Johnny Dark *** (1954, Tony Curtis, Piper Laurie, Don Taylor, Paul Kelly, Ilka Chase) – Classic Movie Review 8407

‘A story of fast cars… reckless women… and sudden danger… and a guy who loved all three!’ That will be Tony Curtis aka Johnny Dark. Director George Sherman’s larkish 1954 B-movie racing car melodrama Johnny Dark offers no surprises, but it is adequately done in all departments – action, comedy, drama and romance – and the cast are very pleasing.

Tony Curtis gives an eager-to-please turn as the hotshot automobile engineer and car designer Johnny Dark, who drives his latest hot hatchback in a major race and comes up against an unscrupulous rival, his former friend Duke Benson (Don Taylor).

There is involving track footage, lively direction, and a big finish to make up for routine scenes and longueurs earlier on. Curtis and Piper Laurie as strong willed redheaded woman Liz Fielding are sweet together, sharing good, credible screen chemistry.

Also in the cast are Paul Kelly, Ilka Chase, Sidney Blackmer, Ruth Hampton, Russell Johnson, Joseph [Joe] Sawyer, Robert Nichols, Pierre Watkin, Brett Halsey, Ralph Montgomery and Scatman Crothers as Himself.

Johnny Dark is directed by George Sherman, runs 85 minutes, is made and released by Universal International Pictures, is written by Franklin Coen, is shot in Technicolor by Carl Guthrie, is produced by William Alland, is scored by Joseph Gershenson.

It was remade as The Lively Set (1964), with James Darren, Pamela Tiffin and Doug McClure.

Curtis recalls: ‘Back at the garage, that prick of a rival was neatly eliminating one of the integral parts of my carbureted V-8, and that warm, desirable creature [Laurie] in that cosy penthouse down in Malibu overlooking the Pacific was trying to keep me distracted for just another hour or so. I loved the challenge of that kind of part.’

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8407

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