''Johnny Angel'' is a 1945 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American '' ...

directed by

Edwin L. Marin Edwin L. Marin (February 21, 1899 – May 2, 1951) was an American film director who directed 58 films between 1932 and 1951, working with Randolph Scott, Anna May Wong, John Wayne, Peter Lorre, George Raft, Bela Lugosi, Judy Garland, Eddi ...

and written by

Steve Fisher Steve Fisher may refer to: * Steve Fisher (American basketball coach) (born 1945), American college basketball coach * Steve Fisher (writer) Stephen Gould Fisher (August 29, 1912 – March 27, 1980) was an American author best known for h ...

(adapted by Frank Gruber) from the 1944 novel ''Mr. Angel Comes Aboard'' by Charles Gordon Booth. The movie stars

George Raft George Raft (born George Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is ...

Claire Trevor Claire Trevor ( Wemlinger; March 8, 1910April 8, 2000) was an American actress. She appeared in 65 feature films from 1933 to 1982, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ''Key Largo'' (1948), and received nomina ...

and Signe Hasso, and features

Hoagy Carmichael Hoagland Howard Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s, and was among the first ...

Synopsis

merchant ship A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are ...

captain (

) finds his father's ship – of the same line – derelict at sea, the entire crew having disappeared. From an unlisted passenger ( Signe Hasso), the only survivor of the hijacking of the ship, he learns of a plot involving secret gold, and searches New Orleans for his father's murderer.

Cast

as Johnny Angel *

as Lilah "Lily" Gustafson * Signe Hasso as Paulette Girard *

Lowell Gilmore Lowell Gilmore (20 December 1906 – 31 January 1960) was an American stage, film and television actor. Life and career Lowell Gilmore first worked as a stage manager on the 1929 Broadway play ''The First Mrs. Fraser'', but got his chance as a ...

as Sam Jewell *

as Celestial O'Brien *

Marvin Miller Marvin Julian Miller (April 14, 1917 – November 27, 2012) was an American baseball executive who served as the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) from 1966 to 1982. Under Miller's direction, the players ...

as George "Gusty" Gustafson *

Margaret Wycherly Margaret De Wolfe Wycherly (born Margaret De Wolfe, 26 October 1881 – 6 June 1956) was an English stage and film actress. She spent many years in the United States and is best remembered for her Broadway roles and Hollywood character parts. On ...

as Miss Drumm *

J. Farrell MacDonald John Farrell MacDonald (June 6, 1875 – August 2, 1952) was an American character actor and director. He played supporting roles and occasional leads. He appeared in over 325 films over a four-decade career from 1911 to 1951, and directed fort ...

as Capt. Angel * Mack Gray as Mack, the Bartender

Production

''Mr Angel Comes Aboard'' was published in 1944. The ''New York Times'' described it as "a tale of adventure, mystery, treachery, and murder, that reaches a happy ending amid a welter of gore." RKO bought the film rights that year, with Jack Gross originally signed to produce and Pat O'Brien mentioned as a possible star. In July 1944, George Raft signed to play the lead and the film was to be called ''Johnny Angel''.

Ray Enright Ray Enright (March 25, 1896 – April 3, 1965) was an American film director. He directed 73 films between 1927–53, many of them for Warner Bros. He oversaw comedy films like Joe E. Brown vehicles, five of the six informal pairings of ...

was to direct. Eventually William Pereira became producer and

was the director, his first assignment under a two-picture deal with RKO. Signe Hasso was borrowed from MGM and

hired to play the main female lead.

, who had just made his film debut in ''To Have and Have Not'', was hired to play a small role and to sing "Memphis in June".

Release

Box office

Although RKO had low expectations for the film it was an unexpected hit, earning the studio a profit of $1,192,000.Richard Jewell & Vernon Harbin, ''The RKO Story.'' New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982. p205Jewell, Richard B. (2016) ''Slow Fade to Black: The Decline of RKO Radio Pictures'', University of California Press Raft went on to make a number of films with Marin including three more thrillers for RKO.Aaker, Everett (2013) ''The Films of George Raft'', McFarland & Company, p.116

Critical reception

The staff at ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' magazine gave the film a lukewarm review, and wrote, "Johnny Angel is another in the seemingly never-ending series of maritime intrigues involving murder and lust. It is slow and plodding, with poor story development...Raft is his invariably glowering self as a guy who really handles his mitts - and the dames - while Claire Trevor and Signe Hasso are the romantic interests. Rest of the cast is weighted down too much by the story..." ''

Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an engine ...

'' film guide gave the film a positive review and wrote, "The world of ''Johnny Angel'' is very noir indeed...They all inhabit a closed world, where even pastoral idylls reek of claustrophobia and obsession. The men struggle against the towering shadows of their fathers, the women are dangerously enigmatic, and the docks of New Orleans glisten under the diffuse light of a single street-lamp. Even Hoagy Carmichael sounds eerie singing "Memphis in June." There are no black diamonds, but ''Johnny Angel'' glitters like one."Staff (2008
"High and Low"
. ''

'' Last accessed: January 24, 2008.

References

External links

* * * *
Johnny Angel
at Letterbox DVD
Johnny Angel
at BFI
Review of film
at ''Variety'' {{Edwin L. Marin 1945 films 1945 crime films American crime films American black-and-white films American detective films 1940s English-language films Film noir Films based on American novels Films based on British novels Films directed by Edwin L. Marin Films set in New Orleans RKO Pictures films Films scored by Leigh Harline Seafaring films 1940s American films