Johnny O'Clock

1947

1h 35m

IMDb RATING

6.2/10

YOUR RATING

Rate

POPULARITY

Play trailer

1 Video

29 Images

Crime

Drama

When an employee at an illegal gambling den dies suspiciously, her sister, Nancy, looks into the situation and falls for Johnny O'Clock, a suave partner in the underground casino. Selfish and non-committal by nature, Johnny slowly begins to return Nancy's affection and decides to run away with her, but conflict within his business threatens their plans. As Johnny tries to distance himself from the casino, his shady past comes back to haunt him.

Directors

Robert Rossen

Writers

Robert Rossen(screenplay by)

Milton Holmes(original story by)

Stars

Dick Powell

Evelyn Keyes

Lee J. Cobb

See production, box office & company info

Videos1

Trailer
Watch Johnny O'Clock (1947) Original Trailer [FHD]

Photos29

Top cast

Johnny O'Clock

Nancy Hobson

Inspector Koch

Nelle Marchettis

Harriet Hobson

Pete Marchettis

Charlie

Chuck Blayden

Slatternly Woman Tenant

Phil, Hotel Clerk

Hotel Doorman

Practical Dealer

Floorman

Practical Dealer

Card Player

Waiter

Turk

Dealer

Directors

Robert Rossen

Writers

Robert Rossen(screenplay by)

Milton Holmes(original story by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews2

Review

Featured review

7/10

You play very cute, and nasty! Johnny O'Clock has everything under control. He has a partnership in a thriving casino and all his little peccadilloes are at ease in his world. Then things start to go awry, his partnership with Marchettis comes under severe pressure on account of Mrs Marchettis' dalliances, and worst of all, the hat check girl he had a soft spot for has turned up dead. Johnny is feeling the heat, from every corner of his world it seems. At the time of writing this, Johnny O' Clock has under ten reviews written on IMDb and barely 200 votes cast, one can only assume that Johnny is badly under seen! Without knowing the issues of accessibility on TV and DVD, it may just be that this little noir treasure has slipped through the net of many a genre observer. Without pushing the boundaries of noir and its devilish off shoots, it's a film with all the necessary noir components in place, a tightly accomplished film that definitely deserves a bigger audience. The plot, though very basic in the context of the genre/style it sits in (thus making it easy enough for the casual viewer to enjoy), is a series of double (triple) crosses smothered in a delicate hint of aromatic femme fatale. Throw in crooked and grizzly bear like coppers, get Robert Rossen to make it his directorial debut, and ask Burnett Guffey to photograph it, and you got a lovely helping of noirish stew. All you then ask for is your cast to come up trumps, and thankfully they do. Dick Powell plays Johnny O'Clock with the right blend of dapper charm and cool calm toughness, Lee J Cobb (grizzly bear copper), Thomas Gomez (Pete Marchettis) and John Kellogg (the muscle) all play it tough without over egging the pudding. The girls are nicely played by Evelyn Keyes ("99 River Street" & "The Seven Year Itch"), Ellen Drew ("The Man from Colorado") and the delicious Nina Foch ("The Ten Commandments") - with Drew showing definite shades of Hayworth at times - though only shades mind! It's not a dark picture and those hoping for a head scratcher will be sorely disappointed, and I would be a liar if I said that I didn't think the ending needed a more dramatic punch. But I'll be damned if this wasn't a most enjoyable experience, twisty and turny without making the head spin for sake's sake, "Johnny O'clock" is well worth your time. Time! Get it? Groan. 7/10

John Chard20 Feb, 2017