Johnny Eager, 1942, Is Playing on TCM on March 12 (USA)

Johnny Eager, 1942, is playing on Turner Classic Movies on Saturday, March 12 at 8:00 a.m. est. This is one of Mr. Taylor’s best. Don’t miss it.

Robert Taylor and Lana Turner in “Johnny Eager.”

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Cast: Robert Taylor, Lana Turner, Edward Arnold, Van Heflin, Robert Sterling, Patricia Dane, Glenda Farrell, Barry Nelson. Slick MGM melodrama with convoluted plot about sociology student (and daughter of D.A. Arnold) Turner falling in love with unscrupulous racketeer Taylor. Heflin won Best Supporting Actor Oscar as Taylor’s alcoholic friend.(TCM)

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Having only been familiar with Robert Taylor’s body of forgettable [humpf!] work from the thirties (The Broadway Melodies, Camille, etc), seeing him in the title role of Johnny Eager was stunning. Tom Hanks’s 180 degree turn from silly comedies to Philadelphia might be a modern day equivalent. Taylor steps into a role that would seem tailor made for Bogart, Cagney or Robinson, and does an arguably better job than any of them could have. Yes, Lana Turner is present, and yes, Van Heflin won a supporting Oscar, but Taylor owns this film.

Johnny Eager is one of the best films of the 40s, as well as one of the all time greats.
(Taken from a review by Justin Behnke on the IMDB).

Some behind the scenes photos:

Rehearsing the ending with Robert Ssterling.

About giraffe44

I became a Robert Taylor fan at the age of 15 when his TV show, "The Detectives" premiered. My mother wanted to watch it because she remembered Mr. Taylor from the thirties. I took one look and that was it. I spent the rest of my high school career watching Robert Taylor movies on late night TV, buying photos of him, making scrapbooks and being a typical teenager. College, marriage and career intervened. I remember being sad when Mr. Taylor died. I mailed two huge scrapbooks to Ursula Thiess. I hope she got them. Time passed, retirement, moving to Florida. Then in 2012 my husband Fred pointed that there were two Robert Taylor movies that evening on Turner Classic Movies--"Ivanhoe" and "Quentin Durward." I watched both and it happened all over again. I started this blog both for fans and for people who didn't know about Robert Taylor. As the blog passes 200,000 views I'm delighted that so many people have come by and hope it will help preserve the legacy of this fine actor and equally good man.

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5 Responses to Johnny Eager, 1942, Is Playing on TCM on March 12 (USA)

Jacob says:

March 6, 2022 at 2:46 pm

It seems strange to say Taylor “owns the film” when he was the star.

LikeLiked by 1 person

Jen says:

March 8, 2022 at 1:31 am

I’m going to watch this tonight. Good movie and Van Heflin does a good job as an alcoholic. (I watched Van in a movie last night)

LikeLiked by 1 person

- giraffe44 says:
  
  March 8, 2022 at 4:45 pm
  
  Hi, Jen. Heflin deserved his Oscar, but Mr. Taylor should at least have been nominated, don’t you think? Judith
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  - Jen says:
    
    March 9, 2022 at 7:22 pm
    
    Yes, I think that for Robert Taylor to never have been nominated speaks volumes. There are others in that era that were never nominated either. BTW Taylor looked great in Johnny Eager. But that mustache…..no!
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
  - giraffe44 says:
    
    March 27, 2022 at 7:23 pm
    
    It’s one of the only films where I like the moustache. Usually, no. Judith
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person