Shakedown
Jack Early, played by Howard Duff, is a photographer in the film "Shakedown" who will do anything to achieve his goal of reaching the very pinnacle of professional achievement. It's not long until he's created a reputation for himself by beguiling a prominent crime leader, Nick Palmer (Brian Donlevy), into allowing himself to be photographed. He gets a position with a large newspaper on the strength of his sheer determination, and it's not long after that before he's made a name for himself. Early decides to bite the hand that feeds him and pits Palmer against another crime boss named Colton (Lawrence Tierney). Palmer takes him under his wing, but Early ultimately decides to pit Palmer against another criminal boss named Colton. He uses the photographs to blackmail Colton into giving him a reliable source of income while he sneaks up on Palmer's wife and woos the photo editor of the newspaper where he works. All the while, he is using the photos to extort money from Colton.
Released: 1950-09-01