Johnny Apollo ** (1940, Tyrone Power, Dorothy Lamour, Edward Arnold, Lloyd Nolan) – Classic Movie Review 13,960

Henry Hathaway’s 1940 black and white crime thriller film noir Johnny Apollo stars Tyrone Power, Dorothy Lamour, Edward Arnold, and Lloyd Nolan.

Director Henry Hathaway’s 1940 American black and white crime thriller film noir Johnny Apollo stars Tyrone Power, Dorothy Lamour, and Edward Arnold, along with Lloyd Nolan, Charley Grapewin, Lionel Atwill, Marc Lawrence, Jonathan Hale, Harry Rosenthal, Russell Hicks, Fuzzy Knight, Charles Lane, and Selmer Jackson.

Johnny Apollo is an average Forties gangster movie with Tyrone Power as Bob Cain (alias Johnny Apollo), a well-heeled college graduate dragged into crime as henchman to gangster Mickey Dwyer (Lloyd Nolan) after his Wall Street financier dad Robert Cain Sr (Edward Arnold) is found guilty of fraud and embezzlement, and jailed. Bob has turned to crime to raise money for his father’s release and is now a mobster.

Power is handsome but rather wooden, though this is made up for by the performances of Dorothy Lamour (as Lloyd Nolan’s girlfriend Lucky, for whom Power soon falls too of course), Edward Arnold and Lloyd Nolan, as well as Hathaway’s fast-moving direction.

The script by Philip Dunne and Rowland Brown offers lots of the genre’s clichés but less of the credibilty of its best movies. But 20th Century Fox’s production and the support performances are impeccable, and Arthur Si Miller’s black and white cinematography is outstanding.

Lamour sings several songs, including the 1938 hit ‘They Say’ (by Edward Heyman, Paul Mann and Stephen Weiss), and dances in the nightclub scenes.

Running time: 94 minutes.

Release date: April 19, 1940.

Cast: Tyrone Power as Bob Cain, Dorothy Lamour as ‘Lucky’ Dubarry, Edward Arnold as Robert Cain Sr, Lloyd Nolan as Mickey Dwyer, Charley Grapewin  as Judge Emmett T Brennan, Lionel Atwill as Jim McLaughlin, Marc Lawrence as Bates, Jonathan Hale as Dr Brown, Harry Rosenthal as Piano Player, Russell Hicks as District Attorney, Fuzzy Knight as Cellmate, Charles Lane as Assistant District Attorney, Selmer Jackson as Warden, Charles Trowbridge as Judge, John Hamilton as Judge, William Pawley as Paul, Eric Wilton as Butler, Gary Breckner as Announcer, Harry Tyler as Trusty, George Irving as Mr Ives, Eddie Marr as Harry, Anthony Caruso as Joe, Stanley Andrews as Welfare Secretary, and Wally Albright as Office Boy.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,960

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