The gangster Johnny Eager (Robert Taylor) has a scheme to pose of taxi driver to his parole officer Mr. Verne (Henry O'Neill). However he is unsuccessfully trying to get the license to open a dog racing track. Johnny is a ruthless and handsome man and his only friend and partner is the alcoholic Jeff Hartnett (Van Heflin). When Mr. Verne visits Johnny at home, he brings the social assistant Lisbeth Bard (Lana Turner), who is the daughter of the District Attorney John Benson Farrell (Edward Arnold) that is Johnny's greatest enemy and responsible for sending him to the prison. Johnny seduces Lisbeth that falls in love with him. But Johnny is a heartless man and lures Lisbeth making her believe that she killed a man to protect Johnny. Then he blackmails Farrell to get his permit to open his dog track. Meanwhile Lisbeth is deeply affected by her love for Johnny and for the death of a man. When her former boyfriend Jimmy Courtney (Robert Sterling) offers all his money to Johnny to leave the country with Lisbeth, he has difficulties to understand Jimmy's attitude. But when he visits Lisbeth, he begins to understand the meaning of love and sacrifice. What will Johnny do?"Johnny Eager" is a great film-noir, with the story of a selfish cold- blooded gangster that learns the meaning of love. Robert Taylor is perfect in the role of a notorious and manipulative gangster and Van Heflin has magnificent performance in the role of his only friend. The twenty-year old Lana Turner is amazingly beautiful. The story and the screenplay are excellent with top-notch direction of Mervyn LeRoy. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Estrada Proibida" ("Forbidden Road")

Johnny Eager is a model parolee by day and a ruthless gangster by night, doing whatever it takes to get his dog racing track up and running... including seducing his prosecutor's daughter. At first this felt like a competent but mediocre picture, but eventually comes into its own, making for an above average experience on the whole. Robert Taylor is good in the title role, charming and snappy. Lana Turner has a smaller role than you would imagine and for the first half kinda seems like a non-entity, but has a couple of great scenes towards the end. Overshadowing them both is Van Heflin as Eager's literate lush of a right-hand man, a marvelous performance. Although it takes a while for the film to develop interesting angles, Johnny's various deceptions are entertaining, and later on his character shows faint glimmers of humanity. Techincally the film is solid but lacking in impressive shots. Worth sticking through the lackluster beginning to get to the good stuff.

