| Johnny Dangerously | |
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 Movie poster |
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| Directed by | Amy Heckerling |
| Produced by | Michael Hertzberg |
| Written by | Harry Colomby Jeff Harris Bernie Kukoff Norman Steinberg |
| Starring | Michael Keaton Joe Piscopo Marilu Henner Maureen Stapleton Peter Boyle Griffin Dunne Dom DeLuise Danny DeVito Dick Butkus Alan Hale, Jr. Glynnis O'Connor |
| Music by | John Morris |
| Cinematography | David M. Amy Heckerling (born May 7, 1954) is an American Film director, one of the few female directors to have produced multiple box-office hits Jeff Harris may refer to Jeff Harris (Missouri, Member of the Missouri House of Representatives Jeff Harris (baseball, American baseball Diff'rent Strokes is a popular American sitcom that aired on the NBC Television network from November 3, 1978 Michael John Douglas (born September 9 1951 better known by the stage name Michael Keaton, is an American Actor, known for his early comedic roles in Joseph Charles John "Joe" Piscopo (born June 17, 1951) is an American Comedian and Actor best known for his work on Marilu Lucy Henner (born April 6 1952) is an American actress, producer and New York Times best-selling author Lois Maureen Stapleton ( June 21, 1925 &ndash March 13, 2006) was an American Academy Award -winning actress Peter Lawrence "Pete" Boyle ( October 18, 1935 &ndash December 12, 2006) was an American Actor. Thomas Griffin Dunne (born June 8, 1955) is an American Actor and Film director. Daniel Michael DeVito Jr (born November 17 1944 is an American Actor, director and producer, who first gained prominence for his portrayal Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus (born 9 December 1942) is a former American football player widely regarded as the greatest Linebacker Alan Hale Jr (born Alan Hale Mackahan, March 8 1921 &ndash January 2 1990 was an American movie and television Actor, best known for his role Glynnis O'Connor (b November 19 1956, New York City) is an American actress perhaps best-known for her work in the mid-1970s including her John Morris (born October 18[[ 926]] New Jersey) is an American Film and television composer best known for his work with filmmaker Mel Walsh |
| Editing by | Pembroke J. Herring |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox (US) |
| Release date(s) |  21 December 1984 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The film Johnny Dangerously is a 1984 comedy spoof of 1930s' crime/gangster movies directed by Amy Heckerling. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Events The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name A crime film, in the most general sense is a Film that involves various aspects Crime and the Criminal justice system Amy Heckerling (born May 7, 1954) is an American Film director, one of the few female directors to have produced multiple box-office hits The movie stars Michael Keaton as an honest, goodhearted man who is forced to turn to a life of crime to finance his neurotic mother's skyrocketing medical bills and to put his younger brother through law school. Michael John Douglas (born September 9 1951 better known by the stage name Michael Keaton, is an American Actor, known for his early comedic roles in The movie also stars Joe Piscopo, Marilu Henner, Maureen Stapleton, Peter Boyle, Griffin Dunne, Dom DeLuise, Danny DeVito, Dick Butkus & Alan Hale Jr. The theme song "This Is the Life" was written for the movie by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Joseph Charles John "Joe" Piscopo (born June 17, 1951) is an American Comedian and Actor best known for his work on Marilu Lucy Henner (born April 6 1952) is an American actress, producer and New York Times best-selling author Lois Maureen Stapleton ( June 21, 1925 &ndash March 13, 2006) was an American Academy Award -winning actress Peter Lawrence "Pete" Boyle ( October 18, 1935 &ndash December 12, 2006) was an American Actor. Thomas Griffin Dunne (born June 8, 1955) is an American Actor and Film director. Daniel Michael DeVito Jr (born November 17 1944 is an American Actor, director and producer, who first gained prominence for his portrayal Richard Marvin "Dick" Butkus (born 9 December 1942) is a former American football player widely regarded as the greatest Linebacker Alan Hale Jr (born Alan Hale Mackahan, March 8 1921 &ndash January 2 1990 was an American movie and television Actor, best known for his role " This Is the Life " is a song by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic (ˈjæŋkəvɪk born October 23 1959 is a Grammy Award winning American singer Musician, actor satirist
Plot summary
A pet shop owner catches a young boy shoplifting a puppy. To discourage the kid from a life of crime, the owner tells a story . . .
It is 1910. Young Johnny Kelly is a poor but honest newsboy in New York City. The City of New York After beating up young Danny Vermin in self defense, Johnny goes home on a cold July day to find that his mother needs an operation for which the family has no funds. Since the execution of Johnny's father, Killer Kelly, his widow, Ma Kelly, has supported Johnny and his younger brother, Tommy, who is fascinated by the law.
Johnny's fight with Vermin attracted the notice of local crime boss Jocko Dundee, and Johnny, seeing no honest way to earn the money for his mom's operation, sees no choice than to do a job for Dundee, even though it probably means breaking the law, and in doing so, "breaking his mother's heart". He helps Dundee rob the nightclub belonging to Dundee's rival, Roman Moronie. When asked his name, Johnny coins the name, "Johnny Dangerously. " But, Moronie never "forgets a fargin face. "
Years pass. With his mom's continuing medical problems, Johnny goes to work for the Dundee gang full time. He becomes a suave young man, with plenty of folding cash. The whole neighborhood (including the Pope) knows that Kelly is really Johnny Dangerously, but Johnny's secret identity is carefully concealed from his brother and mother. They think he is a law-abiding nightclub owner. Similarly, the gang knows nothing of Johnny's mother and brother. Tommy is now in law school, with a girlfriend, and somewhat of a prig--he wants to drop out of law school so he can get a job, marry his girlfriend, and "get laid. A prig (ˈprɪg sometimes spelled prigg) is someone who shows an inordinately zealous approach to matters of form and propriety; especially where the prig " With the assistance of a public health film ("Your Testicles, and YOU"), Johnny gets him to go back to law school.
