Shield for Murder

1954

1h 22m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

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17 Images

Crime

Drama

A crooked detective masterminds a robbery then fights to keep his money.

Directors

Howard W. Koch

Edmond O'Brien

Writers

John C. Higgins(writer by)

William P. McGivern(novel by)

Richard Alan Simmons(adaptation by)

Stars

Edmond O'Brien

Marla English

John Agar

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Top cast

Edmond O'Brien

Det. Lt. Barney Nolan

Marla English

Patty Winters

John Agar

Det. Sgt. Mark Brewster

Capt. Gunnarson

Beth, Girl at Bar

Fat Michaels

Cabot, Reporter

Packy Reed

Asst. Dist. Atty. Andy Tucker

The Professor

Gambler Being Booked

Detective

Detective O'Dell

Joe the Bartender

Laddie O'Neil

Directors

Howard W. Koch

Edmond O'Brien

Writers

John C. Higgins(writer by)

William P. McGivern(novel by)

Richard Alan Simmons(adaptation by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

We discover right from the outset that "Nolan" (Edmond O'Brien) is a dodgy cop, and that he has killed a bookie's runner so he can take the $25k he was carrying and use it to build a new life for him and his girlfriend 'Patty" (Marla English). Unfortunately for him, he was seen by a deaf mute and so has to think on his feet before his partner "Brewster" (John Agar) gets to the truth or before the mob, whose cash it was, decide to take their own form of retribution. He has a reputation as a bit of a shoot-first merchant so faces a considerable degree of internal suspicion and that doesn't help as his initially loyal colleague begins to smell a very big rat. Can he get away with it and make it to to his retirement bungalow? On that front, there's not so much jeopardy nor is the writing really up to much either. What does help this stand out, though, is the strong characterisation of the odious "Nolan". O'Brien almost sweats the role, effectively demonstrating his loathing of his fellow cops and of the arrogant mob as he treats them all with contempt and disdain. Even the usually underwhelming Agar is likewise quiet effective as this story quite cleverly marries the crooked cop with the crooked system and the crooked gangsters all in the hope that somebody, somewhere, might actually prove decent enough to avenge the slaughtered man. It's quite a potent little eighty minute thriller, and worth a watch.

Geronimo196730 Nov, 2024