If it’s just for laughs, then I want to be in on the joke from the start.
Today on Classic Movie Review, we are taking on a good and very stylish Film Noir, Johnny O’Clock (1947). You can check out where I ranked this film on my List of All Film Noirs Movies.
I want to thank Linda J. for commenting on The Americanization of Emily (1964). Also, thanks to Thunderstruck and David R. for their comments on The Flight of the Phoenix (1965). I really appreciate the comments, and it helps me make the show better. Please keep sending them in.
This terrific film has a pitiful 6.8 score on iMDB.com.[1] This film has been slaughtered on rottentomatoes.com, with 33 percent on the Tomatometer and only 39 percent audience approval.[2] These ratings are a crime against the movie-going public. Dick Powell is tough and sophisticated, Lee J. Cobb is understated and practical, Ellen Drew is as beautiful as she is bad, Evelyn Keyes is solid, and Thomas Gomez is a really menacing bad guy.
Eddie Muller of TCM’s Noir Alley said the plot is not essential, but the enjoyment comes from the stylistic Film Noir landscape.
New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther said in a March 27, 1947 review:
“Another of those underworld smarties who are as hard and shiny as brass on the outside but who muffle hunks of goodness within their little-boy hearts is the unoriginal hero of Columbia’s “Johnny O’Clock,”… For he does the usual business of talking coldly and sarcastically to cops, treating the females disdainfully and sparring shrewdly with his underworld pals. Obviously he is not the villain in all the criss-cross of murdering that transpires. 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 … 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.”[3]
Watch this movie!
Actors – Johnny O’Clock (1947)
Returning
Dick Powell played the hood with some good left inside, Johnny O’Clock. Powell was a singer and dancer that turned into a Film Noir actor. He is smooth and can pull off sophisticated and rugged. It is like when Pierce Brosnan took over the James Bond role. He was believable in a romantic scene as well as throwing a punch.
Evelyn Keyes played Nancy Hobson, the sister of murdered Harriet (Nina Foch). This is the best role I have seen Keyes perform in, and she has been in a few reviewed films.
Lee J. Cobb was the determined police Inspector Koch. Cobb was very low-key in this role, which made for an outstanding performance.
Nina Foch played victim Harriet Hobson. Foch performed her role adequately. She may have been just a little too old to play a naïve coat-check girl.
John Kellogg played the role of ex-con Charlie. Kellogg has been a rat or a hard ass in everything I have seen him in, and this film is no different as he snarls and slinks in the background.
Thomas Gomez played ruthless gangster Guido Marchettis. The more I see Gomez, the more I am impressed as he effortlessly goes from roles like Pancho in Ride the Pink Horse (1947) to gangsters in films like today’s or Key Largo (1948).
New
Ellen Drew played Nelle Marchettis, the wife of Guido Marchettis (Thomas Gomez). Nelle drinks too much and just happens to be hopelessly in love with Johnny. Drew was born in Missouri in 1914. Drew was 15 when her parents divorced, and she went to work to help support her mother and brother.
She worked various jobs until one of her store managers got her to enter a beauty contest. She won the pageant and decided to try her luck in Hollywood. She took a job at Brown’s Confectionery, located on Hollywood Boulevard in the new city. Actor William Demarest noticed her while she was serving ice cream and worked until he got her a screen test. The year was 1936, and Drew was 21.
Drew began with uncredited roles in 1936. In 1938, her first significant role came with Sing, You Sinner (1938). She changed her name and hair color a few times. Drew became a celebrity with the release of If I Were King (1938). Other films included Dangerous to Know (1938) with Anna May Wong, Women Without Names (1940), Buck Benny Rides Again (1940), Christmas in July (1940), The Monster and the Girl (1941), Isle of the Dead (1945) with Boris Karloff, Johnny O’Clock (1947), The Man from Colorado (1948), The Baron of Arizona (1950), which is better than you might expect, and The Great Missouri Raid (1951). In the 1950s, Drew switched to mostly television. Drew died in 2003.
Story – Johnny O’Clock (1947)
Inspector Koch (Lee J. Cobb) stands on the street, chewing on a cigar, as he checks the time on his watch against that of the street clock. A newspaper boy sells Koch a newspaper while he hawks the story that a big-time gambler was shot while resisting arrest. Koch wanders into a fancy hotel and waits for the clerk.
Koch asks for Johnny O’Clock (Dick Powell). Koch explains to the clerk that the man in question goes by many names. After showing a badge, the clerk gives the room number and says the man never gets up before 9:00p.m.
