Johnny Apollo (1940)

Johnny Apollo is a 1940 American film noir crime film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Tyrone Power and Dorothy Lamour.

Director – Henry Hathaway

Writers – Philip Dunne (screen play), Rowland Brown (screen play), Samuel G. Engel (original story)

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 (as Selmar Jackson)
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 – Henchman
Anthony Caruso as Joe – Henchman
Stanley Andrews as Welfare Secretary
Wally Albright as Office Boy

Watch “Johnny Apollo” (1940)

Plot

Bob Cain, Jr.’s stockbroker father, “Pop” Cain, is sentenced to prison for embezzlement of funds. Up until this time, the two were close, but Bob falls out with Pop over this situation and quits college to look for a job. He is unable to find one due to his father’s notoriety. He finds work when he decides to use an alias, but is fired when this is discovered.

Later, gangster Mickey Dwyer, sentenced on the same day as Pop, is granted parole. Bob, disgusted with his father’s lawyer, goes to see Dwyer’s attorney, an old former judge named Emmett T. Brennan. Waiting outside Brennan’s apartment, Bob, calling himself Johnny, meets the gangster’s girlfriend, Lucky Dubarry. They chat and she is immediately attracted to him. Brennan arrives. Lucky pretends she knows Bob, and he, not wanting to disclose his identify at all, when asked by Brennan tells them both his full name is Johnny Apollo (taking the surname from the neon sign marquee visible through the window on the dance-club across the street). Lucky leaves, and Bob inquires of Brennan how to get Pop paroled. With money, he is told.

Dwyer arrives and asks about Johnny. Brennan ‘vouches’ for him. Dwyer, not wanting to be anywhere near police, asks Bob to go bail out one of his crew, offering a hundred dollars to Bob. Bob accepts the task.

Soon, Dwyer offers Apollo employment. Apollo decides to work for the gangster to raise the dough he needs. They commit various criminal acts (not shown). After accumulating much money, Bob visits his father in prison. They reconcile, and Bob talks of a forthcoming parole, so Pop is happy. But after he leaves, his father discovers from a guard that his son, ‘Johnny Apollo’, is now a criminal, and a disgusted Pop Cain wants nothing to do with him.

Brennan attempts to make a deal for Dwyer, offering the district attorney evidence on all of his crew, if all pending charges against Dwyer are dropped. The D.A. does not accept, but counteroffers: he will drop all pending charges against Apollo, in exchange for evidence on Dwyer. Brennan accepts, knowing Apollo is essentially a good man, and that Lucky is in love with him. He hands over damning evidence on Dwyer.

In retaliation, Dwyer murders Brennan. Bob, unaware and not believing Dwyer could murder the judge, with whom he was good friends, alibis Dwyer. Both he and Dwyer are sent to prison, using Brennan’s evidence, the D.A. ignoring the deal he had with Brennan, due to Bob’s recalcitrant attitude. A jailbreak is set in motion, but Lucky is able to sneak word of it to Pop, who prevents his son from getting involved. An angry Dwyer shoots Pop and knocks out Bob, but is then killed by guards.

Bob is blamed and faces a longer sentence, perhaps even execution. Pop recovers, however, and alibis his son. Bob’s future looks brighter, particularly with Lucky on the outside, waiting for him.