Cate Blanchett never fails to disappoint in a period piece, and Bradley Cooper is serving Golden Age leading man in the trailer for Nightmare Alley, based on the 1946 potboiler novel about a shady carnival operator and a femme fatale psychiatrist.
In this mini-documentary, director Guillermo del Toro specifically set out to make a noir film that would silence those who claim Hollywood doesn’t make this kind of film any more. He is rumored to be planning a black and white release as well.
The novel was previously adapted into a film of the same name in 1947. Tyrone Power played Stan in the first film, and Helen Walker played Lilith. The original adaptation also featured Colleen Gray and Joan Blondell. The film was shocking at the time for its depiction of circus performers, something that had been done memorably in Freaks. That practice ended with the advent of the Hays Code that prohibited certain controversial subjects to be covered.
Eddie Muller gave a great overview of the film and its significance on TCM. It’s one of the darkest and most shocking films of the genre. Check it out before or after you see the new version out in theatres on December 17!
Image: YouTube / Searchlight Pictures
