Johnny O’Clock (1947)

“What do I do now, Johnny?”,  25 July 2021

The plot in Johnny O’Clock isn’t very straightforward and a bit difficult to summarize.  O’Clock is part owner in a casino.  His partners are looking to squeeze him out.  At the same time, O’Clock is constantly rebuffing the advances of a partner’s wife.  In addition, O’Clock is trying to help the casino’s hatcheck girl who’s involved in a bad marriage.  A murder and a dogged detective only add to O’Clock’s headaches.

On the face of it, you’d think that Johnny O’Clock would be a much better film.  I mean it’s got almost all you could ask for in a film noir - a smart talking lead, a crooked cop, murder, a jealous casino owner, sharp dialogue, a cheating wife, and a beautiful love interest for our hero.  All the pieces are there, but it's like window dressing designed to hide a poor plot.  It's all talk and show with no substance at the center of the film.  I’m not sure how to put this, but the movie never drew me in.  The story lacked a focus on a single plot idea for me to get behind.  There were several different things going on at once, but none of it fit together to form a cohesive story (much like what I'm writing).  I guess it’s a case of the parts being greater than the sum.  

Two other things that bothered me:  First, at about the halfway mark of the film, our hero finds a piece of evidence that so clearly points to the killer, it eliminates the mystery.  Had he just turned it over to the police, the subsequent pain and suffering could have been eliminated.  Second, I really hated the name “Johnny O’Clock”.  I got tired of hearing people say “Mr O”Clock”.  It might have seemed like a good title, but the name O’Clock gets annoying.  

5/10