Johnny O'Clock (1947 Robert Rossen & scr)

Terrific terse dialogue and stylish direction as theme of clocks runs through the film - even the roulette wheels on the walls resemble them.

"He's dead. He died at 12.30."
Looks at watch - it's 12.20. Great stuff.

"Tell him to stop playing. It's bad for my eyes."
"You, with the hands. Go home."

Dick Powell is the titular gentleman, a cool saloon manager working for Thomas Gomez (rather good as Marchettis; also in Key Largo and that other notable noir Force of Evil). Ellen Drew is the lady caught between them. The tale is merrily complicated by a cop Lee J. Cobb, a disappeared gangster and his moll Jim Bannon and Nina Foch and the arrival of her sister, Evelyn Keyes. With John Kellogg as an ex-con.

Film noir photographed by Burnett Guffey with good music from George Duning. Columbia.

Rossen wrote Marked Woman, A Walk In the Sun, All the King's Men, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Desert Fury, Lilith, The Hustler.