of
the film's supporting characters, ends up low because he aimed so high.
Drifter
Tyrone Power
sweet-talks his way into a job as barker for a rundown carnival. He is
fascinated by an illegal side-show attraction called "The Geek," a
near-lunatic who bites the heads off live chickens and then is "paid
off" with a cheap bottle of rotgut and a warm place to sleep it off.
Otherwise, Power's attention is focussed on a beautiful if slightly
stupid carnival performer (
Coleen Gray) who works in an "electricity" act with an equally dense strongman (
Mike Mazurki).
