utgard14 Parolee John Eager (Robert Taylor) has everybody fooled that he's gone straight and is trying to make an honest living as a taxi driver. In reality, Eager hasn't given up his criminal life at all. He's still a racketeer and he's working to open up a new dog track but is finding opposition from a vigilant district attorney (Edward Arnold). Eager starts dating pretty society girl Lisbeth (Lana Turner). When he finds out she's the stepdaughter of the D.A., he tries to use his relationship with Lisbeth as leverage against her stepfather.Glossy crime drama from MGM with some film noir touches. Love the dialogue and the cast is terrific. This is one of my favorite Robert Taylor performances. Far more enjoyable to me than all of those sappy romantic melodramas from the '30s. Edward Arnold, of course, can do no wrong. Lana Turner looks gorgeous (no surprise) and does fine in a role that requires little from her but to be a naive lovestruck young woman. Van Heflin plays Taylor's cynical alcoholic friend who has many of the movie's best lines. He's the scene stealer in this, by the way, and deservedly won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. As with any old movie where there's a close male friendship, many reviewers read into it things that may or may not have been intended. Watch it and decide for yourself. The rest of the cast is full of great actors. Just take a gander at the cast list for this and you'll see how much talent was involved here. It's really a quality movie with a solid script, good characters, and a powerful ending.

Larry41OnEbay-2 JOHNNY EAGER Premiered January 17 of 1942, it was both produced and distributed by MGM the BIG studio. The story & screenplay are by James Edward Grant (John Wayne's favorite writer) = HONDO, SANDS OF IWO JIMA, THE ALAMO. Also co-writing the screenplay was John Lee Mahin (Clark Gable's favorite writer) = BOOM TOWN, WIFE VS. SECRETARY, CHINA SEAS & TEST PILOT. The cinematography is by Harold Rossen some of his best films were THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO & TARZAN THE APE MAN! The director was legendary Mervyn LeRoy who made THE WIZARD OF OZ, I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG & LITTLE CAESAR! Among the familiar faces you may recognize are some great character actors: Henry O'Neill plays the parole officer, and Barry Nelson is a small time hood, Charles Dingle appears as a race track manager, and as an Italian thug Paul Stewart and finally in a small but important role you will see Glenda Farrell as a cop's wife. And here's something for you to look for, people tell me they like it when I point out something to look for. And here's your clue, "No detail is too small – nothing appearing in a movie is wasted or by accident." Even the cop who gets his beat changed and has to ride the bus has an important role. Leading man Robert Taylor has the distinction of being MGM's longest contract star and it was an inspired decision to cast him in the title role as Johnny Eager, Gangster. This was a departure from his usual good guy, matinée-idol roles. At first glance this perfectly handsome, gentleman would seem miscast, but he soon proves otherwise with an air of menace and calculation he acts every inch the tough guy. He was so good looking it's even written into the script of the film that women can't help but stop and stare at this striking actor. But no one never gets the sense that he is "trying" to be a heavy, he simply is… In fact, "Johnny Eager" would be the start of a new phase in Taylor's career, just like Dick Powell & Robert Montgomery would cut loose from their "nice guy" leading man roles and reinvent themselves darker, harder-edged playing a "flawed hero" if not a totally "bad man" persona. In this film Taylor is terrific as the cynical, selfish, big time hood who was recently paroled and who's only priorities are making more money and avoiding a return to the big house. He was born Spangler Arlington Brugh and grew up wanting to be a cellist or singer until he discovered the theater. His performance in the original 1935 version of MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION made him a star. The next year he gained even more fame opposite Greta Garbo in CAMILLE. He was married at the time of making this film to actress Barbara Stanwyck. Lana Turner plays the part of the sociology student Lisbeth Bard, who has the power to turn any man around. She is captivating with her luscious, LUX blond beauty and in her physical prime critics considered her one of cinema's greatest beauties, and justifiably so. She simply shimmers and sparkles, glitters and gleams like a white diamond on the big screen. Her rapport and sexual chemistry with Taylor is so electrifying that it may remind you of another great Film Noir title THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, with John Garfield. During filming, rumors circulated that the two were having an affair and the attraction translates onto film. Turner was usually known more for her riveting looks than her acting ability, but in this film she turns in a deeper, more sincere performance, running the gamut from cool, assessing fascination to frantic, desperate angst, which probably had a lot to do with the fact that she was directed by Mervyn LeRoy, her trusted mentor. Lana Turner was famously discover in a Hollywood drugstore and cast as the "sweater girl" and murder victim in THEY WON'T FORGET. She was Clark Gables most frequent costar and ended her long career with widescreen soap operas PEYTON PLACE and IMITATION OF LIFE. Edward Arnold plays her step-father who's also a judge and arch enemy of Robert Taylor's character. He usually played the heavy and became famous as the bad guy in three Frank Capra masterpieces, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON & MEET JOHN DOE! But who did I save for last… In my opinion it is Van Heflin who steals the show in his star turn as Johnny's best and only friend Jeff Hartnett, and a strange one at that -- a maudlin, conscious-ridden, cerebral alcoholic, the type who seems like he would be the last person fit for the criminal world. But despite this, he sticks with Johnny, and the viewer and gives a once in a lifetime performance! Remember he was the star of SHANE, 3:10 TO YUMA, PATTERNS and THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS. But what did he win an Academy Award for, this film JOHNNY EAGER.

