Great acting from George Raft and George MacReady in a story about an escaped con who has to work for the Treasury Department. Will Geer plays a Treasury agent.
Johnny Allegro (George Raft) runs a florist shop in an L.A. hotel. While walking through the lobby Glenda Chapman (Nina Foch) goes up to him and asks him to pretend her knows her. They go to the cocktail lounge and Johnny tells her he knows she trying to get away from a cop staked out in the lobby.
He agrees to take her mink stole up to her room allowing her to escape. Into his shop walks Schultzy (Will Geer). He’s a Treasury agent. He tells Johnny he knows he used to work for gangsters that called him Johnny Rock. He also knows he was sentenced to ten years in Sing Sing but escaped.
He tells Johnny he may say something nice about him to the N.Y.P.D. if he gets info on Glenda. Johnny goes to Glenda’s room and she’s packed up to go. He agrees to help her escape. He goes to his car and gets a gun. Glenda comes down to the basement in the elevator. The cop is waiting. Johnny guns him down.
He drives Glenda to a private airfield. Back at the hotel Schultzy is in the alley. The cop gets up. Johnny’s gun was loaded with blanks to make him convincing to Glenda.. Johnny and Glenda fly to Florida.
Then it’s a boat trip to an island. That’s where he meets Morgan Vallin (George MacReady). He’s Glenda’s husband. He has Johnny turn over his gun and puts it in a desk drawer. He doesn’t like guns but he does have a thing for a bow and arrow.
The next day they all head for the race track. A delivery of money is coming in for the mutual windows. Johnny takes a box into the office. He’s given a fake ID saying he’s a doctor and is told to call a number. He gets to the office and calls Schultzy and tells him to meet him at the VA hospital.
The scam is that the box held counterfeit money. That night he and Glenda go out for dinner. Johnny says he’s having a malaria flareup and has to go to the hospital. He’s goes to a doctor’s office and Schultzy is waiting. He tells him what’s going on.
Good suspense and good acting add up to a good movie. See this one. There are some hints that it all may involve the Commies but that’s never fleshed out.
George MacReady is known for his distinctive voice. He was Martin Peyton in “Peyton Place” (1965-68).
Gloria Henry has a bit part as Johnny’s employee in the florist shop. TV fans know her as Alice Mitchell on “Dennis The Menace” (1959-63).
Character actor Thomas Browne Henry has a bit part as the head of the Florida office of the Treasury Department.
George MacReady-George Raft-Nina Foch
Vintage45's Blog 