Search

Johnny Come Lately

1943, Movie, NR, 97 mins

Johnny Come Lately: Review

starstarstarstar
George had been a stage star for many years before deciding to do a film. This feeble comedy-drama was the only one she ever made, and it fails to show her great stage presence to good advantage. James Cagney's brother William produced it and that nepotism may have had something to do with the fact that no one noticed the lame script. In it, Cagney is an itinerant journalist who is jailed as a vagrant in a tiny town, then paroled to George, the publisher of the local paper. Cagney learns that the city is in the hands of some powerful and corrupt men, and he is determined to toss them out of their influential positions. McNamara, the leader of the bad guys, gets very angry at Cagney's actions. Main runs a dance hall with a no-nonsense attitude and knows where all the town's bodies are buried but won't give Cagney any help. When an election is held, the honest local leaders are dragged off to jail by McNamara's band. Finally, Main acquiesces and tells Cagney of an embezzlement plot that she's uncovered. The crooks are using money collected for an orphanage to maintain their positions. Once he knows this, Cagney publishes the truth in the local paper and the town rises up against the villains. Cagney wastes his talents on this film and has little opportunity to demonstrate his rat-a-tat style. The music by Harline was good enough to get an Oscar nomination but lost out to Alfred Newman for THE SONG OF BERNADETTE. The best part of the picture is the casting of several superior character people, especially Hamilton, McDaniel, Cleveland, and Hunnicutt. It's pleasant enough, and the period sets and costumes are quite authentic, but it never catches fire. The film was made between YANKEE DOODLE DANDY and BLOOD ON THE SUN, two of Cagney's finest. Producer William Cagney also oversaw BLOOD ON THE SUN, so it is presumed that he learned a great deal from JOHNNY COME LATELY, his first production. leave a comment
Advertisement

Shop

Johnny Come Lately
Buy Johnny Come Lately from Amazon.com
From Metropolis Pictures Entertainment, Inc. (DVD-R)
Average Customer Review: nostarnostarnostarnostarnostar
Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy New: $29.95 (as of 11/05/09 10:35 PM EST - more info)

more Johnny Come Lately products

Advertisement

Related Websites

You might be also interested in the following websites:

Most Popular TV Shows

  1. Dancing with the Stars
  2. The Game
  3. NCIS
  4. American Idol
  5. Wife Swap
more popular tv shows

Most Popular Celebrities

  1. Jim Carrey
  2. Jon Stewart
  3. Cameron Diaz
  4. Rue McClanahan
  5. Morgan Freeman
more popular celebrities

Most Popular Movies

  1. This Is It
  2. Paranormal Activity
  3. Law Abiding Citizen
  4. Couples Retreat
  5. Saw VI
more popular movies

Top Videos

  1. V
  2. Prince of Persia: The Sands of...
  3. GLEE
  4. 90210
more top videos