Credit – Columbia Pictures
I have been a fan of the Film Noir Genre for as long as I can remember. My first introduction into that wonderful world of dark grays and whites, came with a movie called ‘Laura’, which starred Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney. I was hooked from beginning to end, as Dana Andrews’ character tried to solve the homicide of a woman named Laura, who he unrealistically falls in love with. The suspense, the twists, and that classic noir setting were something I had to have more of, and so began my journey into one of the greatest film genres ever created. From ‘Casablanca’ and ‘Double Indemnity’, to ‘Laura’ and ‘Leave Her to Heaven’, and all the way to ‘Blade Runner'(yes, I consider Blade Runner a futuristic film noir), are scores of film noir gems to watch over and over again, and discover for the first time. I could list a 100 film noir movies that are amazing, but the one that stands out for me, and perfectly represents what classic film noir was, is ‘Johnny O’Clock’, starring Dick Powell, Evelyn Keyes, and Lee J. Cobb.
Murders, Mystery, Betrayal, and Women…What More Could You Ask For
‘Johnny O’Clock’ is about a New York Gambling house operator named Johnny O’Clock who is partners with Guido Marchettis…the “muscle” of their gambling operation. Johnny plays it cool and close to the vest, and is intuitive as he is smart. He doesn’t let anyone get too close unless he wants them to, and even then, it’s to Johnny’s advantage. Lee J. Cobb plays Inspector Koch, who is investigating the murder of a gambler by a cop named Chuck Blayden. Inspector Koch knows Johnny is the brains of the casino operation, and tries to persuade Johnny’s more intuitive side. Koch tries to get information on how Chuck Blayden fits in to the casino’s operations, and how that might relate to the murder of said gambler at Johnny’s casino. Johnny doesn’t budge of course, and a snowball of events ensues, as Johnny O’Clock reluctantly finds himself in the middle of murders, mystery, betrayal, and women. All the ingredients you need for a masterfully presented and acted film noir.
‘Johnny O’Clock’ Doesn’t Pull Any Punches
I discovered ‘Johnny O’Clock’ almost by accident. I was perusing old film titles in a local used cd, records, and video store, when I came across a film noir called ‘Murder, My Sweet’. I had never heard of Dick Powell before I saw ‘Murder, My Sweet’, and I became instantly obsessed with his film noir style of acting. And so began my fanatic journey with finding anything I could about Dick Powell and this amazing actor that encapsulated everything that film noir was and should be. I found every film noir Dick Powell had been in, whether it was a shoddy dvd copy or blu ray, and sunk my teeth into this treasure that I had found. But the real treasure, out of the six film noir movies Dick Powell made, was ‘Johnny O’Clock’. This movie, in my opinion, defined what a true film noir movie was supposed to be. It had great writing, direction, photography, score, and acting. Directed and written for the screen by Robert Rossen, who many might know from 1961’s ‘The Hustler’, and beautifully photographed by Burnett Guffey, who many might know from Humphrey Bogart’s ‘In a Lonely Place’ or ‘From Here to Eternity’, and you had a one two punch of film noir glory. The photography on the scenes that Evelyn Keyes are in, alone are worth the price of admission. Then there’s the supporting cast of Evelyn Keyes, Lee J. Cobb, Ellen Drew, Nina Foch, Thomas Gomez, and John Kellogg. All great actors in their own right, starring in such movies as ‘Call Northside 777’, ‘Boomerang’, ‘The Seven year Itch’, ‘Spartacus’, ‘Key Largo’, ‘Twelve O’Clock High’, and ‘A Walk in the Sun’. This was a stellar cast that brought their ‘A’ game to a film noir that didn’t pull any punches, and knew exactly what it was.
Credit – Columbia Pictures
Dick Powell made ‘Johnny O’Clock’ Great
‘Johnny O’Clock’ not only brought style , but action, romance, suspense, and grit. But what truly made ‘Johnny O’Clock’ stand out, and added that icing on the cake, was Dick Powell. The way he played the character of Johnny O’Clock made it seem effortless, like he was born to be this character of Johnny O’Clock, and was showing his true self on screen. His subtle nuances and gravitas demanded an unrequested respect in every scene. We need to remember, that film noir, and this type of acting was brand new to Powell, and also a risk. 1944’s ‘Murder, My Sweet’ was Powell’s first foray into the world of film noir, and up until that point, Powell had been doing a lot of cheeky romance, and song and dance movies like ’42nd Street'(love that movie as well). Powell wanted, in a big way, to change the Hollywood image he had of being the song and dance guy, that he had been famous for since 1933. And boy, at the age of 40, he did just that with his first film noir movie ‘Murder, My Sweet’. But with ‘Johnny O’Clock’, his third film noir movie, Powell seemed to find his niche, not holding back, and having fun while he played this cool, confident, and unapologizing character, that knew what his flaws were, and made no bones about it.
Credit – Columbia Pictures
‘Johnny O’Clock’ is a Fiercely Unapologetic Film Noir
If I were asked by any fan of movies, that wanted to get into the film noir genre, which movie they should start with, it would be ‘Johnny O’Clock’. It perfectly defines the genre, takes itself seriously enough not to take itself too seriously, and is a perfect representation of the genre. The way it was written, directed, photographed, and acted, brought together a gem in the film noir genre, that is often unheard of, or is not recognized enough for its contribution to film. ‘Johnny O’Clock’ was fun escapism at its purest level. I’m not taking anything away from other greats such as ‘Double Indemnity’, ‘Casablanca’, or ‘Leave Her to Heaven’…they represent greatness in their own ways, but ‘Johnny O’Clock’ was unapologetically fierce in its presentation. ‘Johnny O’Clock’ might not have the grandeur and scope of those other movies, but what it does have is Dick Powell, and that, in my opinion, is all you need to give the fans some of the best film noir you could ask for, hands down.
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