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Johnny Eager (1941)

Rate: 4
Viewed: 6/15

JEager
6/15: I fought hard to stay awake during Johnny Eager.

Sure, there's plenty of noir coming from the characters, lighting, and moments of tension. The plot is interesting and full of unpredictable twists.

However, there are examples of fake background via rear projection, and it's obvious the staging of Lew Rankin's murder was done on a miniature set. Worst of all, Johnny Eager was released during the same year as The Maltese Falcon which means there's an ocean of differences between the two in terms of acting and believability.

Robert Taylor is a bore, and I've never felt gripped by his character. At the same time, I can't help but notice how artifical his thin moustache is which looks like it might have been done with a black marker. Nevertheless, Robert Taylor has a nice ending when he takes on three men in the fateful shootout.

Lana Turner is eye candy but not much of an actress at this point. Her delirium from what happened at Johnny's residence isn't believable. However, Johnny Eager suffers some from Lana Turner's prolonged absence. Luckily for her fans, she would be iconic five years later in The Postman Always Rings Twice with John Garfield. The Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actor, Van Heflin's acting is hammy and melodramatic although there were times I actually believed in his performance. Comical is Jeff's homosexual longing for Johnny which isn't subtle enough.

All in all, Johnny Eager vacillates many times between melodrama and film noir, but it's been mostly the former.