Shakedown (The Noir From 1950, Not the 80's Film)

Shakedown (1950)

Runtime: 80 minutes

Directed by: Joseph Pevney

Starring: Howard Duff, Brian Donlevy, Peggy Dow, Lawrence Tierney, Bruce Bennett

From: Universal

A noir for Noirvember that I heard described as being a 1950 version of Nightcrawler… sign me up. I don’t even recall how I first heard of this relatively obscure genre example but its availability on YouTube and the presence of some familiar noir faces (Howard Duff, Brian Donlevy, Bruce Bennett) further intrigued me.

Duff plays Jack Early-what a name-who works for a newspaper as a photographer and is best described as “unscrupulous.” Actually, that is too mild for Early… after first presenting himself as a desperate do-gooder who just wants a shot at a job as he’s desperate for work, his true colors shine and he’s a master manipulator who treats people rather brashly all for the purposes of advancing his career, figuratively discarding them when no longer needed & getting filthy rich. He boldly attempts to romance two women who are already attached, including a gangster’s moll. No wonder one character proclaims he’s a “ruthless opportunist” who will inevitably have a nasty downfall.

Perhaps it is a little far-fetched that this avaricious SOB didn’t suffer his final fate much sooner with his refusal to cower back and in fact acting defiant against multiple criminals as the name Jack Early became more famous. Be that as it may, I was still fascinated by the destructive lead and Duff’s portrayal of the character. Both Peggy Dow and Anne Vernon as the female targets of Early’s desires stand out for their different yet both compelling characters. As others have noted, both Dow and Vernon are still alive in their 90’s. By the by, this also features Lawrence Tierney; he thankfully has more to do than in The Prowler, playing exactly the character you’d expect him to. Oh, and an uncredited Rock Hudson briefly appears as a doorman.

This genre is a great one as even films many haven’t heard of can be a pleasant surprise and be incredibly amoral or contain some shocking moments.