Johnny You're Wanted (1956)

7/10

davidsmithusc27 January 2005

This movie is very good, although it's hard to catch anymore. I saw it years ago on the late late show back in LA in the 70s. It involves Johnny, a world weary truck driver who picks up an attractive lady hitchhiker. After dropping her off, she is murdered and the police backtrack and discover that Johnny was the last one to see her alive. Now he must go on the run while trying to figure out who killed the woman while still eluding the bobbies. Along the way, he is befriended by a runaway boy who helps him clear his name. Look for an extended film appearance by legendary British strong woman Joan Rhodes, who was extremely popular in Europe at the time of this film. She even performs her strength act on film for maybe the only time. The police question her when they discover that Johnny the suspect was at her show the night of the murder. It's hilarious to see the cops trying to tear a telephone book in half the way she does. Nice historical footage.

Good acting and directing make the 69 minute running time fly by. Catch it if you can.

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6/10

The Untalented Amateur Investigator

boblipton17 June 2021

John Slater is driving his lorry towards London when a girl jumps onto the road in front of him and begs a ride. Down the road a piece, he stops at a cafe for some coffee and a phone call. When he returns to his truck, he finds her gone, shrugs his shoulders and continues on.... and finds her dead further down the road. The police investigation finds it a murder, and Slater finds himself right in the hapless thick of it, along with strong woman Joan Rhodes (in her movie debut) and stage psychic Garry Marsh, along with an investigation into drug trafficking.

It's a decently set up second feature, with some amusing points about how enterprising amateurs getting into the middle of murder investigations rarely do anyone any good, particularly themselves. Slater is pretty good as the clueless truck driver who keeps finding himself in trouble, and quota quickie director Vernon Sewell does his usual competent, cheap job.

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6/10

Amiable thriller

malcolmgsw10 April 2017

I always enjoy a film featuring Alfred Marks.He was a very funny man.His part as a villain in this film was a funny turn,in particular trying to sell a novelty to a very awkward young boy.Then we have the participation of Joan Rhodes,a stage strong woman.Her act seems to take up much of the first half of the film.Obviously they were short of about 20 minutes for the plot.That very experienced actor Garry Marsh plays the chief villain with his usual aplomb.Frank Thornton plays a police inspector before Mr Partridge turned him into a popular TV actor.John Slater plays a somewhat gormless lorry driver who decides to try and help the police solve the murder of his mystery passenger.

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6/10

Forgettable except for the climax

dbborroughs7 April 2010

Warning: Spoilers

Johnny is a truck driver who picks up a hitchhiker late one night. Her car is broken down and she's in a hurry to get to London. When he goes into a rest stop for coffee and to make a call she is abducted from the truck. Johnny thinks she just went off and he goes on his way. A short time later he's asked to get an ambulance because they found a woman on the side of the road, it the hitchhiker. At this point Johnny begins to drift between the cops and the woman's friends, one or more of which may have been involved with her death.

Odd rambling movie that is an okay time killer for most of its running time. Its the sort of thing that makes you wonder why you're watching it, but at the same time its not unpleasant enough to make you turn it off. Most of the film doesn't really play realistically, it just sort of unfolds in away that makes one think its marking time.

On the other hand the films climax is a stunner. It sort of hit me from behind and was the sort of thing I never expected. I had to back up the DVD three or four times to see if I saw what I thought I did. I did, and it single handedly makes the film worth seeing.

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