At 9:00p.m., the alarm clock in Johnny’s room sounds. Charlie (John Kellogg), Johnny’s manservant/henchman, helps wake the sleeping man. Charlie is upset about a woman Johnny is ignoring. The same woman has sent a jeweled watch inscribed with “To My Darling with Unending Love.”
Charlie shows Johnny the newspaper story about detective Chuck Blayden (Jim Bannon) shooting the fleeing gambler. Johnny says he is a trigger-happy cop. Johnny comes to the lobby dressed in a monkey suit. Harriet Hobson (Nina Foch) is waiting, and she is upset about the shooting and Blayden.
Officer Koch begins talking to Johnny about Blayden. Harriet waits outside. Koch says Blayden is on his way out as a cop. Koch also says that Johnny and Blayden are in business together. Koch wants Johnny to provide information against Blayden.
Harriet is Blayden’s girlfriend, but he slapped her and sent her away. But, she is still in love with the cop. Johnny says the relationship is over and that she should leave. But she can’t because she is too in love.
In a rather large, elegant gambling hall, Johnny watches over everything like a pit bosses boss. Charlie tells Johnny that Blayden is waiting in the alley. Harriet is the coat-check girl. Johnny pulls the hat of the roulette dealer and has him held in an office. Johnny even checks the food on the way out to the alley.
In the alley, with the other rats, is cop Blayden. Johnny tells about Koch, and Blayden says he is no longer interested in Harriet but won’t let her go. Johnny tells him to let her go. Blayden says Guido Marchettis (Thomas Gomez) is taking him in as a full partner. Johnny says that he and Marchettis are already partners. Blayden says Johnny is on the way out of the casino operation and threatens to kill him.
Back inside, Johnny pulls the coat off the roulette dealer, and he has been stealing. Johnny gives him a second chance.
In saunters the lovely Nelle Marchettis (Ellen Drew). She is the wife of Johnny’s partner Guido and is the one that sent the watch and who keeps calling. Johnny says he will be giving the watch back. Guido and Blayden enter the room. Guido has been in Mexico and is looking to expand his gambling operation. Guido asks his wife Nelle to leave the room. Guido shows the watch that Nelle gave him upon his return. It is the same as the one she gave Johnny minus the inscription.
Blayden doesn’t want Johnny in the room when he makes his pitch to Guido. Johnny warns Guido about getting associated with Blayden before returning to the gambling floor. Nelle can’t keep her eyes off of Johnny. Johnny tries and fails to return the watch.
Johnny leaves the watch with Harriet to return to Nelle. Harriet can only think of Blayden, and against Johnny’s advice, she refuses to leave the bad cop.
Sometime later, two bums find a coat floating in the river. A beat cop stumbles upon the men and takes the coat. The next day, Koch takes the coat to a cleaner by using their laundry number. The stain on the coat is blood. The cleaner says that the coat was brought in by Harriet, and it had a police badge left in the pocket.
Koch goes to Harriet’s apartment. Getting no answer and smelling gas, Koch breaks into the apartment. Harriet is there, but it is too late for her. A tenant (Mabel Paige) says that Harriet came home last night with a man, and both appeared to be drunk. The landlady (Virginia Farmer) says a man pays the rent. When she is shown a picture of Blayden, she says that it is the man. Koch finds a key in the lock and thinks it may be foul play.
When Johnny gets home, Koch has beaten Charlie and is waiting in the apartment. Johnny was the man that brought her home, but he was surprised that she committed suicide. Blayden is missing, and Koch implies that Johnny may have dumped a murdered Blayden in the river. Johnny says that Harriet’s only relative is a sister, Nancy Hobson (Evelyn Keyes), a traveling performer. Charlie gets snotty with Johnny about saying that Koch could knock Charlie around but not him.
Female hands are shown holding a telegram as a plane makes for the city.
Nancy meets with Koch at Harriet’s former apartment. In Harriet’s purse is the watch that Nelle gave Johnny. The quote is not specific, and there is also a refusal note from Johnny intended for Nelle. Nancy thinks it came from Blayden, but Koch is not so sure. Koch asks about Johnny, and Nancy remembers her sister said how good Johnny had been to her. Nancy decides to stay at her sister’s apartment.
