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Johnny Eager

Johnny Eager

Crime · Drama · 1941

A charming racketeer seduces the DA's stepdaughter for revenge, then falls in love.

Movie details

Johnny Eager

“They’re Dynamite”

1941 Crime · Drama 1h 47m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.2 / 10

Community rating

A charming racketeer seduces the DA's stepdaughter for revenge, then falls in love.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Johnny Eager?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Johnny O'Clock

Johnny O'Clock

Crime · 1947

When an employee at an illegal gambling den dies suspiciously, her sister, Nancy, looks into the situation and falls for Johnny O'Clock, a suave partner in the underground casino. Selfish and non-committal by nature, Johnny slowly begins to return Nancy's affection and decides to run away with her, but conflict within his business threatens their plans. As Johnny tries to distance himself from the casino, his shady past comes back to haunt him.

Madame X

Madame X

Drama · 1966

Holly Parker, the wife of a wealthy diplomat, is compromised by the accidental death of a man who has been romantically pursuing her. She is forced by her mother-in-law to assume a new identity in order to save the reputation of her husband and infant son. She wanders the world, trying to forget her heartbreak with the aid of alcohol and unsavory men. Eventually returning to the city of her downfall, she murders a blackmailer who threatens to expose her past. Amazingly, Holly is represented at her murder trial by her now adult son, who has become a public defender. In the hope of protecting her family, she refuses to reveal her real name and is known to the court as "Madame X".

I Walk Alone

I Walk Alone

Drama · 1947

Bootleggers on the lam Frankie and Noll split up to evade capture by the police. Frankie is caught and jailed, but Noll manages to escape and open a posh New York City nightclub. 14 years later, Frankie is released from the clink and visits Noll with the intention of collecting his half of the nightclub's profits. But Noll, who has no intention of being so equitable, uses his ex-girlfriend Kay to divert Frankie from his intended goal.

Force of Evil

Force of Evil

Crime · 1950

Lawyer Joe Morse wants to consolidate all the small-time numbers racket operators into one big powerful operation. But his elder brother Leo is one of these small-time operators who wants to stay that way, preferring not to deal with the gangsters who dominate the big-time.

Pitfall

Pitfall

Drama · 1948

An insurance man wishing for a more exciting life becomes wrapped up in the affairs of an imprisoned embezzler, his model girlfriend, and a violent private investigator.

Plunder Road

Plunder Road

Crime · 1957

A spectacular heist starts to unravel as the crooks take it on the lam.

The Damned Don't Cry

The Damned Don't Cry

Crime · 1950

Fed up with her small-town marriage, a woman goes after the big time and gets mixed up with the mob.

The Man with the Golden Arm

The Man with the Golden Arm

Drama · 1955

When illegal card dealer and recovering heroin addict Frankie Machine gets out of prison, he decides to straighten up. Armed with nothing but an old drum set, Frankie tries to get honest work as a drummer. But when his former employer and his old drug dealer re-enter his life, Frankie finds it hard to stay clean and eventually finds himself succumbing to his old habits.

Greed

Greed

Drama · 1924

When housewife Trina wins the lottery, her comfortable life with her dentist husband John slowly deteriorates, in part by her own increasing paranoia and partly by the machinations of villainous acquaintance Marcus.

The Set-Up

The Set-Up

Drama · 1949

Expecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Mervyn LeRoy

Written by

James Edward Grant · John Lee Mahin

Robert Taylor

Robert Taylor

Johnny Eager

Lana Turner

Lana Turner

Lisbeth Bard

Edward Arnold

Edward Arnold

John Benson Farrell

Van Heflin

Van Heflin

Jeff Hartnett

Robert Sterling

Robert Sterling

Jimmy Courtney

Patricia Dane

Patricia Dane

Garnet

Glenda Farrell

Glenda Farrell

Mae Blythe

Court is in session

Put Johnny Eager on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.