Character Relationship Map: Johnny Dangerously

Characters

• Johnny Dangerously (played by Michael Keaton) — protagonist

  Born Johnny Kelly, he turns to crime to pay for his mother's operation and rises to lead Dundee's gang, while keeping his criminal life secret from her and his brother Tommy. He loves Lil and later tr...

• Vermin (played by Joe Piscopo) — protagonist

  A violent gangster who joins Dundee's organization with his sidekick Dutch, Vermin wages war against rival gangs and later conspires with Burr to kill Tommy. He frames Johnny for the Commissioner's mu...

• Lil (played by Marilu Henner) — supporting

  A young showgirl who has recently arrived in the big city, Lil falls in love with Johnny. When he escapes from Death Row to protect Tommy, she serves as his getaway driver. She helps him evade pursuer...

• Dundee (played by Peter Boyle) — supporting

  Jocko Dundee is a crime boss who notices Johnny after a street fight with Danny Vermin and offers him a job. Johnny accepts to raise money for his mother's operation, later works for Dundee full-time,...

• Tommy (played by Griffin Dunne) — supporting

  Johnny's younger brother, Tommy graduates from law school with his education unknowingly funded by Johnny's criminal earnings. He joins the District Attorney's office, becomes a public figure, and tak...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Dundee → Vermin (Power Gang Leader And Recruit) — Vermin enters the criminal hierarchy under Dundee's authority.

  Dundee has taken on Vermin as a new gang member at his headquarters.

• Johnny Dangerously → Dundee (Professional Employer And Protégé) — Dundee recruits Johnny and helps initiate his criminal career.

  Dundee notices Johnny after a street fight and offers him a job in his criminal organization.

• Johnny Dangerously → Lil (Romantic Love Interest) — Lil becomes Johnny's romantic partner and later helps him escape.

  Johnny falls for Lil after she arrives in the city as a young showgirl.

• Johnny Dangerously → Tommy (Family Brothers) — Johnny secretly supports Tommy while concealing his criminal identity.

  The plot states that Tommy is Johnny's younger brother, while Tommy believes Johnny owns a nightclub.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Tommy → Vermin (Conflict Political Enemies) — Vermin treats Tommy as a target because of his public and legal position.

  Vermin helps arrange the attack that badly injures Tommy and later plans to kill him at a movie theatre.

• Johnny Dangerously → Vermin (Conflict Arch Enemies) — Vermin becomes Johnny's principal criminal rival.

  Johnny first meets Vermin during a street fight, and their criminal conflict later escalates into an attempted killing and a final shooting.

Story Analysis

A poor young man enters organized crime to help his family, then risks everything to protect his brother and defeat a rival.

Plot Progression

1. A Boy Meets Crime — The framing story introduces a boy caught stealing. The flashback shows Johnny's poverty, family pressure, and first encounter with Dundee and Vermin.
2. Gangster Behind the Mask — Johnny enters Dundee's organization and adopts the name Johnny Dangerously. He rises within the gang while beginning a romance with Lil.
3. Family and Public Duty — Johnny becomes a gang boss while secretly financing Tommy's legal education. Tommy enters public service, bringing Johnny's hidden life closer to exposure.
4. The Frame-Up — Tommy discovers Johnny's identity and confronts him. Before Johnny can surrender evidence, Vermin frames him for the Commissioner's murder and secures his conviction.
5. Escape and Exposure — Tommy identifies Vermin through the missing cigarette case. Johnny escapes execution, protects Tommy at the theatre, and is finally pardoned.