Johnny Eager - It's in the Name Blogathon

So I’m starting to dive into Lana Turner’s films in preparation for a book I’m writing, so I thought that the It’s in the Name of the Title Blogathon was the perfect opportunity to grab Johnny Eager, featuring Lana and Robert Taylor. This was my first experience with Robert, and I have to say, I want MORE. He was so great in this playing the gangster tortured by love (more on how he was tortured by love in real life during filming a bit later).

I also loved Lana in this. I did not know what I was missing and I’m excited to dive into her career more.

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Synopsis

The movie opens with a supposed reformed gangster named Johnny Eager (Taylor) who is now on parole and working as a taxi driver. He meets a couple of sociology students, one of whom is Liz Bard (Lana). She’s immediately taken by him, and when she encounters him in a precarious position, she fully falls for him and the two start a relationship.

We soon learn though, although she’s in love with him, he seems to be fighting his love for her and instead uses her by making her think she killed his attacker and Johnny helped cover it up. He does this to gain control of her father so he can open up his new dog racing track and get rich. What he doesn’t expect is that Liz falls apart after thinking she killed someone. When he finally comes to visit her a few days later, she’s a wreck and tells him that once he’s no longer in danger of being prosecuted, that she’s going to go to the police and confess everything because she can’t live with what she’s done, but is so in love with him that she doesn’t want to jeopardize anything for him either.

He finally admits that he’s in love with her and decides to bring the supposed dead man, who is very much alive, to her and prove to her that she didn’t do anything wrong. The gangster redeems himself in the end, but

**SPOILER**

There is no happy ending for our starcrossed lovers.

The Players

Lana Turner

I really enoyed Lana in this movie. Her character arc was convincing as she was first the woman in love and then the one losing her mind. She acted this out very well, and it was impressive to watch.

Robert Taylor

As I mentioned, this is my first experience with Robert and he did not disappoint. I was to seek out more of his films because of this movie. He’s the gangster that you want to hate (and do), but then for him to fall so in love with Liz that he gives it all up for her just pulls at your heartstrings.

Van Heflin

Van is BRILLIANT in this. There is a reason he won an Oscar for his performance as Johnny’s friend Jeff. He has some of the best lines, plays being drunk super well, and is a refreshing foil to Johnny. He’s really the only friend that Johnny has and is determined to stick by him even when Johnny screws up or treats him poorly.

Background Trivia

The Affair!

So the biggest scandal of this film is the affair between Lana and Robert. While affairs in classic Hollywood were not uncommon, Robert wanted to leave his wife Barbara Stanwyck for Lana at the time. Barbara apparently “injured” her wrist over the whole ordeal, so Lana decided to break it off, insisiting that she was not in love with him like he was with her.

What if…?

Lana and Robert had gotten married..

So even though Robert wanted to leave, Lana breaking it off actually kept him and Barbara together for another 10 years before they got divorced. He only married once more and Barbara never married again. I wonder what would have happened if Lana and Robert had gotten married. Would it have lasted? Could she have avoided the whole situation with the real life gangster, also named Johnny?

If you like alternative history or biographical/historical fiction, I write that as well under the pen name Dottie Fray.