Later Johnny is in the counting room when he gets word that Nancy is outside and wants to see him. She is rocking a beret and seems to be hit with a lightning bolt when she sees Johnny. He invites her inside the joint. Nancy blames herself for not taking care of her sister. Johnny stops the piano player by saying, “Hey, you with hands. Knock it off.” Nancy wants to find Blayden but Johnny tells her to forget it. Nancy says she is leaving that night.
Guido is hanging around at his mansion-like apartment. Nelle is there, as are about four men, including Turk (Jeff Chandler). Nelle is interested in listening to the horseraces. Johnny walks in and watches from the stairway before walking down. Nelle no longer cares about the horses when she sees Johnny. Guido is watching Nelle around Johnny. He says he turned down the deal with Blayden. Guido says Johnny doesn’t have to worry about him, and Nelle chocks on her drink, before delivering the line, “I choked on a piece of Scotch.” Guido takes his rage out on one of the men before following Nelle outside. He refuses to let her out of the relationship.
Guido and a few of the men head out for the fights. He asks Johnny to stay and keep Nelle company. Johnny is worried about the conversation between Guido and Blayden and also where to find Blayden. Nelle and Johnny have a fight because she left Johnny for Guido. In the fight, Johnny discovers that Nelle never got the watch he left for her. Later Johnny tries to find the watch.
Nancy is leaving her sister’s apartment when Johnny comes in using the key he has. Nancy hides in the dark as Johnny begins searching for the watch. She tries to escape, and he stops her by throwing a bottle at her and then grabbing her. After Nancy settles down, Johnny says he will get her to the airport on time. Johnny feels bad because he introduced Harriet and Blayden. When he starts straightening up the apartment, he finds a Mexican silver peso 1898-1909[4].
Nancy and Johnny head down the stairs to his car. Watching from the landing above is Koch. Koch enters Harriet’s apartment, where he unloads his pockets and looks over the clues he has. Koch uses a small tool to prove that the door can be locked from the outside while leaving the key inside. The nosey tenant comes down and bothers Koch. She finds an autopsy form that says Harriet had poison in her system when she died. Koch makes a call and is about to have an unnamed person arrested when the news from the other end of the line sends him to another location.
At the airport, the rain has caused the cancelation of all flights. Johnny and Nancy go to a small restaurant to wait and eat. The waiter (John Berkes) brings them each a shot. He tells the pair that they will need the drinks if they are going to eat here. The couple gets to know each other better, but Nancy is not wanting a relationship.
They go back to Johnny’s apartment, and Charlie is not there. Johnny tells that Charlie is an ex-con fresh out of prison and is devoted to Johnny. Eventually, Johnny tries to kiss Nancy, but she refuses and wants to tell her story. Then she kisses him.
Later, Johnny is dressed and heading to the club for a couple of hours. They hammer out the details of their planned relationship, and Johnny asks her to stick around. Johnny gets a room for Nancy. Koch is outside of the hotel and catches Johnny before he can go outside. Koch tells Johnny that Blayden is dead and that his body was found in the river.
Johnny goes to the police station with Koch. Three cops have Charlie in an interrogation. Charlie is allowed to leave when they bring Johnny inside. Johnny is sure Charlie would not be a stool pigeon. Koch has Guido brought into the room. Koch says that both men had reasons to kill Blayden.
Koch continues that the three most common motives for murder are revenge, profit, and jealousy. He says Guido has two of the motives, and Johnny has three. Koch says Johnny is the brains, and Guido is the muscle. Koch continues that their plan was to hire a legal killer, e.g., Blayden. He says Blayden and Harriet would be witnesses against the pair.
Koch pulls out the watch and the note from Johnny. Guido sees the inscription on the back of the watch. He acts like Johnny killed the two over jealousy and the fact that Blayden was trying to force him out. Guido was released. Johnny is flipping the Mexican coin. Koch is mad that Johnny won’t turn on Guido.
When Johnny is released, Charlie is waiting outside for him. It seems like Johnny has become suspicious of Charlie. Charlie goes with Johnny back to the hotel. Nancy comes in from a walk. For some reason, Johnny is sending Nancy away on a plane in an hour.
Johnny and Nancy leave for the airport. Charlie begins making a call, and Johnny busts in on him, asking for the car keys. Charlie’s call is to Guido. Nelle is asleep on the bed. Guido has the big gambling game set for the night. He tells Nelle goodbye and then starts choking her over who got the other watch. Guido knows it is Johnny, but Nelle says Johnny refused her advances. He also tells her that Johnny will be dead in a few minutes. He tells her to leave without her things, and she begs to stay.
