Film Review: Johnny Come Lately

Tonight’s fillum was the impossibly charming ‘Johnny Come Lately’ (1943) starring James Cagney, Grace George, magnificent Marjorie (Ma Kettle) Main and fabulous Hattie McDaniel. It gets a somewhat bad rap critique-wise, but we both found it captivating and thoroughly endearing, albeit not the usual Jimmy Cagney fare.

The title is derived from the idiom “Johnny Come Lately”, which refers to a newcomer who seeks to change an established system. The film centres on a drifter who comes to a new town and is faced with the question of choosing integrity or financial gain.

TRIVIA

The movie is produced by William Cagney, James Cagney’s younger brother. He produced several of his brother’s movies, including City for Conquest (1940), Blood on the Sun (1945), The Time of Your Life (1948), Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950) and A Lion Is in the Streets (1953). He was credited as an associate producer on Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). He also handled his brother’s business affairs, negotiating several of his Hollywood studio contracts.

When this picture was exhibited at the Victoria Theatre in Harlem, Hattie McDaniel received marquee billing along with James Cagney.

Grace George made only one other film, ‘Tainted Money’ (1915). She received a screen credit ‘Introducing to the screen Miss Grace George’ in ‘Johnny Come Lately’ when she was 64 years old.