Johnny Stool Pigeon

source: Johnny Stool Pigeon

In what I rate as the greatest year in the golden age of movies, 1949, the ever reliable William Castle cranks out what would seem to be a routine B programmer about federal agents getting in the thick of crime (drug smuggling) to weed out some highly execrable outlaws, only this time Castle has a super cast at his disposal which clearly lifts this noir above B status. To Castle's credit, he extracts very good performances from Duff, Winters, McIntire, Kelley and, especially, Dan Duryea, a con doing time who has sworn revenge against US Treasury agent Duff, but turns out to be more decent than imagined after seeing his wife killed as a consequence of consuming narcotics. Soaring above the film's lofty acting standards, Duryea posts possibly his career-best show in a rare and surprising role as a seemingly inveterate baddie with a decent streak which ultimately redeems and finds him love and happiness. The revenge he warns Duff about turns out to be the wonderful woman who recognizes his worth in the end. Winters and McIntire also deliver superb performances, the latter as the cold and calculating master villain. Interesting to note that the following year, 1950, Duryea, Winters and McIntire would re-assemble in one of the greatest Westerns ever, WINCHESTER '73. As would a very young Anthony (Tony) Curtis, who in JOHNNY gets a small and wordless but crucial part as a baby-faced good for nothing... other than killing. Cinematography deserves considerable praise throughout, the highlights being the early scenes at a dockyard, the apparent alacrity of all in a restaurant/dancing room, and the hangar at the end. Chases and other action sequences are crackingly well staged, including the shootouts and, above all, the decisive plane-police car crash. True, the script does not rise above some predictability, but then it is based on true FBI reports, and you know that good will win over evil. Thank God!

Watching Dan Duryea is always a treat. But Johnny Stool Pigeon was one wierdly plotted noir film. Narcotics cop Howard Duff looking to work his way inside a narcotics ring gets Dan Duryea a childhood friend who took another career path sprung from prison. Duryea doesn't like law enforcement however and that includes Duff. The head of this racket is genial gladhanding John McIntire, proprietor of a dude ranch near Tucson which is a front. Basically the whole film centers on whether Duryea will betray Duff. The two also have a rivalry going for cocktail waitress Shelley Winters. Tony Curtis is in this film as well playing a deaf mute killer. Not a word of dialog, but he throws some deadly menacing looks. Johnny Stool Pigeon had promise and could have been a classic. But it had a flawed storyline.

Howard Duff is a Federal narcotics agent. Word comes of a new supply of "stuff". His superiors agree that an undercover operation is in order, but they have no idea of how to make the first contact. Duff goes to see a gangster he knew from growing up: Dan Duryea. Duryea won't be made a stool pigeon. When Duff takes Duryea to the morgue and shows him his wife, and the mortality card, "Heroin", Duryea agrees to help. After they make their first contact, they're sent to a second location, but they've picked up an associate in Shelley Winters, a girl who always lands on her feet, tailing them from their midst. This Universal programmer directed by William Castle has an interesting script. Winters and Duryea remain ambiguous figures almost to the end. Are they going to betray Duff? There's also Tony Curtis in his third screen role. He never speaks a word, but he glowers a lot. It's a high-speed movie, a bit too abruptly drawn for much in the way of emotional involvement, with the characters so narrowly defined as to be uninvolving. Duff is the driven G-Man. Duryea is the angry hood. Winters is the trodden-upon girl too smart for her own good. It's a movie where the plot seems to drive the characters, rather than the other way. The actors are all good, but the speed renders it routine.

The movie starts off like a police procedural of the period, but twists into something quite different and intense. Howard Duff is a cop and Dan Duryea is a criminal who infiltrate a drug mob. Both are top notch actors who keep us guessing as to what they're really thinking. Shelley Winters is sexy as the girl who flirts with both in order to escape from her life as a gangster moll. Hanging around on the edges of the film is Anthony (Tony) Curtis. He is quite chilling portraying a cruel thug without saying a word. This was the 24 year-old Bernard Schwartz's third film, but the first one where he is really generating interest. William Castle is known as a director of gimmicky films, but he has some surprisingly effective horror films, "The House on Haunted Hill," and "the Tingler" to his credit. This movie is also surprisingly effective.

