''Johnny Dark'' is a 1954 American

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include l ...

directed by George Sherman and starring

Tony Curtis Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor whose career spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s (Kansas Raiders, 1950) and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 f ...

Piper Laurie Piper Laurie (born Rosetta Jacobs; January 22, 1932) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films ''The Hustler'' (1961), ''Carrie (1976 film), Carrie'' (1976), and ''Children of a Lesser God (film), Children of a Lesser God' ...

and Don Taylor.''Johnny Dark''
at

TCMDB Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of A ...

It was produced and distributed by

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

Plot

Johnny Dark and his pal Duke Benson work for Fielding Motors, where owner James Fielding manufactures family-friendly automobiles. Chief engineer Scotty overhears the guys complaining about the company, and spots a sports-car design Johnny and Duke have done. New employee Liz catches the eye of the guys. Her secret is that she is Fielding's granddaughter. When a major stockholder, Winston, protests the company's unwillingness to create new products for more profits, Scotty blurts out that Fielding Motors is developing a new sports car. Liz is chosen as the car's designer while Johnny and Duke go to work building it. Duke invites her to go dancing, but is jealous when he spots her kissing Johnny, who has discovered Liz's true identity. Duke is fired after flipping the car during a practice run. He blames it on brake failure, but Johnny feels it's just an excuse. Liz is disappointed in Johnny for not defending his friend. The car is entered in a Canada-to-Mexico race. Johnny must drive it himself, Duke having been hired to drive another vehicle. Fielding dislikes making a sports car, but accepts Scotty's wager on the race. The car has a breakdown and Johnny must push it into

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, but when a radio broadcast implies that Fielding doesn't care, Scotty and a team of mechanics rush to Vegas to help Johnny get back into the race and win, which Liz and Duke help him celebrate.

Cast

as Johnny Dark *

as Liz Fielding * Don Taylor as Duke Benson * Paul Kelly as William H. 'Scotty' Scott *

Ilka Chase Ilka Chase (April 8, 1905 – February 15, 1978) was an American actress, radio host, and novelist. Biography Born in New York City and educated at convent and boarding schools in the United States, England, and France, Chase was the only child ...

as Abbie Binns * Sidney Blackmer as James Fielding * Ruth Hampton as Miss Border to Border *

Russell Johnson Russell David Johnson (November 10, 1924 – January 16, 2014) was an American actor. He played Professor Roy Hinkley in ''Gilligan's Island'' and Marshal Gib Scott in '' Black Saddle''. Early life Johnson was born in Ashley, Pennsylvania, o ...

as Emory *

Joe Sawyer Joe Sawyer (born Joseph Sauers, August 29, 1906 – April 21, 1982) was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1927 and 1962, and was sometimes billed under his birth name. Early life Sawyer was born August 29, 1 ...

as Carl Svenson * Robert Nichols as Smitty * Pierre Watkin as Ed J. Winston *

Scatman Crothers Benjamin Sherman Crothers (May 23, 1910 – November 22, 1986), known professionally as Scatman Crothers, was an American actor and musician. He is known for playing Louie the Garbage Man on the TV show '' Chico and the Man'', and Dick Hal ...

as Himself * Ralph Montgomery as Morgan

References

External links

* American sports comedy films American action comedy films 1950s sports comedy films 1954 films 1950s action comedy films American auto racing films Films directed by George Sherman Universal Pictures films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films {{action-film-stub