Carnival Story (1954)

An American carnival in Germany attracts a penniless German girl (Anne Baxter) who falls under the sexual spell of the no good barker (Steve Cochran). He gets her a job in the carnival and when the high dive act (Lyle Bettger) falls in love with her, she marries him after Cochran gives her the brush off. But can she break the spell he has over her? Directed by Kurt Neumann (1958's THE FLY), this is a rather tawdry story and it's played for all the melodrama it can squeeze out of the script. Director Kurt Neumann directed a German version simultaneously with Eva Bartok and Curt Jurgens. Baxter over emotes (as she is wont to), Cochran specialized in such heels to the point that it's not much of a stretch for him but it's nice to see Bettger who usually played villains as a nice guy. With George Nader, Jay C. Flippen, Helene Stanley and Ady Berber as Groppo, the mute strongman who figures prominently in the film's finale.