CrimeMystery

Johnny Nobody

- He Came From Nowhere & Killed a Man He'd Never Seen!

When the atheistic ranting of Irish-American author James Mulcahy upsets the inhabitants of the Irish village to which he has retired, a mob threatens him. But moments after he has dared God to strike him dead, a stranger appears and does so. The man, dubbed "Johnny Nobody" by the press, claims no knowledge of Mulcahy or even of himself. He asks the help of the village priest, Father Carey, in his upcoming trial for Mulcahy's murder. While the amnesiac Johnny goes to trial, Father Carey mulls questions of belief raised by the case. And then, the good father learns a little more about Johnny Nobody...

Release Date : 1961-10-01

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Viceroy Films

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : James Ronald Mulcahy

Original Name : William Bendix

Gender : Male

Character Name : Father Edward John Carey

Original Name : Nigel Patrick

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miss Mary Floyd

Original Name : Yvonne Mitchell

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mark Wheeler (aka Johnny Nobody)

Original Name : Aldo Ray

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prosecuting Counsel O'Brien

Original Name : Cyril Cusack

Gender : Male

Character Name : Defending Counsel Sullivan

Original Name : Niall MacGinnis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Photographer

Original Name : Bernie Winters

Gender : Male

Character Name : Brother Timothy

Original Name : Noel Purcell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Landlord O'Connor

Original Name : Eddie Byrne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Judge

Original Name : John Welsh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tinker

Original Name : Joe Lynch

Gender : Male

Character Name : Postman Tim

Original Name : Jimmy O'Dea

Gender : Male

Character Name : Caretaker

Original Name : J.G. Devlin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Father Bernard

Original Name : Christopher Casson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Supt. Lynch

Original Name : Michael Brennan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Father Healey

Original Name : Norman Rodway

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tinker's Mother

Original Name : May Craig

Gender : Female

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-03-14

"Mulcahy" (William Bendix) is a bit of a stirrer. Amidst a deeply religious Irish community, he invites the wrath of god by daring the deity to strike him down. To the shock of the crowd, that's exactly what happens. Thing is, it isn't a thunderbolt - but a bullet fired from a gun by a bystander. He makes no attempt to escape, and only adds to the enigma when the police can find no clue as to his identity. He (Aldo Ray) claims amnesia - not divine intervention - and looking the gallows fairly and squarely, he has to rely on the local "Fr. Carey" (Nigel Patrick) to try to put together the pieces. I did quite like the subject matter - and as we proceed to the courtroom aspects of the plot, the writing does raise quite a few interesting questions about the role of religion - and God - in the judicial process, and these are well posed by defending counsel Niall MacGinnis to the judge (John Welsh). Sadly, though, the story hasn't quite the courage of it's potential convictions and the last twenty minutes or so fall firmly into the standard pattern of crime-noir and that rather disappoints. Still, Nigel Patrick's direction keeps it all moving along well enough and he has assembled a reliable and solid cast of familiar, and personable, faces to help this into the top tier of standard Saturday afternoon features.