Johnny puts Nancy out of the car at the airport, but she doesn’t know why he is making her leave. Just then, a car comes by and fires at Johnny. He crashes into a wall but is unhurt. Nancy runs to him. Nancy understands why Johnny sent her away, and she says it is true love.
Charlie is relaxing in Johnny’s room when the buzzer rings. He takes his gun, and it is Nancy at the door. She says Johnny is hurt and wants Charlie to help him find a doctor. When Charlie opens the door, Johnny jumps him and beats the truth out of the disloyal pal. Charlie confesses that he was there when Blayden was killed but not when Harriet was killed.
Nancy and Johnny take a cab. Johnny is running. Nancy gets sick, so they get out for some fresh air. Johnny tells Nancy that he thinks Guido killed Harriet. Johnny says he will take revenge on Guido when the time comes. Nancy is upset, but Johnny wants to go to the club to get his money.
The pair take a taxi to the club. Nancy waits in the taxi while Johnny goes inside. Koch shows up and enters the car. He questions Nancy, but she remains tight-lipped. The high-stakes poker game is going on in the back. The rest of the club is dark, and Nelle is there serving Guido.
Johnny walks in, and Nelle is shocked. Guido takes it very cooly. They head to the counting room, and Johnny opens the safe. Johnny takes a bag of money as Guido and Nelle watch. Nelle is still pining for Johnny. Guido pulls a gun and is going to kill Johnny. Johnny says Guido is falling into Koch’s plan. Johnny also tells about the coin he found in Harriet’s apartment.
Johnny pulls his gun and is shot by Guido. He manages to kill Guido. Nelle runs after Johnny. He walks out on her.
Koch and some more police find Guido’s body. Nelle says Johnny tried to rob Guido and murdered him in cold blood. Koch goes out the back looking for Johnny.
The gamblers try to escape, and Nancy slips in. She passes Nelle on the stairs, with Nelle heading down as Nancy heads up. Nancy finds Johnny, and he tries to reject her. Nancy pledges her love just before Koch finds the secret room they are hiding inside.
Johnny wants Koch to let him out by holding the gun on the cop. Johnny thinks he has been framed. Nancy gives Johnny some reverse logic. Johnny surrenders the gun. Koch walks Johnny out with Nancy by his side.
Conclusion – Johnny O’Clock (1947)
In his introduction for Noir Alley, Eddie Muller said Johnny O’Clock (1947) is basically a rehash of Mr. Lucky (1943) and Salty O’Rourke (1944). I will have to take his word for it at this point.
The producer of this film, Edward G. Nealis, actually ran illegal gambling joints in Hollywood before moving to Las Vegas and going legit. Nealis was pals with George Raft and Bugsy Segal, fictionalized as Moe Green from the Godfather (1974).
One future star, Jeff Chandler, made his speaking debut (not his acting debut) as one of the gamblers.
This was Robert Rossen first directing experience. He went on to direct and write the screenplay for The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946), directed Body and Soul (1947), produced, directed, and wrote the screenplay for All the King’s Men (1949), produced, directed, and wrote the screenplay for Alexander the Great (1956), They Came to Cordura (1959), and produced, directed, and wrote the screenplay for The Hustler (1961). He also wrote the screenplay for Johnny O’Clock (1947).
Rossen was a communist and had to appear before HUAC in 1953. He named names and went back to work. Lee J. Cobb had to appear before the committee the same year. He also named names. In this case, he named Shimen Ruskin, who played the cleaner in this movie.[5]
While this film was being shot, Evelyn Keyes eloped with John Huston for a Las Vegas wedding. John Huston said in “An Open Book” 1980, “By four o’clock that morning, Evelyn and I were standing in front of a justice of the peace in Las Vegas. We were married, with Paul Mantz and a taxi driver as a witness.” (Page 127). Paul Mantz is the stunt pilot killed while filming The Flight of the Phoenix (1965).
John Kellogg, who played Charlie, also eloped and married actress Laura Stevens during the filming of this movie. Were they putting something in the water?
There are a lot of scenes of actors smoking in this movie, and they especially posed Evelyn Keyes as a sexy smoker.
World-Famous Short Summary – Don’t sleep with a gangster’s wife.
Beware the moors.
[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039515/
[2] Johnny O’Clock – Rotten Tomatoes
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/1947/03/27/archives/screen-review.html
[4] Johnny O’Clock (1947) – Coins in Movies (brianrxm.com)
[5] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039515/trivia/
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