Johnny Angel

Almost everyone says the same thing about this very-well-done noir mystery. they wish someone other than George Raftrhad performed the part. He played the son of a sea captain., When his father's ship drifts into port with no one aboard, he does not accept that his father had absconded or committed a crime; he goes into action trying to find out what really happened, stay alive, and clear his father's name. Of course the company's owners deny any knowledge of what had happened. So Raft has to end up romancing one of their women and enlisting the reluctant help of a frightened girl who knows more than she is telling before he can ferret out the murderers, who were robbers on a grand scale as well. Frank Gruber and Steve Fisher were responsible for this taut and fast-moving screenplay; the film was directed in B/W by Edward L. Marion, and he deserves most of the credit for the excellence it achieves in many departments. He is helped bu the cinematography of Harry J. Wild, art direction by veterans Albert S. d'Agostino and Jack Okey, the fine set decorations by Darrell Silvera and William Stevens, costume designs by Reni and Leigh Harline's jazz film score counterpointed by Paul Francis Webster's songs and Hoagy Carmichael's prior compositions used in the film. In the very good cast, the viewer should note besides Raft, who as some reviewers have noted, tends not to have nuances but does well as a one-note line reader, Marvin Miller, Margaret Wycherly, Signe Hasso, Hoagy Carmichael as a cabdriver named Celestial O'Brien, Claire Trevor, Lowell Gilmore, J. Farrel MacDonald and Mack Gray. Much of the movie was shot in low light, or simulated night, or fog or cramped quarters. This makes Marin's directing achievement all the more impressive. The pace works like a stopwatch; and the relationships between strong characters is carried out well in dialogue, in actions and in interactions of a peaceable or a violent sort. With a great lead, the film would be a classic; but Trevor and Hasso are very good indeed and Miller has an interesting character to play for once. Catch this one.

For those of you who see this title and expect a film built around Shelley Fabares big teen idol hit from the early Sixties, skip this one by. If you're looking for an above average noir film with a World War II background than don't miss Johnny Angel.

It was with this film that George Raft entered his B picture noir period of his career. His films vary in quality from now on. Any A films he would be in from this point on were strictly in support of other players most famously in Some Like It Hot.

Raft is a sea captain who is out searching and finds a derelict freighter commanded by his father J. Farrell MacDonald. When he tows it into the port of New Orleans a stowaway played by Signe Hasso gets off. Raft of course trails her, but there are some other people after her as well, people who might be able to tell Raft what happened to his father and the rest of the crew.

Hasso was the custodian of five million dollars in gold that the Free French have smuggled out of Vichy from Casablanca. Of course that's what is involved in the disappearance of the crew.

Claire Trevor is back as a femme fatale, repeating essentially the part she had in Murder My Sweet. In this she's a two timing dame, married to mother dominated Marvin Miller, the owner of the freight line where Raft and MacDonald work. One look at her and you know she's up to no good.

And of course the film is graced by the presence of Hoagy Carmichael who contributes his piano and a song to the proceedings.

All in all, not a bad way for Raft to begin this new portion of his career.

George Raft made a lot of films I enjoyed. However, despite enjoying the pictures, I must admit that he had almost no emotional range in films and was prone to appearing wooden. He was at his best when playing a thug...other roles were a bit more problematic, especially love stories. It just wasn't his forte. But somehow, despite his range, I almost always liked his movies...so when I found "Johnny Angel" on TCM, I was sure to watch it as it's one of his pictures I haven't seen.

When the film begins, Johnny Angel (Raft) is the captain of a merchant vessel that comes upon a derelict ship in the sea. It turns out that it's his father's ship...but there's no trace of anyone aboard nor any indication where they'd gone. However, the ship was a mess...as if there was some violent altercation. When the ships arrive back in New Orleans, the tacitern Johnny goes through the French Quarter looking for clues...as well as the woman whose shoe he found aboard the derelict ship. Perhaps she was hidden and managed to slip off the boat and she could explain what happened to the ship and crew. See the film to find out the rest of the story.

Like so many other Raft films, despite his wooden performance, the story was enjoyable and worth seeing. I especially liked the femme fatale role played by Claire Trevor. Worth seeing.

Shades of the "Mary Celeste" as a seemingly deserted ship looms out of the mist off the coast of New Orleans. It's boarded by George Raft whose father was it's captain. Raft (more animated than usual} uncovers a complex plot. The colorful New Orleans backgrounds and good performances make this an above average noir film. Claire Trevor is excellent as a double crossing blonde and Hoagy Carmichael plays to type as a ubiquitous taxi driver and sings "Memphis In June". All very nicely put together.

Put Humphrey Bogart in the title role and this would be remembered along with the likes of "The Maltese Falcon," and "The Big Sleep" as a true classic. With George Raft as the lead it's not quite a classic but still damn close. Frankly I was expecting a B movie and was simply knocked out by how good it was. I'm not going to dump on Raft the way some others have because, while unquestionably a limited actor, he did have a solid presence about him and is undeniably effective at times despite his obvious limitations.

Raft is at his best when he's asked to be tough, relentless and decisive. He gets into trouble during those scenes where he's required to be scheming or thoughtful; saying one thing while thinking another. Let's just say he's not real big on nuance. That hurts the latter half of the film where the audience really needs to FEEL his escalating outrage, impatience and thirst for revenge (such as Dick Powell is able to convey in the classic 1945 film noir "Cornered.") The way Raft plays it, what you see is what you get. Everything is on the surface. You assume he's only romancing Claire Trevor's femme fatale to find out more about his father's murder, but Raft doesn't give you the subtext. It just seems like a lackluster and rather puzzling liaison, considering how angry and anxious he had previously been to uncover the truth.

But Raft is much more inspired throughout the first portion of the film and actually does register true pain and regret over his beloved father's death as he's roaming the - supposedly - deserted ship. (A Nosferatu-like premise that sets a truly eerie, haunting tone which never lets up.) And his no nonsense, take no prisoners search to find the killer showcases Raft at his very best. An early scene with fragile Signe Hasso where he brutally interrogates/romances her absolutely crackles, and culminates with a great film noir line. Just before Raft wipes away a tear from Hasso's face he growls, "Looks like rain."

But the true star of this film is director Edwin Marin. Talk about painting with light - this is one of the most gorgeously photographed, most visually arresting films I've ever seen. It just OOZES mood and atmosphere - not to mention some serious post-war disillusionment. And Marin's camera work is equally stunning as he tracks and pans and zooms and frames each shot in fresh, exciting ways. It's one of those movies where "The Past" is almost an actual character always lurking in the shadows that NO ONE can escape. But what else would you expect from something with a quintessentially cryptic noir title like "Johnny Angel"?

In fact I wouldn't be surprised if Alan Parker wasn't paying homage to this little gem with his not dissimilar, equally unsettling "Angel Heart", also set in New Orleans. Mickey Rourke's character in that 1987 film was also named, I believe, Johnny Angel.

Early on a floozie throws herself at Raft and he brushes her off. She complains to no one in particular with a shrug - "Looks like Angel is wearing his halo tonight."

You want noir? THAT'S noir.