It is a performances centric movie

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Johnny O'Clock has a lot of what's right about a noir: the illicit setting (here, a high-class illicit gambling den), the right period (Truman years), appropriately well done B&W cinematography with a strong focal character (a particularly steel cold Powell). Lee J. Cobb's on hand in what could be called his classic persona as the dogged detective. There's an unusual hint of homosexuality with Powell's live-in, what? Butler? Assistant? Man-servant? What's wrong? Alas, plenty. The script is barely a whodunnit. The murderer is revealed with a yawn a little over halfway through. Thug Gomez's shoes would've been more convincingly filled by Eddie G. or Edward Arnold--- he's adequate but hollow. The final shoot out is anti-climactic and Cobb's lethargic hunt for a wounded Powell is pretty lame, especially with the accompanying dialog. I love 40's noir and this one probably showed a lot of promise in the first draft (Rossen had little experience at this point in his career), but was desperately in need of a re-write. Look for Jeff Chandler at the 36 minute mark making his film debut. Johnny O'Clock is 'Oh so-so.

Johnny O'Clock is a film about a man who walks the narrow edge of the fence between the legal and illegal. He's partners with Thomas Gomez in an illegal gambling establishment and they've got a crooked cop in Jim Bannon to do their dirty work insofar as rivals are concerned. Bannon's made several 'legal' killings of rivals which has interested honest cop Inspector Lee J. Cobb who wants very badly to close this particular racket down.Dick Powell plays the title character who never quite gets involved in the dirty end of the business leaving that to Gomez. Bannon's girl friend is Nina Foch, a nice young woman who runs the cigarette and candy counter at Powell's swank hotel. When Foch turns up a very suspicious suicide and Bannon goes missing, Powell goes into action.The other factor in the story is that Powell and Gomez's wife Ellen Drew were once involved and she'd like to get involved again. Powell ain't buying that trouble though, especially after Evelyn Keyes who is Foch's sister comes to town and she also suspects foul play.Powell's character Johnny O'Clock is one of his most cynical, he makes his Philip Marlowe from Murder My Sweet look like Dudley DooRight the Mountie. His cynicism almost costs him because he finds a damning piece of evidence that could lead to the murderer and if would have cooperated with Lee J. Cobb from the gitgo it would have all been solved. But Powell's got other irons in the fire and some conflicting motives. In any event he does a great job in the title role.Making his screen debut in a small part as one of the gamblers is Jeff Chandler. His hair is dark, but would shortly turn that premature iron gray that he was so identified with. There is also a very good small part for Mabel Paige who plays a nosy neighbor of Foch's who keeps offering her unwanted observations and opinions to Lee J. Cobb.Robert Rossen was one film away from his career film as a director with All The King's Men. Powell was impressed with his work and personally had Harry Cohn get him as director for Johnny O'Clock. Rossen creates a moody and trenchant atmosphere for his players to work in and gets a near perfect noir film out of this material.And that's a good reason to not miss Johnny O'Clock when it is broadcast.

Despite assembling all the staples - nightclub/casino setting, cops, crooks and conmen, low-key dialogue, would-be anti-hero - this entry somehow winds up as less than the sum of its parts. Clearly an admirer of Abe Lincoln (you can fool some of the people all of the time ..) Dick Powell had wisely abandoned his 'singing' career by the mid-forties in favour of thrillers verging on noir and although he did well enough in Murder, My Sweet, here he gives the impression - as do the rest of the cast - that he is acting under water. First-time director Robert Rossen was clearly looking ahead to his follow-up film released that same year which is perhaps why this one seems to boast too much body and not enough soul.

Dick Powell once again proves that he can play the tough guy roles, just as he did in the classic "Murder My Sweet." This time he is a slick, even egotistical, gambling hall owner. He is icy with most, gentle with others, and I believe he doesn't know himself which he really is. Harriet the hat check girl has a problem, namely Chuck Blayden, a crooked cop, who works for Johnny and his partner, Guido Marchettis played by Thomas Gomez who would go on to win an Oscar for his role in "Ride the Pink Horse," with Robert Montgomery, another film noir classic. When Harriet is found dead, by Inspector Kotch, a cigar smoking Lee J. Cobb, Kotch goes after Johnny assuming he knows more than he is willing to say about her murder and Blayden's disappearance. In steps Evelyn Keyes as Harriet's sister, who eventually falls for Johnny. Ellen Drew is married to the boss, but has had an affair with Johnny, which Guido suspects, but lays back like a snake and waits for one of them to make a mistake. The mistake comes by the way of two watches, one for the husband and one for Johnny. The difference, Johnny's watch is inscribed with "To my darling with never-ending love." When Guido discovers this and Johnny figures out that he has murdered both Harriet and Blayden, the cross is on. Keyes tries to make Johnny understand that money is no good, the only thing that counts is life, and if he goes back to get money from his partner, then he just doesn't get it. He returns anyway, and in the process kills Guido, after he shoots him. Trying to escape, he is confronted by both Keyes and the cop in a stand off. He eventually gives up and love conquers all. There are some great scenes in the movie, Lee J. Cobb is just superb as the cop and Evelyn Keys and Ellen Drew, are both great as the two women in Johnny's life. Don't miss this one, it is great noir.