One of the more underrated actors of his day was Dan Duryea. He never became a household name but the actor had a great knack for playing all sorts of characters...some good, some pure evil and many in between. Here, you get a good chance to see him at his best. Along for the ride is Howard Duff, whose part is strictly by the book and not particularly interesting. Additionally, in one of his first films is Tony Curtis who plays a mute assassin of all things! There is an international drug ring running from Mexico all the way to Vancouver. The federal authorities have some leads...but not much. So, to help them infiltrate this mob, George (Duff) arranges to have Johnny Evans (Duryea) released early from prison. The problem is George isn't very sure how far he can trust his new partner and they go undercover at a dude ranch outside of Tucsan, Arizona. Things get complicated when Johnny brings along a dame he feels sorry for (Shelley Winters), though having her along might easily jeopardize everything. The film is mostly unremarkable but enjoyable. However, the movie really had a terrific ending--and this alone help elevate the movie above the ordinary. Well worth seeing.

This is a decent expose on a government agent (Howard Duff) who utilizes an imprisioned con (Dan Duryea) to help him expose the big bosses behind a narcotics ring that was responsible for hooking his wife on dope which ultimately killed her. This leads Duff and Duryea (who hates him) from the streets of San Francisco to the Canadian border and finally to Tulsa where all comes together in a gripping climax. Following them from the border to Tulsa is mob moll Shelley Winters, mistress to one of the big men (Barry Kelley) who claims that she wants to get away from the mob. Can two men on the opposite sides of the law actually work together, and is Winters actually sincere? That's the questions that are asked in this interesting low budget Universal crime drama with a few elements of film nor thrown in. Excellent use of locations and good performances help get over the cliches of the story which is told through death's point of view. it is directed by William Castle, best known for his series of schlock horror films of the late 1950's and early 1960's. The film is told straight forward without gimmick and moves at a fast pace that will keep you gripped. Tony Curtis, in one of his very first films, is very recognizable but doesn't speak a word, obviously being given elocution lessons before being given lines. Above average for a B picture with terrific photography and tight editing helping everything move along nicely.

Enjoyable minor film noir with a good cast, tough dialog, and interesting locations. Dan Duryea and Tony Curtis (in a non-speaking role) would appear the same year in CRISS CROSS, while John McEntire and Barry Kelley would be in THE ASPHALT JUNGLE the following year. Also in the cast Shelley Winters and Howard Duff. This is a frequently used plot of a government agent or policeman secretly infiltrating a criminal organization and it works very well with Duff and especially Duryea, playing the leads. Winters is a sympathetic call-girl and McEntire is great as a duplicitous character. The day-for-night locations in Mexico (or a stand-in for it) are dramatically shot with overhanging clouds and trees that seem to glow in the shadows. William Castle directs and he's at his best. Not a major noir by any means, but a fine film that deserves to be restored.

It seems impossible with this cast but this film is a slow moving bore. No action, no suspense, and the dullest dialogue ever. Dan Duryea, Shelley Winters and even Tony Curts - just wasted. This is not a film noir. Its more like an extended version if a dull Dragnet episode.

Howard Duff (Morton) goes undercover to bust a drug gang. However, he needs the help of his former friend Dan Duryea (Johnny Evans) who he has condemned to a life in prison. The two men do not get on with each other. Duryea helps Morton get a new identity and they then have to work as a team to infiltrate a powerful gang of heroin dealers. They make the necessary contacts but they are treated with suspicion, especially by luxury ranch owner John McIntire (Nick Avery). Can they keep their word to each other and stick together? This is a quick moving film that also stars a young Tony Curtis as a mute bodyguard/hit-man. All the cast do well with Dan Duryea being especially likable as a criminal who doesn't like cops. I have to admire his underhand ways as demonstrated when Duff doesn't allow him to go to the bar to meet Shelley Winters (Terry). Duryea takes advantage of a visit by McIntire to pick up his jacket and let Duff know that he's going to the bar by just walking out of the room leaving Duff powerless to do or say anything infront of a guest. We then see him sitting with Winters and enjoying himself. Good for him – nice move, Duryea! He plays by his own rules and keeps the viewer guessing as to whether or not he is going to betray Duff. It's filmed on location in San Francisco and Arizona and has an ending that had me cheering!