Claysaba
Excellent, Without a doubt!!
Tedfoldol
everything you have heard about this movie is true.
filippaberry84
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
kfo9494
This movie is a fine example of late forties and early fifties crime dramas with all the lines and sayings one expect from this type of genre. It involves a classy gangster, an illegal operation, a determined cop and several beautiful dames. All the makings of a movie from this generation.Johnny O'Clock (Dick Powell) is second in command of the mob type gambling operation that is run by the big man, Guido. Guido, a rather large man, has taken a beautiful wife, but it seems the wife has eyes for Johnny. Right from the beginning the viewer knew that this was not going to be healthy for Mr O'Clock.Anyway after the murder of a corrupt cop, that was working for Guido, and the apparent suicide of the cop's coat-check girlfriend -- a loyal cop, Koch (Lee J Cobb), starts sniffing around the business. He believes that if he can turn the mobster on each other the house of cards will fall. And it is not long before words will follow action.The story turned out to be somewhat entertaining. If you can get past Dick Powell's stiff performance and staccato way that Powell learned his lines, then this movie is not bad. One bright note in the movie was Lee J Cobb who did an excellent job of the cop hunting-down the mobsters with his famous cigar always nearby.This is an aged film that represents time gone-by. But if you are looking for a classic Noir movie, then this has all the elements.
jbacks3
Johnny O'Clock has a lot of what's right about a noir: the illicit setting (here, a high-class illicit gambling den), the right period (Truman years), appropriately well done B&W cinematography with a strong focal character (a particularly steel cold Powell). Lee J. Cobb's on hand in what could be called his classic persona as the dogged detective. There's an unusual hint of homosexuality with Powell's live-in, what? Butler? Assistant? Man-servant? What's wrong? Alas, plenty. The script is barely a whodunnit. The murderer is revealed with a yawn a little over halfway through. Thug Gomez's shoes would've been more convincingly filled by Eddie G. or Edward Arnold--- he's adequate but hollow. The final shoot out is anti-climactic and Cobb's lethargic hunt for a wounded Powell is pretty lame, especially with the accompanying dialog. I love 40's noir and this one probably showed a lot of promise in the first draft (Rossen had little experience at this point in his career), but was desperately in need of a re-write. Look for Jeff Chandler at the 36 minute mark making his film debut. Johnny O'Clock is 'Oh so-so.
MartinHafer
During the 1930s, Dick Powell played in one musical after another--with few chances to do anything else but play a sweet guy who loves to sing. The plots were paper-thin and Powell himself wanted a chance to do something--ANYTHING different. Fortunately, as the 1940s progressed, he got that chance and starred in some amazing film noir pictures. Why did the studios do this? Well, Powell was approaching middle age and wasn't the pretty guy he used to be--and you would never put a pretty guy in a gangster film! Of the tough-guy films he made, my two favorites are "Murder, My Sweet" and "Johnny O'Clock"--mostly because his character was so incredibly jaded and unsentimental--the antithesis of his old persona.Soon after "Johnny O'Clock" begins, you know SOMEONE is going to die--and soon. A crooked cop is gunning for Johnny (Powell), a married dame is cozying up to him and his partner (the dame's husband) is one dangerous guy (Thomas Gomez). Into this mix is a cop--a good cop, but a tough one played by Lee J. Cobb. I could say a lot more about the plot--suffice to say, I don't want to ruin it for you and I encourage you to find the film yourself. It is available for free download at archive.org and Powell's world-weary characterization makes this film hum. One of the best noir films I can recall having seen even with its minor faults (it lacks the lighting and camera-work you expect in noir and the lady who falls for him does so far too quickly and far too hard to be realistic). Well worth seeing.By the way, look for Turk in the film--it's a very young Jeff Chandler before he was a star.
blanche-2
A great cast stars in "Johnny O'Clock," a 1947 noir written and directed by Robert Rossen. It stars Dick Powell, Evelyn Keyes, Lee J. Cobb, Ellen Drew, Thomas Gomez, and Nina Foch.Not that many years have passed since Dick Powell was a singing juvenile, but here he is as Johnny O'Clock, a somewhat cold tough guy who has a partnership with Guido Marchettis (Gomez) in a gambling casino. Johnny's a hard guy to figure - with the hat check girl Harriet (Nina Foch), he's helpful and kind, and it's hard to decide which is the real Johnny.There's a crooked cop who works for Johnny and Guido named Chuck Blayden (Jim Bannon), who's making trouble for Harriet and there's an Inspector Kotch (Lee J. Cobb) who wants Johnny to answer some questions. Then there's the gorgeous, sexy wife of Marchettis, Nelle (Drew), who's had an affair with Johnny and wants him back. In the midst of all this, Harriet is found dead and it's assumed to be suicide.When Harriet's sister (Evelyn Keyes) comes along, there's an instant spark between her and Johnny. But Johnny is in trouble, thanks to a couple of watches, and the disappearance of Blayden.For some reason, this films ends up being a disappointment. Despite Rossen's wonderful direction, it's not tight enough, nor is the story strong enough. One sort of has the feeling of being dropped into the middle of something. That doesn't mean there aren't interesting elements. One is the tiniest hint of homosexuality in the character of Charlie (John Kellogg), an ex-con who works for Johnny and lives with him.The performances across the board are very good, led by Powell as an attractive, solid tough guy with hints of humanity, and Keyes as a strong but vulnerable woman.Still worth seeing.
