Johnny Eager *** (1942, Robert Taylor, Lana Turner, Van Heflin, Edward Arnold) – Classic Movie Review 6707

Director Mervyn LeRoy’s 1942 MGM movie is a half-way good gangster picture with a convincing atmosphere and a commendably taut pace, in which nice girl Lisbeth Bard (Lana Turner) falls for vicious mobster Johnny Eager (Robert Taylor).

Both stars are interestingly cast against type, a ploy that works nicely to the movie’s advantage, and they make a great-looking couple. The performances and MGM’s smart production give this a polished gloss that the overly dramatic plot, based on a story by James Edward Grant, does not entirely deserve.

Taylor (though not looking tough enough for his ruthless role) and the young Turner are more than personable enough, but Van Heflin easily outperforms the two main stars and won the 1943 Best Supporting Actor Oscar as Taylor’s tipsy, sardonic best buddy Jeff Hartnett, while Edward Arnold scores strongly as Turner’s DA father, John Benson Farrell.

Also in the typically charismatic MGM cast are Robert Sterling, Patricia Dane, Glenda Farrell, Henry O’Neill, Diana Lewis, Barry Neslon, Charles Dingle, Paul Stewart, Cy Kendall, Don Costello, Lou Lubin, Joe Downing, Connnie Gilchrist, Robin Raymond, Leona Marickle, Byron Shores, John Dilson, Edward Earle, Art Miles, Nestor Paiva, Emory Parnell, Charles Sullivan, Pat West, Anthony Warde, Joe Whitehead, Charles Thomas, James C Morton, Alex Pollard, Stanley Price, Arthur Belasco, Gladys Blake, Jack Carr and Georgie Cooper.

It runs 108 minutes, is written by John Lee Mahin and James Edward Grant, is shot in black and white by Harold Rosson, is produced by John W Considine Jr, is scored by Bronislau Kaper, and designed by Cedric Gibbons.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 6707

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