Extorsión

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.

It was said of Joseph Pevney by a colleague that 'some former actors become good directors and some become hack directors. Pevney is no hack and is more than good.'

Although this marks Pevney's directorial debut his undeniable flair and precision are already in evidence, aided immeasurably by one of Universal's most respected editors Milton Carruth.

This is minor Noir to be sure but grips throughout its eighty minutes and reflects not just post War cynicism but the Fourth Estate's questionable ethics when catering to the public's desire for sensationalism.

Pevney is excellent with his actors and the casting is spot on. Not exactly renowned for his sympathetic persona, Howard Duff has arguably his best role as a narcissistic sociopath, a type that the female of the species finds impossible to resist and the troublesome Lawrence Tierney again convinces as a nasty piece of work. On the distaff side there is lovely Peggy Dow who quit filming to raise a family whilst classy Anne Vernon in her only Hollywood appearance provides the Gallic 'Je ne sais quoi'. Solid Bruce Bennett plays a newspaper editor whose conscience is mollified by increased circulation figures. Brian Donlevy has star quality in spades and steals all of his scenes. The eagle-eyed might spot an uncredited Rock Hudson as a doorman. They all have to start somewhere.

The old Hollywood Rule Book requires Duff's loathsome character to get his just desserts but the climax in which he finds redemption has been aptly described by one critic as 'ingeniously ironic'.

In Shakedown, Howard Duff plays his specialty, a winsome crumb. As a down-at-the-heels shutterbug desperate for a job, he sells lurid pictures -- drownings, defenestrations -- without any thought to the peril his subjects face. Once he lands the job by buttering up his editor's assistant (Peggy Dow), he realizes that compromising photos of crime figures pay better as blackmail than as journalism. He doesn't scruple to double-cross his prey if the profits can underwrite his taste for the high life, including the widow of a mobster he set up for a hit. When he just happens to be on hand to snap that murder, he causes a sensation but raises suspicions. Of course, his duplicity and greed prove his undoing.... With such familiar tough guys as Brian Donleavy and Lawrence Tierney, the movie clicks right along apace with Duff's camera. A nice irony shades the ending, not unlike the denouement of Taxi Driver: the heel gets turned into something like a hero.

Talk about hoist by your own petard! "Jack" (Howard Duff) is an aspiring photo-journalist who manages to get newspaper editor "David" (Bruce Bennett) to take him on for a week. His next task is to stay employed, and to that end he manages to convince "Nick" (Brian Donlevy) - a local "businessman", to pose for a front page photo. This latter man takes a bit of a shine to "Jack" and gives him an opportunity to put away one of his criminal competitors "Colton" (Lawrence Tierney). There's a few grand in it for him, but he gets greedy - he keeps the negative of a shot he takes after a robbery, and submits a less definitive photo to his boss. Next he blackmails "Colton" for $25,000 else the real negative will end up with his paper and the police! What now ensues sees him try to play both men off each other whilst irritating his loved-up editor all as he rather cruelly plays with the affections of his sponsor at the newspaper "Ellen" (Peggy Dow) and tries the same with the wife of "Nick" - the considerably more savvy "Nita" (Anne Vernon) before his house of cards starts to look distinctly shaky! This benefits from a tightly knit cast with a solid story and some decent dialogue - and from guy that it's fairly easy to dislike! It's well paced and ends with an appropriate wise-crack that rather sums up "Jack" nicely.

This film is about the best example of noir you will find about blackmail and shakedowns. It stars Howard Duff as an unscrupulous photographer, who will do anything and anyone to get the pictures that will advance his career. His heartless, ruthless portrayal is chilling at times. It kind of reminded me of myself when I was younger, but I mellowed with age.

Lawrence Tierney is always terrific in these films; and this one is no exception. He plays a violent hood being shaken down by Duff.

In this film, Duff uses women like most of us use a plastic bottle of water; use once and throw away. I am sure Ida Lupino (his real life love) was amused by this role. The only problem is that Duff has a genuine likable personality in real life, so he is being cast against type here. He would go on to many more good guy roles that audiences really wanted to see from him. A solid entry.