Johnny comes to Dundee's headquarters--he is still involved in a running feud with Moronie--to find he has taken on two new gang members: Danny Vermin, and his sidekick Dutch. Danny has lived up to his potential and become a total scumbag, with a taste for using opera audiences as shooting galleries. Moronie, subtle as always, sends a robot with a machine gun to try to knock off the gang. He is not successful, and Johnny retaliates by knocking down Moronie's club (which was in need of expansion anyway) with a bomb dropped from a biplane.
The two gangs war. In the meantime, Johnny falls for a young showgirl new to the big city, Lil Sheridan. They go for a long walk together, ending in sexual fireworks.
The war continues. Moronie sends a plumber to plant explosives in Dundee's toilet. Dundee has a narrow escape, and he retires in Johnny's favor. Johnny negotiates a truce with Moronie.
Meanwhile, Tommy graduates from law school (Johnny's illicit earnings, of course, have paid for the tuition). Despite Johnny's efforts to steer him into a law firm, he goes to work for the D. A. 's office. A bit miffed that his money should be used to train a crimefighter, Johnny is nevertheless not worried--District Attorney Burr is on his payroll. The D. A. tries to sidetrack Tommy, but he becomes a major public figure. After he holds hearings looking into Moronie's activities, the rival crime boss is deported to Sweden despite his protests that he's "not from there. "
Against Johnny's orders, Burr and Vermin conspire to kill Tommy. Tommy is badly injured, but survives. Divining the truth, Johnny has Burr killed--but this leaves Tommy as the new D. A.
Tommy recovers, and weds his girlfriend. Vermin discovers that Dangerously is the D. A. 's brother--and Tommy promptly overhears Vermin chortling about it. Tommy confronts Johnny, who agrees to quit the life of crime. The gang, though, isn't as eager and suggests Johnny may be turning state's evidence against them. Johnny denies this, and goes to turn the evidence against himself to the Crime Commissioner--who Vermin has just killed--under circumstances that suggest Johnny is the killer. Not only that, Vermin steals Johnny's prized bubble gum case (formerly Dundee's cigarette case).
Johnny is arrested for murder, but says he is innocent and the holder of the case is the guilty party. Tommy tries the case against him. Johnny is found guilty, sentenced to the electric chair and sent to death row. But when Vermin congratulates Tommy, and Tommy notices that he has Johnny's case, he realizes Johnny is innocent. Ma Kelly sucker punches Vermin in the crotch, and the cigarette case drops out of the stricken mobster's pocket. Ma Kelly and Tommy realize that "Johnny didn't do it. "
Meanwhile, his mom is using her contacts to investigate the murder. She finds the cleaning lady who is a witness to Vermin's presence. Tommy hits Vermin with a grand jury subpoena, and he knows that he must kill Tommy.
Johnny arrives on Death Row, where he receives rock star treatment from the starstruck warden. He receives word of Tommy's danger, and plots an escape, prevailing on the warden to move up his execution ("We'll bump Steinberg. ") As he is taken to the chair, Johnny assembles what looks like a tommy gun from parts handed to him by inmates. He escapes in a laundry truck driven by Lil.
Johnny, through a wild chase, arrives at the theatre where Tommy is to be killed. He shoots and wounds Vermin, saving Tommy. The governor pardons Johnny as Vermin is arrested.
Back to 1935. The young shoplifter is round eyed. Having taken in the lesson that crime doesn't pay, he is given a kitten as Johnny Kelly, law abiding pet shop owner, says "Crime doesn't pay. " The kid goes on his way. Johnny, dressed in a tux, heads off in a riotous limo with girls: "Well, it pays a little!"
Quotes
- Danny Vermin: "My father hung me on a hook once. ONCE. "
- Lil: "Did you know your last name's an adverb?"
- Roman Moronie: "You fargin' bastidge! You corksucking icehole!"
- Moronie: "You fargin', sneeky bastidge!"
- Johnny's narration: ". . . And Maronie continued to murder the English language and anyone who got in his way"
- Danny Vermin: "I like what I am doing right now, I enjoy collecting protection money, putting whores to work, loan sharking, I enjoy planting bombs in people's cars, these are a few of my favorite things"
- Johnny: (To Lil) ". . . You sure can banter!"
- (Vermin pulls up into a "Handicapped" parking spot) Dutch: "You can't park here. It's for da handicapped!"
- Danny Vermin: "I am handicapped. I'm psychotic" and puts a placard on the dashboard.
- Moronie: This is fargin war!
- Danny Vermin (right after Ma Kelly knees him in the crotch): "You shouldn't hit me in the balls like that, lady. My sister hit me in the balls once. O---" (Danny trails off as he doubles over in pain)
- Danny Vermin: "You shouldn't shoot me, Johnny. My grandmother shot me once. O--" (Interrupted as he is hauled away)
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