Johnny O'Clock

Robert Rossen's directorial debut is a noir mystery thriller about a slick casino operator navigating professional, romantic, and legal entanglements. Rosen intertwines the titular character's various travails with more interesting events occurring outside of the protagonist's narrow field of view. Johnny is a cool customer but as embodied by Dick Powell (the hoofer who charmed a musical comedy star in the ’30s but was never as convincing playing the hardboiled types he transitioned to in the '40s) we don't especially care about what happens to him or understand why women are willing to throw their lives away to be with him. The supporting cast is far better, especially Lee J. Cobb as the gruff police inspector trying to get to the bottom of several crimes and complaints. Thomas Gomez and Ellen Drew are also great as Jonney's partner Guido and Guido's wife Nelle, who is also Jonny’s former girlfriend. Lots of unfamiliar character actors pop up here and there to add color which makes this somewhat familiar crime story feel distinctive.