Johnny Apollo(1940).

Johnny Apollo(1940). Crime film. Cast: Tyrone Power, Edward Arnold, Lloyd Nolan and Dorothy Lamour.

The story begins when Bob Cain Jr., feels betrayed by his father, who is a multimillion-dollar stockbroker, indicted for embezzlement. Before going to prison, father and son have a terrible argument and Bob Jr. drops out of college to look for work. Because of his father's crime, Bob Jr. is still unemployed one year later.

When the gangster Mickey Dwyer, who was sentenced on the same day as his father, is paroled from prison, Bob meets with his fathers lawyer for dinner. In their meeting his father's lawyer informs Bob Jr, that only money can win a parole for his father. Bob Jr., changes his name to, Johnny Apollo, hoping that it will make it easier for him to find work.

Bob Jr. meets singer "Lucky" Dubarry, Dwyer's girl friend, while sitting on the steps waiting for Dwyer's lawer, Judge Emmett T. Brennan, to arrive back at his office. There he meets Dwyer, who asks him to do a favor for him. Dwyer, takes an instant liking to Bob Jr. and even puts a raw steak on Bob Jr. back eye, that he received during a scuffle.

 

Brennan and "Lucky", both notice the two becoming fast friends and wonder if the kid will reform Dwyer. Or maybe ...it will be the other way around..

After, "Pop" Cain, learns that his son Bob has become Dwyer's front-man, he disowns him. Soon after, Dwyer and Bob Jr., are presented with a warrant for their arrest at the night-club during Lucky's performance. Lucky, who has fallen in love with Bob, convinces Brennan to make a deal with the district attorney.. Bob's freedom in exchange for Dwyer. The man he really wants to see behind bars.

After Dwyer, learns that he was double-crossed, he murders his best- friend Brennan and both he and Bob Jr. are sent to jail. After overhearing plans for an escape, Lucky tips Pop, to their plans before leaving town. Will "Pop" get there in time?

Fun Facts:

In the scene with Johnny and his father talking in the bedroom, the photo over Johnny's shoulder of his mother, is a picture of Tyrone Power's mother.

Linda Darnell was the original female lead. Alice Faye was also considered by Darryl Zanuck before Dorothy Lamour was borrowed from Paramount in exchange for Don Ameche.

"Johnny Apollo" is a pretty good film and it's fun to watch  Dorothy Lamour, as a femme fatale, sing, "This Is the Beginning of the End"... I think this is one of my favorite Lloyd Nolan, performances.

From The Barabra Stanwyck DVD Collection: Internes Can't Take Money (1937).

Internes Can't Take Money (1937). Cast:Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea. McCrea portrayed Dr. Kildare in the character's first screen performance. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer continued the Dr. Kildare series with Lew Ayres as Kildare and Laraine Day as a nurse in love with Kildare, similar to Stanwyck's role in this film.

Exhausted from searching for her lost child and beaten down by two years in jail, widow Janet Haley faints at Mountview General Hospital, where Intern Dr. Jimmie Kildare treats her burns. Later at the bar where Jimmie is having a beer, Janet asks gangster Dan Innes to help her find her kidnapped daughter. Innes demands $1,000 for the information, but Janet is unable to pay. When gangster boss Hanlon collapses at the bar from a knife wound, Jimmie saves Hanlon's life with Janet's help.

The next morning, when Janet goes to find out more information about her daughter from Innes, he propositions her, but she refuses him. To make things worse, she is fired from her job because of tardiness. Later, Jimmie goes to check up on Janet because she did not show up for her follow-up appointment. He first stops at the bar, where the bartender gives him $1,000 from Hanlon for saving his life. Janet tries to steal the money, but Jimmie catches her and, disappointed, leaves. With nowhere else to go Janet decides to take up with Innes.

Jimmie returns the money to Hanlon, explaining that "interns cant take money" for their services. Wanting to repay Jimmie, will Hanlon and his men be able to find Innes and Janet, before they leave town and will Janet be reunited with her long-lost daughter?

Barbara Stanwyck, was very believable playing the desperate mother. Joel McCrea's performance as a doctor, was also very believable. They had wonderful on screen chemistry. I find it amazing that Barabra Stanwyck seems to have on screen chemistry with all her leading men.

Lloyd Nolan (August 11, 1902 – September 27, 1985), was relegated to B movies for the most part. He costarred with actresses: Mae West, Dorothy McGuire, and the former Metropolitan Opera soprano, Gladys Swarthout. Under contract to Paramount and 20th Century Fox studios, he performed in roles in the late 30s and early-to-mid 40s and performed as the lead character of the "Michael Shayne" detective series. Oddly, the first screen version of Raymond Chandler's novel The High Window was transformed in 1942 from a Philip Marlowe adventure into part of the Michael Shayne series starring Nolan as Shayne.

His most famous films include: Atlantic Adventure, Ebb Tide, Wells Fargo, Every Day's A Holiday, Bataan, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Peyton Place, The House on 92nd Street and The Street with No Name.