Johnny Eager (1941)

The daughter of a district attorney falls in love with a gangster who her father is trying to have imprisoned.

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

John Lee Mahin (screen play), James Edward Grant (screen play)

Stars:

Robert Taylor, Lana Turner, Edward Arnold

Won 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Taylor	...	Johnny Eager
Lana Turner	...	Lisbeth Bard
Edward Arnold	...	John Benson Farrell
Van Heflin	...	Jeff Hartnett
Robert Sterling	...	Jimmy Courtney
Patricia Dane	...	Garnet
Glenda Farrell	...	Mae Blythe
Henry O'Neill	...	Mr. Verne
Diana Lewis	...	Judy Sanford
Barry Nelson	...	Lew Rankin
Charles Dingle	...	Marco
Paul Stewart	...	Julio
Cy Kendall	...	Halligan
Don Costello	...	Billiken
Lou Lubin	...	Benjy

Storyline

Ruthless hood Johnny Eager is pretending to his parole officer that he has chucked the rackets and is now a full-time taxi driver. In fact, he's as deep in as he ever was and desperately needs official permission to open his new dog track. When he meets up with Lisbeth Bard, he finds he not only has a stunning new girlfriend but a possible way to get his permit.

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Plot Keywords:

cynic | district attorney | gangster | taxi driver | love triangle | 

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Taglines:

He's Taylor-made for her !

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 January 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Tote lebt

Filming Locations:

Pan-Pacific Auditorium - 7600 W. Beverly Boulevard, Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$651,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Garnet tells Johnny that Jeff has called him "Herod Agrippa", he is referring to the last King of Judea who reigned from 41-44 AD. She also states Jeff called her Johnny's "enamorada", which is the Spanish feminine noun for "lover".

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Goofs

In the scene where Johnny is asking Benjy about the cop that won't let him put in slot machines, Benjy hands him a note with the cop's badge number (#711) on it which he unfolds before handing to Johnny. Then we see Johnny unfolding it again.

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Quotes

Garnet: Is there any dame you haven't got in your pocket?

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Connections

Featured in Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film (2008)

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Soundtracks

Melancholy
(1911) (uncredited)
(Also known as "Melancholy Baby" and "My Melancholy Baby")
Music by Ernie Burnett
Played during the opening and closing credits
Played as dance music by the band at Tony Luce's place
Played as background music often

User Reviews

don't doubt Robert Taylor

A parolee masquerades as a cabby while running a dog racing track on the side. As the film opens, he has an interview with his parole officer, and then goes to the track, which is under an injunction from the D. A. who had sent him to prison in the first place and who's step-daughter (Lana Turner) he later falls in love with, enters the exterior of his office, puts on one of his expensive sport coats, and becomes the head of a rather extensive gambling racket. For doubters of Robert Taylor, this could make them believers as he rises well above this fantasy like story that wants to be a tough crime drama but refuses to be gritty enough to sink into a convenient gutter. Nonetheless, Taylor puts a lot of punch into his part, outshining the film's Oscar winner Van Heflin, who plays his heavy drinking philosophizing associate.