st-shot Robert Taylor doesn't ace every scene but he gives a more than credible performance as Johnny Eager, an inventive pragmatic and violent when called for gangster trying to open a legit dog track from behind the scenes. In order to avoid being a parole violator Eager pretends to drive a cab while he masterminds the track deal paying off cops and officials to smooth things. Some officials can't be bought however and a judge (Edward Arnold) with a deep seeded resentment of Eager whom he refers to as "Thief" and humiliates blocks his license. The coldly practical Eager circumvents the problem by compromising the judge's daughter (Lana Turner) but loses his balance on the tightrope he's walking when he falls hard for her dame.Eager has a crisper look than most noirs and director Mervyn LeRoy deftly handles the storyline and avoids run of the mill by injecting minor but telling incidentals that indicate Johnny's slow transformation. Suspense scenes are well edited and mise en scene is busy and filled with pertinent detail.While Bogart might seem an apt choice to play Eager I doubt he could have played it with the same nervous authoritative energy or insecurity Taylor does here. Most of all he lacks Taylor's good looks which are crucial to romancing Lana Turner. The glamorous Ms. Turner is at first a little hard to believe as a student studying social work but she does acquit herself well in some powerfully dramatic scenes with Taylor. Paul Stewart, Glenda Farrell and Edward Arnold chip in fine supporting performances while Van Heflin delivers a magnificent one. Heflin as Eager's alcoholic sidekick and pickled conscience is not only effectively moving but also lends a droll sense of wit to the film with his sardonic observations.

JLRMovieReviews Robert Taylor as Johnny Eager, gangster/criminal/racketeer, has done his time and turned over a new leaf. Or, so his parole officer thinks so. On one of his surprise visits to Johnny's place of residence to make sure he's following the straight and narrow, the parole officer shows up with two sociology students, played by Diana Lewis (who would later marry William Powell in real life) and Lana Turner, who are there "to see how the other half lives." What happens after that was "TNT," as the MGM publicity posters said. Taylor 'n' Turner make love to the screen and bother each other so much they make Romeo and Juliet seem like toddlers. Their chemistry is enough to make the viewer want to smoke. If you want a scintillating, involving, and very intelligent crime drama with great performances by all, including character actors Edward Arnold, Robert Sterling, Barry Nelson, Paul Stewart, Glenda Farrell, and Van Heflin, in his Oscar-winning role as Johnny's literature-spouting best friend. ("'Cause even Johnny Eager needs one friend.") This is definitely one of the best of the old-fashioned crime dramas and one that shouldn't be missed.