Johnny Allegro
Columbia Pictures (1949)
Crime
In Collection
#7092
0*
Seen ItYes
IMDB   6.4
1 hr 21 mins USA / English
DVD  Region 1   NR
George Raft Johnny Allegro
Nina Foch Glenda Chapman
George Macready Morgan Vallin
Will Geer Schultzy
Gloria Henry Addie
Ivan Triesault Pelham Vetch
Harry Antrim Pudgy
William Phillips Roy
Eddie Acuff Maintenance Man
Mary Bear Nurse
Paul E. Burns Gray
Matilda Caldwell Servant
Frank Dae Dr. Jaynes
Sol Gorss Jeffrey
Chuck Hamilton Guard
Director
Ted Tetzlaff
Producer Irving Starr
Writer James Edward Grant
Cinematography Joseph F. Biroc
Musician George Duning

A decade before TV brought us Johnny Staccato, Columbia Pictures presented Johnny Allegro, a florist with a concession in a fancy hotel who gets wrapped up in a police manhunt.

We start with what appears to be a typical Hitchcock setup: an innocent man gets drawn into peril thanks to a leggy blonde. But is Allegro truly as innocent as he appears? Not in the eyes of "Schultzy" the cop (played convincingly by Will Geer, almost unrecognizable to those of us who only remember him as "Grandpa Walton").

So now we have a new plot developing: a crook infiltrating another crook's operation in order to clear his name with the police. He ends up in a swanky manor on a secluded Florida island, trying to track down some counterfeit money that could ruin the US economy.

And finally, we end up with a finale that steals a page or two from "The Most Dangerous Game," as Raft is hunted across the island by a foe with a bow.

In my opinion, Raft was too old for this role, and not terribly convincing as an action figure. The plot seems like a jigsaw puzzle made from three different boxes that don't quite match, and there's nothing outstanding about the visual aspect of the picture. It's got some good moments (mostly thanks to Geer and Foch) but overall it's not satisfying. More like Johnny Andante, not quite up to speed.
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