Directed by Robert Rossen in his feature debut, Johnny O’Clock is a sleek, moody film noir starring Dick Powell, Evelyn Keyes, Lee J. Cobb, and Ellen Drew. Released by Columbia Pictures, it’s a tale of love, betrayal, and murder set in the shadowy world of high-stakes gambling and crooked cops.
Plot Summary
Johnny O’Clock (Dick Powell) is a suave junior partner in a ritzy casino run by Guido Marchettis (Thomas Gomez). Trouble brews when Guido’s wife Nelle (Ellen Drew), still in love with Johnny, gives him a duplicate of her husband’s birthday gift—a custom pocket watch with a romantic inscription. Johnny, trying to avoid drama, passes the watch to Harriet Hobson (Nina Foch), a hat-check girl, along with a rejection note.
When Harriet is found dead—initially ruled a suicide—her sister Nancy (Evelyn Keyes) arrives, determined to uncover the truth. As Johnny and Nancy grow close, the web of deceit tightens. A crooked cop, Chuck Blayden, is also murdered, and suspicion falls on Johnny and Guido. The film builds to a violent showdown and a moral reckoning, with Johnny forced to choose between escape and accountability.
Cast Highlights
- Dick Powell as Johnny O’Clock
- Evelyn Keyes as Nancy Hobson
- Lee J. Cobb as Inspector Koch
- Ellen Drew as Nelle Marchettis
- Thomas Gomez as Guido Marchettis
- Nina Foch as Harriet Hobson
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- This film marked the screen debut of Jeff Chandler, who played a gambler in a card scene thanks to Powell’s recommendation
- The casino set was one of the most expensive built in Hollywood post-WWII, featuring $50,000 worth of authentic Las Vegas equipment
- On May 12, 1947, Lux Radio Theater aired a live adaptation with Powell and Cobb reprising their roles
- Lee J. Cobb, who played Inspector Koch, later named fellow actor Shimen Ruskin (the dry cleaner in the film) before the House Un-American Activities Committee, a move that cost him friendships in Hollywood
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