Johnny Cool

Johnny Cool (1963)

Don't let his looks fool you. He's the coldest killer of killers who ever lived!

A deported gangster trains an Italian convict to take over his operations in the U.S.

Date of release
1963-10-02
TMDB
5.4 / 10 (24)
Runtime
1h 43m
Genres
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Director
William Asher

Casting

Interesting facts

Johnny Cool is a 1963 American neo-noir gangster film directed and produced by William Asher, starring Henry Silva and Elizabeth Montgomery, and featuring Jim Backus, Joey Bishop, Mort Sahl, Telly Savalas, and Sammy Davis Jr.. The plot is about a young Sicilian criminal (Silva) who is sent to the United States by an exiled American mafioso to exact revenge on his old enemies.

Production

The film was executive produced by Peter Lawford, better known as an actor and a member of the Rat Pack. Lawford, who made the film through his company Chrislaw Productions, persuaded fellow Rat Pack members Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop to appear in the film. It was a star vehicle for Henry Silva, who had previously appeared as a supporting in three Rat Pack films — Ocean's 11, Sergeants 3, and the The Manchurian Candidate.

Before Silva was cast, George Chakiris was attached to play the lead, with Edward G. Robinson in the Marc Lawrence role. At one point, Orson Welles was considered for a part.

Filming started 17 September 1962. Shooting took place in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York City. A sequence was filmed at the New Frontier Hotel and Casino. Another scene was filmed at Puccini Restaurant in Los Angeles, which was part-owned by Lawford and Frank Sinatra. The 'Sicily' sequences were filmed on Santa Catalina Island and in San Clemente.

Elizabeth Montgomery and William Asher fell in love during filming and got married. They would collaborate on Bewitched.

Read on Wikipedia · Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Data from Wikidata.

Recommended