Johnny Cool (1963)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

William Asher

Writers:

Joseph Landon (writer)
John McPartland (novel)

Release Date:

2 March 1964 (Denmark)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Headline-Hot! The Terror Behind Cosa-Nostra-Brotherhood of Crime!

Plot:

Colini, an exiled American gangster living in Sicily, rescues Giordano, a young Sicilian outlaw, from the police...

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Beautiful Woman | Revenge | Mafia | Based On Novel

Cast

Henry Silva	...	Johnny Cool / Salvatore Giordano
Elizabeth Montgomery	...	Darien 'Dare' Guiness
Richard Anderson	...	Correspondent
Jim Backus	...	Louis Murphy
Joey Bishop	...	Holmes, Used Car Salesman
Brad Dexter	...	Lennart Crandall
Wanda Hendrix	...	Miss Connolly
Hank Henry	...	Larry, Bus Driver
Marc Lawrence	...	Johnny Colini
John McGiver	...	Oscar B. 'Oby' Hinds
Gregory Morton	...	Jerry March
Mort Sahl	...	Ben Morrow
Telly Savalas	...	Vincenzo 'Vince' Santangelo
Joan Staley	...	Suzy
Sammy Davis Jr.	...	Educated
Katharine Bard	...	Mrs. Crandall
Steve Peck	...	Kromlein (as Steven Peck)
Frank Albertson	...	Bill Blakely
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Undertaker
John Dierkes	...	Cripple
Douglas Henderson	...	FBI Man
Mary Scott	...	Margaret Huntington
Robert Armstrong	...	Gang member
Douglass Dumbrille	...	Gang Member
Joseph Calleia	...	Tourist
George N. Neise	...	Adrian Guinness
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hal Baylor	...	Gambler (uncredited)
George Cisar	...	George, the Bartender (uncredited)
Jimmy Cross	...	Bettor (uncredited)
George Eldredge	...	Building Superintendent (uncredited)
Art Gilmore	...	Racetrack Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Clegg Hoyt	...	Craps Player (uncredited)
Ray Kellogg	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Cop (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo	...	Peter, the Bartender (uncredited)
Mario Siletti	...	Sicilian Horse Groom (uncredited)
Kelly Thordsen	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Joe Turkel	...	Hoodlum (uncredited)
Frank Wilcox	...	FBI Agent (uncredited)

Directed by
William Asher

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Joseph Landon		writer
John McPartland		novel "The Kingdom of Johnny Cool"

Produced by
William Asher	....	producer
Milton Ebbins	....	associate producer
Peter Lawford	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Billy May
John Worsley		(as Les Vandyke)

Cinematography by
Sam Leavitt

Film Editing by
Otto Ludwig

Art Direction by
Frank T. Smith

Set Decoration by
Budd Friend		(as Budd S. Friend)

Costume Design by
Gwen Fitzer
Andrew Pallack
Bob Wolfe

Makeup Department
Frank La Rue	....	makeup artist
Marle Temme	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Howard P. Alston	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Gaudioso	....	assistant director
Maxwell O. Henry	....	assistant director

Art Department
Irving W. Sindler	....	property master

Sound Department
Ted Bellinger	....	sound effects editor
Philip Mitchell	....	sound

Stunts
Charlie Picerni	....	stunt double: Henry Silva

Music Department
Richard Carruth	....	musical editor
Jimmy Van Heusen	....	composer: song "The Ballad of Johnny Cool"

Other crew
Stanley Scheuer	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Chrislaw Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1963) (USA) (theatrical)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Sweden:(Banned) (1963) | Norway:(Banned) (1964) | Finland:(Banned) (1963-1964) | Finland:K-16 | West Germany:16 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Newport Beach, California, USA

Company:

Chrislaw Productions

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the second half of the film, after Darien abandons her car in front of the beauty parlor, the police show up. The police later describe it as being a "1961 Ford". It is in fact a 1962 Ford (Galaxie 500 Sunliner).

Fast paced Gangster film with Cameos Galore!

This is a really cool gangster film featuring a much under-rated Henry Silva (Why Hollywood didn't use him more is beyond me!) playing an Italian mobster. The beggining of this film is a little awkward & slow but give it 15 minutes and it picks up quickly. Enter Elizabeth Montgomery as a bored socialite who wants some some excitement in her life and boy does she get it. Liz even gets slapped around by two guys which gets her turned on because when Henry comes back and finds her she belts out the line "I need you RIGHT NOW!" WOW! Kind of risque for the era. Good locations throughout, including many shots of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles & Las Vegas in the early 60's. Many, many cameos by Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop, Jim Backus, Mort Sahl. William Asher proved he could direct drama as well as comedy (His forte'). This has no Hollywood ending either. It should be on DVD.