Treasury Department officials recruit a florist to lead them to a wanted criminal, but once he gets too close, he finds that he's the hunted.Treasury Department officials recruit a florist to lead them to a wanted criminal, but once he gets too close, he finds that he's the hunted.Treasury Department officials recruit a florist to lead them to a wanted criminal, but once he gets too close, he finds that he's the hunted.
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- Sam
- (uncredited)
- Nurse Baldwin
- (uncredited)
- Gray
- (uncredited)
- Servant
- (uncredited)
- Police Officer
- (uncredited)
- Dr. Jaynes
- (uncredited)
- Man in Basement
- (uncredited)
- Man in Basement
- (uncredited)
- Hotel Guest
- (uncredited)
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Featured reviews
George Raft plays the title character, a reformed hoodlum, who now runs a florist shop (!!) in a hotel. He encounters a mysterious blonde, of the femme fatale variety, and winds up involved in a counterfeiting operation. Most of the action then takes place on an island off Florida where the womens husband is a tall, blonde master-criminal who enjoys hunting with a bow and arrow.
Everything here is above average and the film comes together in all areas very well. The interplay between Allegro and the evil, sophisticated Morgan Vallin, is similar to many a James Bond film with mutual distrust and respect between the two antagonists.
With good performances all round, a brisk plot and the inventiveness of the storyline, 'Johnny Allegro' is well worth watching for B-movie fans. The director was better known as a cinematographer, and his obvious skills are shown to good effect.
Setting up the plot is a little bit wonky and a little rushed. Raft does fine but this cannot rise above its B-movie nature. There is also an element of James Bond villainy and trying to be high class style. I sorta expected Allegro to order a martini although Raft is definitely no Bond. The movie is trying to be a few things at the same time but it falls a little flat. The tension is never raised that high. The bow and arrow is probably the definition of that. It's a little odd but it's not intense. It's also a little camp like summer camp. I'm giving this a passing grade.
Odd as it seems, George Raft is one of my top classic gangster figures from the golden age of Hollywood. However, I must admit, George Raft was usually better when he was the supporting actor and not so much as the lead.. I guess the reason is, as a supporter in a film, George Raft had the opportunity of working with guys like James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Paul Muni and Humphrey Bogart... Even if the script was below par, with the aide of an all-star cast it often can lift a poor film up a bit because of the cast of actors appearing in the scenes together.... I noticed that when George Raft was the lead actor, he often was forced to carry the film alone and was working with good but "Lesser" actors who weren't as popular with film viewer's.... Thus, those type of films get reduced to "B" quality.....
I guess that George Raft's peak years in Hollywood was more than likely between 1938 to 1945...... By '45 George Raft was age 50 and fully wearing some upper hair-piece to cover the horse shoe.... Cheers to George Raft....
MR.BILL Raleigh
It's not so much the plot that demands attention here as it is Columbia's effort to superficially remind its audience of one of its biggest hits of a few years before, Gilda. This is to the extent of casting George Macready as the cultured head of the counterfeiters. (You know he's cultured because he listens to classical music). He also prefers the use of a bow and arrow (a man's weapon) over that of a gun. Ballin in Gilda is now called Vallin.
His wife, whom Allegro desires, of course, is played by a sophisticated Nina Foch. Her character's name? Glenda. Not quite Gilda, but close enough. And then, of course, there are the leading men in the two films, both named Johnny.
With that bow and arrow fetish of Macready the audiences knows, too, that it probably won't be long before another variation of The Most Dangerous Game gets played out. Macready is fun to watch, even if there is a feeling of having seen much of this same act before. Raft is Raft. Did ever a block of wood dress better? And Nina Foch, well, she'll never replace the memory of Hayworth's vamp.
Did you know
- TriviaGeorge Macready's character's name in Gilda (1946) is Ballin Mundson who used a walking stick with a bayonet inside. In this movie, his character's name is Morgan Vallin who hunted with a bow and arrow.
- GoofsThe mountainous island where Vallin lives is supposedly located on the Florida coast, but there are no such hilly islands anywhere in or near the state of Florida. In fact, the highest elevation anywhere in south Florida is 50 feet above sea level.
- Quotes
Morgan Vallin: Hello, Glenda.
Glenda Chapman: Morgan.
Morgan Vallin: Welcome home.
[For the first time, he sees there's another man in the room]
Glenda Chapman: Morgan, this is...
Morgan Vallin: How chummy! You brought a friend with you. How hospitable.
Glenda Chapman: I was just going to explain that.
Morgan Vallin: Why trouble to explain? It's so touchingly natural.
Glenda Chapman: This is Johnny Allegro.
Morgan Vallin: You actually know his name! I'm Morgan Vallin. Always glad to meet any of Glenda's friends, though she doesn't usually bring them with her.
Glenda Chapman: I had to bring him here, Morgan. He killed a detective for me so I could get here.
Morgan Vallin: How adventurous! How romantic!
Glenda Chapman: Morgan, don't be foolish.
Morgan Vallin: Forgive me, Johnny whatever your name is. I want to thank you for any assistance you may have given my little wife.
Johnny Allegro: Wife?
Morgan Vallin: She forgot to tell you, of course. She usually does. Or were you afraid he might not have come here with you?
Glenda Chapman: I told you why I brought him here. He had no other getaway. This is Johnny Rock. They want him for escaping a stretch at Sing Sing.
Morgan Vallin: And what have you told him?
Glenda Chapman: Nothing. He doesn't even know where he is.
Morgan Vallin: And how did that minute mind of yours conclude that anyone could be of service to me with his pictures in all the papers, with a number across the front of them?
Johnny Allegro: They took those a long time ago. I've changed a lot since then.
Morgan Vallin: But your type never changes. Just looking at you makes one think of alley fighting, tommy guns.
Johnny Allegro: Is that bad?
Morgan Vallin: It's not for me. You see all this?
[He gestures around the room at the paintings, sculptures, and mounted animal heads]
Johnny Allegro: Nice museum.
Morgan Vallin: You would call it that. But it's my library, my concert hall, my trophy room. Here I have the best the world has to offer, and I don't intend to let anything jeopardize it. I can permit only people around me of whose methods I am sure.
- SoundtracksSymphony no. 3 in E-flat: Finale
(uncredited)
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven
Played on Morgan Vallin's phonograph
Details
- Runtime1 hour 21 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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