Stan Carlisle (Tyrone Power) starts as a barker in a traveling carnival. He is dismayed by the geek but is fascinated with coning the everyday sucker audience. He works for Mademoiselle Zeena and her drunken husband Pete in their reading act. He accidentally poisons Pete. Zeena is forced to teach him the act as her new partner. Meanwhile he's romancing younger performer Molly. It's meteoric rise to the top of popularity and a crash to the very bottom.
Tyrone Power is an old Hollywood matinee idol. I wish I like his character more in this movie. He's an ugly character but it's a compelling story arc. I don't find his rise that compelling but the fall is amazing. It is a poetic Greek tragedy. If I like the guy more, his fall would hurt a lot more.
Tyrone Power is an old Hollywood matinee idol. I wish I like his character more in this movie. He's an ugly character but it's a compelling story arc. I don't find his rise that compelling but the fall is amazing. It is a poetic Greek tragedy. If I like the guy more, his fall would hurt a lot more.