Unscrupulous and opportunistic San Francisco news media photographer Jack Early steps on and uses folks to get ahead, but in the end he tangles with the wrong people.Unscrupulous and opportunistic San Francisco news media photographer Jack Early steps on and uses folks to get ahead, but in the end he tangles with the wrong people.Unscrupulous and opportunistic San Francisco news media photographer Jack Early steps on and uses folks to get ahead, but in the end he tangles with the wrong people.
Anne Vernon
- Nita Palmer
- (as Ann Vernon)
Elsie Baker
- Palmer's Maid
- (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks
- Photographer
- (uncredited)
Douglas Carter
- Photographer
- (uncredited)
Peggie Castle
- Coat-Check Girl at Bay View Club
- (uncredited)
Jack Chefe
- Shop Proprietor
- (uncredited)
Chester Conklin
- Chet
- (uncredited)
Bert Davidson
- Photographer
- (uncredited)
Joe Dougherty
- Man
- (uncredited)
Roy Engel
- Waiter Captain
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDirectorial debut of Joseph Pevney.
Featured review
Portrait of a person so amoral, it is difficult to even read him
The film opens with Jack Early (Howard Duff) in a railroad yard running from what appears to be a group of mobsters, with his camera in hand. He hides the camera before the mobsters can catch up to him. When they get to him they beat him up and throw him on the train tracks, assuming he will be run over. But he gets off of the tracks in time, reclaims his camera, and goes to a local newspaper office to sell his photo of mob activity. He manages to parlay his photo into a job there taking pictures of lost dogs. At this point you like this guy. He seems grateful for the job and looks at it as an opportunity to prove himself and maybe get an even better job there. He begins to romance the assistant editor (Peggy Dow as Ellen), although she has a dentist fiance in Portland whom she doesn't seem to be all that passionate about.
But Early's likeability factor changes, and it becomes clear this guy is and probably always has been a creep. He ingratiates himself with a semi legit mobster (Brian Donlevy), only to end up playing him against still another more violent mobster. He is in love at first sight with the semi legit mobster's wife, although she is completely loyal to her husband. And yet he is still - simultaneously - courting Ellen the assistant editor. Why is he doing all of this? Is he just a bottomless pit of ambition or does he like outsmarting everybody else or is he addicted to danger? I'll tell you now that the answer is never clear.
That's what makes this a very good noir - Jack Early is a complete conundrum. He is not your normal middle class noir protagonist who is a victim of circumstances. He could have easily succeeded in life on the straight path had he so chosen to do so.
This is a treat for Lawrence Tierney fans as he portrays the more homicidal of the two mobsters Jack Early is conning and gets a good amount of screen time. Tierney's intense delivery and perpetual scowl is effective as always, and this is probably the last of his good screen roles after RKO let him go because of his constant brawling ways and before he descended into poverty row films.
But Early's likeability factor changes, and it becomes clear this guy is and probably always has been a creep. He ingratiates himself with a semi legit mobster (Brian Donlevy), only to end up playing him against still another more violent mobster. He is in love at first sight with the semi legit mobster's wife, although she is completely loyal to her husband. And yet he is still - simultaneously - courting Ellen the assistant editor. Why is he doing all of this? Is he just a bottomless pit of ambition or does he like outsmarting everybody else or is he addicted to danger? I'll tell you now that the answer is never clear.
That's what makes this a very good noir - Jack Early is a complete conundrum. He is not your normal middle class noir protagonist who is a victim of circumstances. He could have easily succeeded in life on the straight path had he so chosen to do so.
This is a treat for Lawrence Tierney fans as he portrays the more homicidal of the two mobsters Jack Early is conning and gets a good amount of screen time. Tierney's intense delivery and perpetual scowl is effective as always, and this is probably the last of his good screen roles after RKO let him go because of his constant brawling ways and before he descended into poverty row films.
helpful•120
- AlsExGal
- May 14, 2022
- How long is Shakedown?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- The Magnificent Heel
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 20 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content