Howard Duff is an ambitious photographer looking for a job at a newspaper. Once he does, his ambitions start to skyrocket. His brash attitude gets him a snapshot of mobster Brian Donlevy, who takes a shine to him. Donlevy informs him of a robbery his competitor Lawrence Tierney is about to do, and Duff soon has himself another sensational photograph. After he photographs Tierney planting a bomb in Donlevy's car, he tries to blackmail Tierney while also hitting on Donlevy's widow Anne Vernon. Duff thinks he's in control but he's already in way over his head.

Ouch, the print I saw was in bad, bad shape, it seems like a 4th generation VHS recording, washed out with a slightly warped image. But don't let this stop you, this is a really good noir! It is always nice to see a noir where the 'protagonist' is a bigger bastard than the mobsters, including Lawrence Tierney!

Duff does a good job of portraying a man who seems like he's just anxious to find a job but who you soon realize is selfish, ruthless and only out for himself. He even tries to play 2 women at the same time, a mobster's widow and an editor at the newspaper, Peggy Dow (who already has a fiancée!). Donlevy and Tierney do what they excel at, playing rough, no-nonsense men. The rest of the supporting cast, which also includes Bruce Bennett as the chief editor, are equally solid. The cast has a ton of noir credentials between them, including 'The Naked City', 'The Glass Key', 'Born To Kill', 'Mildred Pierce' and many more... For French actress Vernon this was her only Hollywood movie however, but she's great here, bringing a lot of charm to her role.

This was director Joseph Pevney's first movie ('Female On The Beach', 'The Midnight Story'),but he does really well here. DoP Irving Glassberg ('Outside The Wall', 'The Web') also does good work here, making good use of real locations like a parking garage.

Don't let the bad picture quality deter you, this is the real deal, complete with a noir ending. Good stuff! Recommended! 8/10

A rising star photographer starts using his journalistic influence for personal profit... and sets two gangsters against each other. Ruthless and cynical, with one of the most despicable protagonists this side of Mike Hammer. This guy is a real piece of work, a sleazy manipulator who doesn't care who suffers for his gain. Howard Duff (probably best known to noir aficionados for THE NAKED CITY) plays it completely unsympathetic, delivering his lines with barely concealed contempt and ambition. The supporting performances are all pretty good, too, with special mention for the always intimidating Lawrence Tierney. The story is lean and mean, like the production. It's a decidedly low-budget affair, a little more polish might have amped up the tension (though I should note I watched a very rough copy). The film doesn't pack much of an emotional punch, but it is a down and dirty good time.

SHAKEDOWN – 1950

Howard Duff entered films in 1947 and by 1950 had made it into leading roles. In this one, Duff is a photographer who wants to become a newspaperman. He manages to get a lucky shot of a killing and gets hired by a local daily. Duff is willing to do anything to move up the ladder. It helps that the man is a first rate heel from the bottom of his shoes up.

He manages to talk a local mob boss into posing for a photo. The man, Brian Donlevy, takes a shine to the smooth talking Duff. He offers him a bit of cash to help him out with a problem. Cash is of course Duff's favourite word, and he agrees.

Donlevy is having a spot of trouble with an old "associate" of his, Lawrence Tierney. Mister Tierney is muscling in on a few of Donlevy's businesses, and Donlevy would like this to stop. He has info on a job Tierney is going to pull, and would like Duff to be on hand to snap a few photos of the deed. The job is a robbery of the cash room at a large department store. Donlevy offers Duff a cool grand for the help.

Duff manages to be in the area when Tierney and his mob walk out with a cool 200 large after the holdup. He snaps several great shots of the mug and his crew. The best shots that identify Tierney without a doubt, Duff keeps, and turns the others into his paper. The paper is pleased with the scoop even if it is difficult to id the crooks. His editor, Bruce Bennett, gives the man a 25 dollar bonus.

Duff has plans for making a little more than a 25 buck bonus. Duff now pays Tierney a visit, and flashes the best photos of him and his mob. Cough up or the negatives go to the paper and the Police. Tierney is less than amused when he hears the price for Duff's silence, $25,000. Tierney however has no option but to cough up.

Duff throws in a sweetener, he tells Tierney that it was his old boss, Donlevy, who had told him about the robbery. Needless to say how our boy Tierney takes this bit of info. Duff of course plans on making a fortune by selling info to the rival gangs. He has also taken a shine to Donlevy's wife, Anne Vernon. He puts the moves on the babe every time Donlevy has his back turned.

Meanwhile, back at the newspaper, he is also romancing his editor's assistant, Peggy Dow. Dow falls for the silver tongued rat in a nice suit. She dumps her present beau and takes up with Duff. Her editor pal, Bennett, does not like the smell of Duff, and tells Dow the same.

By now our boy Tierney has decided on a little payback on Donlevy. He plants a bomb in Donlevy's car. Of course Duff just happens to be hiding nearby, and snaps some more pics he can use for blackmail. Moments after Tierney has wired up the car and split, Donlevy shows and is blown to bits. Duff needless to say has a top picture of the exact moment of Donlevy's demise. In fact, he was so close to the event he is injured in the explosion.

While in the hospital, Duff is offered all sorts of contracts for photo work. He quits the paper and goes freelance. Dow finally clues in that Duff is the rat she had been warned about. Duff now makes moves on the widow Vernon and soon is in her good books.

Duff, now a photographer in demand, lucks onto doing a charity event at a top end joint. There will be over a million in jewels etc on display. Using his cover as the event photographer, he cases the joint and gets all the details. These he gives to Tierney for a large cut of the proceeds.

Tierney by now has had more than enough of Duff's arrogance, and decides to settle his hash. He has a meet with the Donlevy's widow, Vernon. He tells her that it was really Duff who had arranged her dear hubby's death. Vernon is not amused with this info and makes plans to deal with Duff.

Without giving up the actual ending, suffice it to say that it is a real cracker-jack of a twister.

Look close and you will see Rock Hudson in an early bit as a nightclub doorman.

The director here is Joseph Pevney who started out as an actor. He had a half dozen film noir credits before switching to directing. His work behind the camera includes, UNDERCOVER GIRL, IRON MAN, FLESH AND FURY, 6 BRIDGES TO CROSS, THE MIDNIGHT STORY and FEMALE ON THE BEACH. When film work dried up, he moved to television and cranked out over 200 episodes of various series. Two of the more famous episodes, were from STAR TREK, "Amok Time" and "The Trouble with Tribbles".