''Johnny O'Clock'' is a 1947 American
film noir
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
crime film
Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...
starring
Dick Powell
Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility, and successfully transformed into ...
and
Evelyn Keyes
Evelyn Louise Keyes (November 20, 1916 – July 4, 2008) was an American film actress. She is best known for her role as Suellen O'Hara in the 1939 film ''Gone with the Wind''.
Early life
Evelyn Keyes was born in Port Arthur, Texas, to Omar D ...
,
and directed by
Robert Rossen
Robert Rossen (March 16, 1908 – February 18, 1966) was an American screenwriter, film director, and producer whose film career spanned almost three decades.
His 1949 film ''All the King's Men'' won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor and Bes ...
.
Plot
Johnny O'Clock (
Dick Powell
Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility, and successfully transformed into ...
) is a junior partner in a posh casino with Guido Marchettis (
Thomas Gomez
Thomas Gomez (July 10, 1905 – June 18, 1971) was an American actor.
Life and career
Born Sabino Tomás Gómez, Jr., in New York City, Gomez began his acting career in theater in 1923, studying under actor Walter Hampden in a production of Cy ...
). Complicating their longtime working relationship is Guido's wife Nelle (
Ellen Drew
Ellen Drew (born Esther Loretta Ray; November 23, 1914 – December 3, 2003) was an American film actress.
Early life
Drew, born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1914, was the daughter of an Irish-born barber. She had a younger brother, Arden. Her ...
), who is still in love with former boyfriend Johnny. She gives Johnny an expensive custom
pocket watch
A pocket watch (or pocketwatch) is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed to a watch, wristwatch, which is strapped to the wrist.
They were the most common type of watch from their development in the 16th century until wr ...
, the twin of a birthday present she gave her husband, except Johnny's has a romantic inscription engraved on the back.
Johnny gives the watch, along with a rejection note, to Harriet Hobson (
Nina Foch
Nina Foch ( ; born Nina Consuelo Maud Fock; April 20, 1924 – December 5, 2008) was a Dutch-born American actress who later became an instructor. Her career spanned six decades, consisting of over 50 feature films and over 100 television appea ...
), a hat-check girl at the casino, to return to Nelle. Harriet, however, apparently commits suicide using gas. Her sister Nancy (
Evelyn Keyes
Evelyn Louise Keyes (November 20, 1916 – July 4, 2008) was an American film actress. She is best known for her role as Suellen O'Hara in the 1939 film ''Gone with the Wind''.
Early life
Evelyn Keyes was born in Port Arthur, Texas, to Omar D ...
) shows up to find out what happened. She becomes attracted to Johnny. They eventually learn from Police Inspector Koch (
Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb (born Leo Jacoby; December 8, 1911February 11, 1976) was an American actor, known both for film roles and his work on the Broadway stage. He often played arrogant, intimidating and abrasive characters, but he also acted as respectabl ...
) that Harriet was killed by poison.
Harriet was dating Chuck Blayden (
Jim Bannon
James Shorttel Bannon (April 9, 1911 – July 28, 1984) was an American actor and radio announcer known for his work on the '' I Love a Mystery'' and ''Red Ryder'' series during the 1940s and 1950s.
Early life
Born in 1911 in Kansas City, Mis ...
), a crooked cop who is trying to persuade Guido to let him take Johnny's place. When Blayden also turns up dead, Koch suspects that either Johnny or Marchettis is responsible.
Though Johnny tries to resist, little by little, he falls for Nancy. When Koch shows both Johnny and Marchettis Johnny's watch and note, Johnny tells Nancy their relationship is through and takes her to the airport. As he is driving away, however, he narrowly survives a drive-by shooting, and Nancy realizes he was only trying to protect her. She refuses to leave him.
Johnny decides to flee to South America with Nancy, but not before brazenly cashing in his share of the casino. Marchettis pulls out a gun when Johnny's back is turned. They shoot it out; Marchettis is killed and Johnny wounded. Afterward, Nelle offers to testify it was self-defense, but only if he will come back to her. He refuses, so she tells Koch it was cold-blooded murder. Johnny's first instinct is to run away, but Nancy convinces him to give himself up.
Cast
*
Dick Powell
Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility, and successfully transformed into ...
as Johnny O'Clock
*
Evelyn Keyes
Evelyn Louise Keyes (November 20, 1916 – July 4, 2008) was an American film actress. She is best known for her role as Suellen O'Hara in the 1939 film ''Gone with the Wind''.
Early life
Evelyn Keyes was born in Port Arthur, Texas, to Omar D ...
as Nancy Hobson
*
Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb (born Leo Jacoby; December 8, 1911February 11, 1976) was an American actor, known both for film roles and his work on the Broadway stage. He often played arrogant, intimidating and abrasive characters, but he also acted as respectabl ...
as Inspector Koch
*
Ellen Drew
Ellen Drew (born Esther Loretta Ray; November 23, 1914 – December 3, 2003) was an American film actress.
Early life
Drew, born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1914, was the daughter of an Irish-born barber. She had a younger brother, Arden. Her ...
as Nelle Marchettis
*
Nina Foch
Nina Foch ( ; born Nina Consuelo Maud Fock; April 20, 1924 – December 5, 2008) was a Dutch-born American actress who later became an instructor. Her career spanned six decades, consisting of over 50 feature films and over 100 television appea ...
as Harriet Hobson
*
Thomas Gomez
Thomas Gomez (July 10, 1905 – June 18, 1971) was an American actor.
