Johnny Apollo (1940)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Samuel G. Engel (story) and
Hal Long (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

19 April 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Not since "Jesse James" has he had such as role!

Plot:

The son of a jailed Wall Street broker turns to crime to pay for his father's release.

Plot Keywords:

Lawyer | Stockbroker | College | Judge | Embezzlement

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Bob Cain aka Johnny Apollo
Dorothy Lamour	...	Lucky Dubarry
Edward Arnold	...	Robert 'Pop' Cain Sr.
Lloyd Nolan	...	Mickey Dwyer aka The Mick
Charley Grapewin	...	Judge Emmett T. Brennan
Lionel Atwill	...	Jim McLaughlin
Marc Lawrence	...	Bates
Jonathan Hale	...	Dr. Brown
Harry Rosenthal	...	Piano Player
Russell Hicks	...	District Attorney
Fuzzy Knight	...	Cellmate
Charles Lane	...	Assistant District Attorney
Selmer Jackson	...	Warden (as Selmar Jackson)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Judge Penrose
John Hamilton	...	Judge
William Pawley	...	Paul
Eric Wilton	...	Butler
Gary Breckner	...	Announcer (voice)
Harry Tyler	...	Trusty
George Irving	...	Mr. Ives
Eddie Marr	...	Henchman Harry
Anthony Caruso	...	Henchman Joe
Stanley Andrews	...	Welfare Secretary
Wally Albright	...	Office Boy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Blaine	...	Guard in Solitary (uncredited)
Stanley Blystone	...	Guard in Library (uncredited)
Charles D. Brown	...	Detective (uncredited)
Joe Caits	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Courtroom Spectator / Horse Parlor Patron (uncredited)
Tom Dugan	...	Prisoner Tom Dugan (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Guard (uncredited)
Frank Fanning	...	Courthouse Guard (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Guard in Library (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Peterson's Secretary (uncredited)
Edward Gargan	...	Detective (uncredited)
William Haade	...	Guard During Break (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Prison Guard (uncredited)
Louis Jean Heydt	...	Guard with Doctor (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Receptionist Guard (uncredited)
Gladden James	...	Court Clerk (uncredited)
Walter Miller	...	Guard (uncredited)
Philip Morris	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Edward Mundy	...	Train Announcer (uncredited)
Wedgwood Nowell	...	Extra in Courthouse (uncredited)
James Pierce	...	Guard (uncredited)
Dick Rich	...	Visitation Guard (uncredited)
Don Rowan	...	Guard (uncredited)
Geneva Sawyer	...	La Conga Dancer (uncredited)
Robert Shaw	...	Clerk (uncredited)
Lee Shumway	...	Guard in Warden's Office (uncredited)
J. Scott Smart	...	Leader of Conga (uncredited)
Edwin Stanley	...	Stock Exchange Official (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Horse Parlor Patron (uncredited)
Milburn Stone	...	Main Reporter (uncredited)
Charles Tannen	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Phil Tead	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Radio Announcing Guard (uncredited)
Charles Williams	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Norman Willis	...	Plainclothesman (uncredited)

Directed by
Henry Hathaway

Writing credits
Samuel G. Engel		(story) and
Hal Long		(story)
Philip Dunne		(screenplay) and
Rowland Brown		(screenplay)
Curtis Kenyon		contributing writer (uncredited)

Produced by
Harry Joe Brown	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Cyril J. Mockridge		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Arthur C. Miller		(director of photography) (as Arthur Miller)

Film Editing by
Robert Bischoff

Art Direction by
Richard Day
Wiard Ihnen		(as Wiard B. Ihnen)

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Gwen Wakeling

Production Management
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ad Schaumer	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)
E. Clayton Ward	....	sound

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Cyril J. Mockridge	....	musical director

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• CBS/Fox (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Dance with the Devil (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #5935) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Debut of Anthony Caruso.

Quotes:

Welfare Secretary: Name, please.
Prisoner Tom Dugan: Tom Dugan.
Welfare Secretary: Age?
Prisoner Tom Dugan: I'll be 58 when I get out.
Welfare Secretary: Previous occupation?
Prisoner Tom Dugan: Thief. Don't worry. I'll get me old job back again.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Remington Steele: Cast in Steele (#3.9)" (1984)

Soundtrack:

Dancing for Nickels and Dimes

Early Film Noir Not Bad, But Has Lots Of Holes

I found this to be a fairly interesting crime story, the emphasis being more on the story and less on the action. What little action there is takes place at the end of the movie.

Lloyd Nolan plays a low-key gangster and Tyrone Power plays a guy who exhibits good and bad. Dorothy Lamour, Edward Arnold, Charley Grapewin and Lionel Atwill all add to this talented cast. Lamour's tough-talking "dame" character and good cinematography helped this movie be characterized as a very early entry into the film noir genre.

The problem with the movie was the believability of the story. There were too many unanswered questions in here. Why was this person arrested? How and why could this happen, and that? There are lots of holes in here and sometimes they were so prevalent they broke up the continuity of the story.

Okay for one curious look but not worth a purchase, although it's still not available on DVD anyway, and few people buy new VHS tapes anymore.