Nightmare Alley (1947)

Ian Keith: Pete Krumbein

Photos 

Quotes 

• Pete Krumbein : Throughout the ages man has sought to look behind the veil that hides him from tomorrow. And through the ages certain men have looked into the polished crystal and seen. Is it some quality of the crystal itself? Or does the gazer merely use it to turn his gaze inward? Who knows? But visions come. Slowly shifting their form. Visions come. Wait. The shifting shapes begin to clear. I see fields of grass, rolling hills, and a boy. A boy is running barefoot through the hills. A dog is with him. A *dog* - is - with - him.

  Stanton Carlisle : Yes, go on. His name was Gyp. Go on!

  Pete Krumbein : [with choked laughter]  Humph. See how easy it is to *hook* 'em!

• Pete Krumbein : Every boy has a dog.

• Stanton Carlisle : Well, you're a fine one. Runnin' off in the middle of the show. Zeena was sore.

  Pete Krumbein : I couldn't help it. She's got me on a diet. One shot a day.

• Pete Krumbein : There's only one thing this stuff'll make you forget.

  Stanton Carlisle : What's that?

  Pete Krumbein : How to forget. Have a drink.

• Pete Krumbein : What's youth? Happy one minute, heartbroken the next.

• Pete Krumbein : Zeena's always worried about little Pete. Hangs over me like I was an ice-cream soda. Ah, let her worry.

• Stanton Carlisle : You seem to be doing all right.

  Pete Krumbein : No. Just a sip here and there. Zeena's tipped everybody off. I seem to have the dropsies tonight.

  Stanton Carlisle : Yeah, I heard you the first time. Look. Pete, I'd like to help you, but I don't wanna get in Dutch with Zeena.

• Pete Krumbein : He used to be plenty big-time.

  Stanton Carlisle : Mental act?

  Pete Krumbein : What difference does it make? It's all smoked meat now. Just a bottle-a-day rum-dum, and he thinks this job is heaven - as long as he has his bottle a day and a dry place to sleep it off in.

• Stanton Carlisle : [handing Pete a bottle]  Here. You need that worse than I do.

  Stanton Carlisle : [as Pete takes a swig from the bottle Stan gave him]  How is it?

  Pete Krumbein : Awful. But I wish I had a barrel of it.

• Pete Krumbein : I'm just an old drunk. Just an old lush. Zeena will be mad. Good old Zeena. Well, gotta go now. Zeena will be waiting.

• Stanton Carlisle : What are you gonna do now?

  Pete Krumbein : Take a little snooze. Drink a little drink. Dream and drink. Drink and dream.

  [Pete strolls off, whistling]