Johnny Eager (1942)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

James Edward Grant (story)
John Lee Mahin (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 January 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir

Tagline:

I've heard all about you, Johnny Eager . . . but I still want you to kiss me !

Plot:

District Attorney's daughter falls in love with a gangster the D.A. is trying to put in jail.

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | District Attorney | Taxi Driver | Parole Officer | Dog

Awards:

Won Oscar.

Cast

Robert Taylor	...	John 'Johnny' Eager
Lana Turner	...	Lisbeth 'Liz' Bard
Edward Arnold	...	John Benson Farrell
Van Heflin	...	Jeff Hartnett
Robert Sterling	...	Jimmy Courtney
Patricia Dane	...	Garnet
Glenda Farrell	...	Mae Blythe Agridowski
Henry O'Neill	...	A.J. Verne
Diana Lewis	...	Judy Sanford
Barry Nelson	...	Lew Rankin
Charles Dingle	...	A. Frazier Marco
Paul Stewart	...	Julio
Cy Kendall	...	Bill Halligan
Don Costello	...	Billiken
Lou Lubin	...	Benjy

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:(Banned) (1943-1950) | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7852)

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

In one of the bedrooms in Johnny's apartment at the track is a large painting, done in the art deco style, of a reclining blonde woman. Coincidentally, this same painting is featured briefly but prominently in Eyes in the Night (1942), released the same year and also starring Edward Arnold, referred to in that film by Marty as "a blonde tomato."

Quotes:

John Benson Farrell: You couldn't stop being a thief any more than a weasel could stop sucking chicken blood.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Lana Turner... a Daughter's Memoir (2001) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Melancholy

Mervyn LeRoy Directed a Great Picture

Any picture that Mervyn LeRoy was able to direct, you can always count on him choosing great actors to make his films a success. His choice of Robert Taylor in this role was outstanding; Taylor played (Johnny Eager),"The House of Seven Hawks",'59, a Taxi Cab driver who wore the uniform in most of the scenes with a small bow tie and cap. Eager was also a very tricky crook who did all kinds of things to make a buck, even Dog Racing. In one scene Eager told his girl friend, 'He did not care to make love at 4PM in the afternoon', however, he fell madly in love with Lana Turner,(Liz Bard),"Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde",'41, who looks young and beautiful in her role as a Judge's daughter who is fooled into killing Paul Stewart,(Julio),"The Joe Louis story",'53. Van Heflin,(Jeff Hartnett),"Black Widow",'54, never stopped drinking through out the entire picture and never seemed to get sober. Edward Arnold,(Jeff Hartnett),"The Devil & Daniel Webster",'41, loved his daughter Liz very deeply but Johnny Eager managed to get him involved in his various crimes in the Dog Racing business which almost broke his heart. This is a great Robert Taylor Classic along with great veteran actors and a very worth while film to sit back and enjoy.