Small House of Everything

Small House of Everything

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

QVERLOOKED FILM: JOHNNY ONE-EYE (1950)

This is a gangster film but "Johnny One-Eye" is not a gangster, but a dog owned by a cute little six-year-old girl.  That being said, you know this film is going to end with a high dose of schmaltz.

Repetitively named big time gangster Martin Martin is about to enter New York politics when he discovers that the District Attorney is about to charge him (rightly so) for a five-year-old murder.  He manages to escape and arranges a meeting with his former partner Dane Corey (Wayne Morris), knowing full well that Corey copped a plea deal while fingering Martin.  At this meeting, one of Corey's henchmen shoots Martin while Cory flees.  Corey hides out at his girlfriend's apartment (the not-very-aptly named burlesque queen Lily White, played by Delores Moran).  And Lily has a young daughter, Elsie (Gayle Reed).  And Elsie has a one-eyed dog name Johnny (uncredited critter).  And thus we have come full circle.

You can probably figure out the rest of this tale of vengeance and syrup.  (It may help if I mention that the flick is based on a Damon Runyon story.)

This one's directed by Robert Florey (The Cocoanuts, God Is My Co-Pilot, The Beast with Five Fingers) from a script by Richard Landau (Back to Bataan, Frankenstein 1970, The Black Hole).

Enjoy.


https://archive.org/details/JohnnyOne-Eye

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