This week’s mystery movie has been the 1947 Twentieth Century-Fox film “Nightmare Alley,” with Tyrone Power, Joan Blondell, Coleen Gray, Helen Walker, Taylor Holmes, Mike Mazurki and Ian Keith. It was written Jules Furthman from the novel by William Lindsay Gresham, with music by Cyril Mockridge, photography by Lee Garmes, art direction by Lyle Wheeler and J. Russell Spencer, wardrobe direction by Charles LeMaire and costumes by Bonnie Cashin. It was produced by George Jessel and directed by Edmund Goulding.
It is available on DVD from Amazon.
In the Oct. 10, 1947, New York Times, TMP said:
If one can take any moral value out of “Nightmare Alley” it would seem to be that a terrible retribution is the inevitable consequence for he who would mockingly attempt to play God. Otherwise, the experience would not be very rewarding for, despite some fine and intense acting by Mr. Power and others, this film traverses distateful dramatic ground and only rarely does it achieve any substance as entertainment.
In the Nov. 15, 1947, Los Angeles Times, Philip K. Scheuer said:
“Nightmare Alley” is likely to come as an unpleasant shock to many people, for it is about the “lower depths” of show business — the traveling carnival. However, the novel by William Lindsay Gresham from which it is taken was a great deal more shocking, and everything being comparative, 20th Century-Fox has done a skillful job of cleaning it up … comparatively.
It is such a story and a milieu as would have delighted Europe’s prewar cinema makers: the rise and fall of Stan Carlisle, a clever, ruthless and cynical young operator with scarcely a redeeming feature–outside, of course, of a magnetic personality.
“Nightmare Alley” opened Nov. 14, 1947 in Los Angeles.
For Monday, we have a mystery lady with a couple of mystery companions.
Update: This is Julia Dean with Marjorie Wood, left, and Taylor Holmes.
And for Tuesday, we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is Ian Keith.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mystery guest), Anne Papineau (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery guest), Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery guest and back of the head guy), Dewey Webb (Monday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Monday’s mystery guest), Jenny M (Mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest) and Megan (Monday’s mystery guest).
For Wednesday, we have a mystery woman who is electrifying.
Update: This is Coleen Gray.
Brain Trust roll call: Sheila (mystery movie, Monday’s and Tuesday’s mystery guests), Mary Mallory (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery guest), Anne Papineau (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Monday’s back of the head guy) and Jenny M (Tuesday’s mystery guest).
Thursday’s mystery woman says: “I see the initials…. the initials J.B. and T.P.”
Update: This is Helen Walker.
Brain Trust roll call: Dewey Webb (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery guest), Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery guest), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest), Benito (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Jenny M. (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Beachgal (mystery movie, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Gary Martin (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Alan Warren (mystery movie), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guest), E. Yarber (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guest) and Lee Ann, Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests).
And for Friday, our mystery woman shows our mystery gent that the cards look auspicious. Or is that suspicious?
Update: This is Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell.
Brain Trust roll call: Beachgal (Thursday’s mystery guest), Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guest), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guest), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guest), Chrisbo (mystery movie), Lee Ann Megan and Thom (Thursday’s mystery guest) and Alan Warren (Thursday’s mystery guest).
ladailymirror.com 
Julia Dean (center)
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Julia Dean in “Nightmare Alley?
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Verna Felton and the back of Taylor Holmes.
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Julia Dean
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The lady in the center looks like Julia Dean.
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I don’t know who they are, but back-of-the-head guy reminds me of Jerome Cowan, and side-of-the face gal reminds me of Virginia Brissac.
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Alas, no and no. I’m afraid not.
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Julia Dean in Nightmare Alley.
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It’s Julia Dean, but I’m not sure which movie yet.
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I believe Clifton Webb’s back. Along with a dame, Judith Anderson. That could mean only one thing. A bald, Austrian Nazi of a director who was actually a Jew. You now the mug. Yep, that’s ‘Laura’ in the shadows.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Julia Dean and Nightmare Alley.
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Julia Dean on Monday (in the middle), and Ian Keith on Tuesday in his greatest film performance, ‘Nightmare Alley’.
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Ian Keith.
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Ian Keith in NIGHTMARE ALLEY.
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Ian (Richard Kiley voice match) Keith.
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I’ll take a fling for back of head guy on monday as Taylor Holmes. If correct, this will be NIGHTMARE ALLEY.
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Ian Keith
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Colleen Gray
NIghtmare Alley
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Coleen Gray today.
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Coleen Gray in Nightmare Alley
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Coleen Gray in NIGHTMARE ALLEY. I have a very good GIF of this scene.
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How could I miss Ian Keith and let’s not forget sizzling Coleen Gray.
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Coleen Gray
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Wen is Coleen Gray and the film is Nightmare Alley
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Tues is Ian Keith
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This is Coleen Gray as Elektra in Nightmare Alley.
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Coleen Gray doing the electricity schtick
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Nightmare Alley.
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Is Wednesday’s electrifying mystery woman Allison Hayes? Is it Attack of the 50-Foot Woman?
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Interesting guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Coleen Gray.
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Coleen Grey, Nighmare Alley!
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Peggy Cummins in Gun Crazy.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Ian Keith for Tuesday and Coleen Gray for Wednesday in Nightmare Alley.
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Thurs is Helen Walker
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Helen Walker.
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Helen Walker.
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Helen “It takes one to catch one” Walker
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Helen Walker.
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Looks like it might be Nightmare Alley.
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Thursday’s lovely lady is the beautiful and tragic Helen Walker.
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Helen Walker
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Nightmare Alley
Julia Dean, Florence Auer, Taylor Holmes, Ian Keith, Coleen Gray, Helen Walker, Joan Blondell, and Tyrone Power
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Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell.
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Fri are Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell
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Stan and Zeena making with the Tarot cards. I mean Ty Power and Joan Blondell.
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Joan Blondell on Friday.
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Tyrone Power, Joan Blondell.
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For Friday, we have Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell in Nightmare Alley (1947).
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Tyrone and Joan together for the first and only time.
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Friday’s couple are Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell. I recognize Thursday’s lady’s face, but don’t have her name.
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Nightmare Alley w/Colleen Gray, Tyrone Power & Joan Blondell
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I can’t believe I haven’t checked back in a few days. This film is on Fox Movie Channel every few weeks. It has to be ‘Nightmare Alley’, a film I love. Wish I would have checked Wednesday because I would have guessed correctly then.
The actors – Wednesday= The recently departed Coleen Gray; Thursday = Helen Walker; Friday = Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell
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Tuesday is just a guess, Taylor Holmes
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Monday I have to guess again, Julia Dean is the old woman
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