JOHNNY EAGER Premiered January 17 of 1942, it was both produced and distributed by MGM the BIG studio. The story & screenplay are by James Edward Grant (John Wayne's favorite writer) = HONDO, SANDS OF IWO JIMA, THE ALAMO. Also co-writing the screenplay was John Lee Mahin (Clark Gable's favorite writer) = BOOM TOWN, WIFE VS. SECRETARY, CHINA SEAS & TEST PILOT. The cinematography is by Harold Rossen some of his best films were THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO & TARZAN THE APE MAN! The director was legendary Mervyn LeRoy who made THE WIZARD OF OZ, I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG & LITTLE CAESAR! Among the familiar faces you may recognize are some great character actors: Henry O'Neill plays the parole officer, and Barry Nelson is a small time hood, Charles Dingle appears as a race track manager, and as an Italian thug Paul Stewart and finally in a small but important role you will see Glenda Farrell as a cop's wife. And here's something for you to look for, people tell me they like it when I point out something to look for. And here's your clue, "No detail is too small – nothing appearing in a movie is wasted or by accident." Even the cop who gets his beat changed and has to ride the bus has an important role. Leading man Robert Taylor has the distinction of being MGM's longest contract star and it was an inspired decision to cast him in the title role as Johnny Eager, Gangster. This was a departure from his usual good guy, matinée-idol roles. At first glance this perfectly handsome, gentleman would seem miscast, but he soon proves otherwise with an air of menace and calculation he acts every inch the tough guy. He was so good looking it's even written into the script of the film that women can't help but stop and stare at this striking actor. But no one never gets the sense that he is "trying" to be a heavy, he simply is… In fact, "Johnny Eager" would be the start of a new phase in Taylor's career, just like Dick Powell & Robert Montgomery would cut loose from their "nice guy" leading man roles and reinvent themselves darker, harder-edged playing a "flawed hero" if not a totally "bad man" persona. In this film Taylor is terrific as the cynical, selfish, big time hood who was recently paroled and who's only priorities are making more money and avoiding a return to the big house. He was born Spangler Arlington Brugh and grew up wanting to be a cellist or singer until he discovered the theater. His performance in the original 1935 version of MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION made him a star. The next year he gained even more fame opposite Greta Garbo in CAMILLE. He was married at the time of making this film to actress Barbara Stanwyck. Lana Turner plays the part of the sociology student Lisbeth Bard, who has the power to turn any man around. She is captivating with her luscious, LUX blond beauty and in her physical prime critics considered her one of cinema's greatest beauties, and justifiably so. She simply shimmers and sparkles, glitters and gleams like a white diamond on the big screen. Her rapport and sexual chemistry with Taylor is so electrifying that it may remind you of another great Film Noir title THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, with John Garfield. During filming, rumors circulated that the two were having an affair and the attraction translates onto film. Turner was usually known more for her riveting looks than her acting ability, but in this film she turns in a deeper, more sincere performance, running the gamut from cool, assessing fascination to frantic, desperate angst, which probably had a lot to do with the fact that she was directed by Mervyn LeRoy, her trusted mentor. Lana Turner was famously discover in a Hollywood drugstore and cast as the "sweater girl" and murder victim in THEY WON'T FORGET. She was Clark Gables most frequent costar and ended her long career with widescreen soap operas PEYTON PLACE and IMITATION OF LIFE. Edward Arnold plays her step-father who's also a judge and arch enemy of Robert Taylor's character. He usually played the heavy and became famous as the bad guy in three Frank Capra masterpieces, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON & MEET JOHN DOE! But who did I save for last… In my opinion it is Van Heflin who steals the show in his star turn as Johnny's best and only friend Jeff Hartnett, and a strange one at that -- a maudlin, conscious-ridden, cerebral alcoholic, the type who seems like he would be the last person fit for the criminal world. But despite this, he sticks with Johnny, and the viewer and gives a once in a lifetime performance! Remember he was the star of SHANE, 3:10 TO YUMA, PATTERNS and THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS. But what did he win an Academy Award for, this film JOHNNY EAGER.

Robert Taylor (as Johnny Eager) is a racketeer on parole; he is posing an honest taxi driver, but actually runs a successful criminal organization. His companion is Van Heflin (as Jeff Hartnett), an unrequited love-struck alcoholic. Adversarial district attorney Edward Arnold (as John Benson Farrell) has a tempting step-daughter, luscious Lana Turner (as Liz Bard), who complicates life considerably. Mr. Taylor is charismatic as gangster "Johnny Eager" and Ms. Turner is lovely as "Liz"… Van Heflin (as Jeff Hartnett) is the actor and performer to watch in this film. Every time he is on camera, Heflin is riveting - whether in the background, staring into space; or, when seen in close-up, crying his eyes out. Moreover, he never overplays his hand, or goes "over the top"; instead, he makes the absolute most out of a delicious role. In an otherwise routine production, Heflin delivers an unfolding, landmark supporting performance.Nothing is quite as good as Heflin's performance in "Johnny Eager", but Taylor's drunken crashing of the "poker party" makes the second half much more entertaining than the first half of the gangster story. Lana Turner watchers should know her clothing choices get sexier during the film's running time. Still, keep an eye on Heflin's "Jeff" - by the end of the film, he is unquestionably Taylor's "leading man". ******* Johnny Eager (12/9/41) Mervyn LeRoy ~ Robert Taylor, Van Heflin, Lana Turner