Reportage fatal

There's quite a bit to this humdinger of a noir with a nutritious blend of intrigue, guns and dames as well as a dash of humour sprinkled here and there. Our intrepid but amoral news photographer has all kinds of ambition and aspirations for the high life - and with a bit of cleverness, has every intention of achieving it. On the way, he is also not immune to feminine wiles, which fuel his trajectory to success even more. And if that wasn't enough Lawrence Tierney turns up at some point, ever the vicious low-life with his goons not far behind. I expected little from this flick but thoroughly enjoyed it. A noir-lite in some ways but has enough combustible ingredients, familiar faces and unfamiliar twists to make it worth your while.

Howard Duff (Early) plays an unpleasantly ambitious photographer who continually turns up at the right time to make sure he gets the unique picture that everyone wants to buy. He treats everyone with disrespect and has no morals whatsoever. He is guided by his values of greed and self-interest. Well, he gets what he deserves.

It's a strange film in that it is entertaining and I'm going to keep onto it despite the lead man being thoroughly unpleasant. Newspaper editor Bruce Bennett (David) sums things up perfectly for everybody when he says "I don't like him". Yep, no-one does. He reminds me of a typical John Garfield type or Humphrey Bogart. They are solely out for themselves and not particularly relatable or pleasant. God knows why Peggy Dow (Ellen) takes an interest in him. It is just not believable. Duff is a horrible man and he fixates on gangster moll Ann Vernon (Mrs Palmer).

The rest of the cast are good and you root for the rival gangsters Brian Donlevy (Palmer) and Lawrence Tierney (Colton) to reset the power balance against this egomaniac photographer. The moral of the story is good - don't be like Duff!

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.

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.

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.