Life and career
Born Sabino Tomás Gómez, Jr., in New York City, Gomez began his acting career in theater in 1923, studying under actor Walter Hampden in a production of Cy ...
as Guido Marchettis (as 'S. Thomas Gomez')
*
John Kellogg as Charlie
*
Jim Bannon
James Shorttel Bannon (April 9, 1911 – July 28, 1984) was an American actor and radio announcer known for his work on the '' I Love a Mystery'' and ''Red Ryder'' series during the 1940s and 1950s.
Early life
Born in 1911 in Kansas City, Mis ...
as Chuck Blayden
*
Mabel Paige
Mabel Paige (December 19, 1880 – February 9, 1954) was an American stage and film actress.
Early years
Paige began acting at age four, when she appeared in ''Van, the Virginian''.
Career
When she was 11 years old, Paige began acting ...
as Slatternly Woman Tenant
*
Phil Brown as Phil, Hotel Clerk
*
Jeff Chandler
Jeff Chandler (born Ira Grossel; yi, יראַ גראָססעל; December 15, 1918 – June 17, 1961) was an American actor, film producer, and singer, best remembered for playing Cochise in '' Broken Arrow'' (1950), for which he was no ...
as Turk (uncredited)
*
Robin Raymond
Robin Raymond (born Rayemon Robin, October 4, 1916 – June 20, 1994) was an American film actress.
Early life
Raymond graduated from Northwestern University with a BA degree and worked as a press agent in Chicago.
Personal life
Ray ...
as Hatcheck Girl (uncredited)
Production
The film was based on an original story by Milton Holmes. Rights were bought by Columbia, who originally tried to assign the project to
Charles Vidor
Charles Vidor (born Károly Vidor; July 27, 1900June 4, 1959) was a Hungarian film director. Among his film successes are ''The Bridge'' (1929), ''The Tuttles of Tahiti'' (1942), ''The Desperadoes'' (1943), ''Cover Girl'' (1944), '' Together A ...
who refused (something which later came up when Vidor sued Columbia).
Evelyn Keyes was given the female lead.
Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb (born Leo Jacoby; December 8, 1911February 11, 1976) was an American actor, known both for film roles and his work on the Broadway stage. He often played arrogant, intimidating and abrasive characters, but he also acted as respectabl ...
was borrowed from 20th Century Fox to play a support role.
Thomas Gomez
Thomas Gomez (July 10, 1905 – June 18, 1971) was an American actor.
Life and career
Born Sabino Tomás Gómez, Jr., in New York City, Gomez began his acting career in theater in 1923, studying under actor Walter Hampden in a production of Cy ...
was borrowed from Universal.
Dick Powell acted on radio with Jeff Chandler and was impressed by the young actor. Chandler later recalled, "It was Dick who took me to Columbia and told everybody who would listen, 'This kid ought to be in pictures.' One executive finally kinda gave him a look which said: 'All right you --- ---, we'll put him in yours.' And that's how I came to play a gambler in a card playing sequence."
Filming started 10 July 1946.
Reception
''Time Out'' film guide notes "Despite good performances and fine camerawork from Burnett Guffey, Rossen's first film as director is a disappointingly flat thriller...Since they remain totally unmemorable (through no fault of the actors concerned), the subsequent action tends to become little more than a sequence of events mechanically strung together."
The staff at ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' magazine gave the film kudos, writing, "This is a smart whodunit, with attention to scripting, casting and camerawork lifting it above the average. Pic has action and suspense, and certain quick touches of humor to add flavor. Ace performances by Dick Powell, as a gambling house overseer, and Lee J. Cobb, as a police inspector, also up the rating...Although the plot follows a familiar pattern, the characterizations are fresh and the performances good enough to overbalance. Dialog is terse and topical, avoiding the sentimental, phoney touch. Unusual camera angles come along now and then to heighten interest and momentarily arrest the eye. Strong teamplay by Robert Rossen, doubling as director-scripter, and Milton Holmes, original writer and associate producer, also aids in making this a smooth production."
Film critic
Bosley Crowther
Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...
gave the film a mixed review, criticizing it for slow pacing, writing, "But the slowness and general confusion of the plot for two-thirds of the film does not make for notable excitement, and the shallowness of the mystery as to who's doing all the killing relieves it of any great suspense. It is mainly a matter of watching Mr. Powell go through his paces stylishly while a large cast of actors and actresses give him customary support. Evelyn Keyes plays the good little lady who brings out the best in him and Ellen Drew is the sleek and slinky vixen who gets him into jams. Thomas Gomez is oily as the villain and Lee J. Cobb does another able tour as a weary police inspector who finally closes the case. A great deal of drinking, and smoking is done by all concerned."
Crowther, Bosley
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', film review, March 27, 1947. Last accessed: January 20, 2008.
References
External links
*
*
Review of film
at ''Variety''
*
*
*
{{Robert Rossen
1947 films
1940s crime thriller films
American crime thriller films
American black-and-white films
Columbia Pictures films
1940s English-language films
Film noir
Films scored by George Duning
Films directed by Robert Rossen
Films with screenplays by Robert Rossen
Gambling films
1940s American films