TV and Movies

[Oznell]

4:30 p.m. Eastern--  "Johnny Eager"  Robert Taylor, Lana Turner, Van Heflin, Edward Arnold, Glenda Farrell

Terrific film noir with smoldering Taylor as an ambivalent gangster leading a complicated double life, who sets out to ensnare the D.A.'s daughter (Lana Turner), but ends up falling in love.

Besides this torrid pairing, the wonderful Van Heflin gives one of his meaty performances (and won a best supporting Oscar); and speaking of soulful Glenda Farrell, she makes an appearance as well (as someone out of the past.)

I think some wag once said that any film noir with "Johnny" in the title or as one of the characters, is good!  I believe them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZQ-bI6MUb8

[Oznell]

And "Weirdland" has an interesting, personal take on "Johnny Eager",  which singles out Taylor's scene with TCM's star of the month, the aforementioned Glenda Farrell, as a key one of the film.

This has great photos of Taylor and cast embedded in the text.  Scroll down and note that Farrell is significantly different than she is in her jaunty Theresa "Torchy" Blane persona in the movie series of the same name:

http://jake-weird.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2013-11-27T08:59:00-08:00&max-results=5&reverse-pa...

[drizzellla]

Well if it has Robert Taylor in it - I am watching. Or hope to watch. It is hard to remember sometimes to turn on the TV at 4:30. I know I have seen this movie before but worth checking it out again.

They have quite a few Glenda Farrell (Star of the month)  movies on today in the afternoon and evening. She made 11 movies released in 1933. Guess they will have no trouble coming up with movies for her this month.

[Oznell]

Yeah, @drizzellla, Glenda Farrell was a Warner Bros. fixture in the Thirties.  I think she was in that group of Sylvia Sidney, Claire Trevor, Irene Dunne, etc. who were just slightly older than some of the other 'Golden Age' of cinema players-- a lot of their best work was well before World War II...

"Johnny Eager" offers such a complex, interesting role for Taylor-- it played well to his half-submerged soulful, introspective quality....