When a brutal police detective Lt. murders a bookmaker's runner for $25,000 in cash, a deaf mute sees him do it and now he finds he must kill again to cover his tracks.
From his roles in Just Mercy to Straight Outta Compton, O'Shea Jackson Jr. knows a thing or two about great biopics.
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Title: Shield for Murder (1954)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Edmond O'Brien | ... | Barney Nolan | |
| Marla English | ... | Patty Winters | |
| John Agar | ... | Mark Brewster | |
| Emile Meyer | ... | Capt. Gunnarson | |
| Carolyn Jones | ... | Girl at Bar | |
| Claude Akins | ... | Fat Michaels | |
 |
Lawrence Ryle | ... | Laddie O'Neil (as Larry Ryle) |
| Herb Butterfield | ... | Cabot (as Herbert Butterfield) | |
| Hugh Sanders | ... | Packy Reed | |
| William Schallert | ... | Assistant D.A. | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
A vicious cop kills a bookie's runner and steals $25,000 from the corpse. He then frames everyone in sight in order to keep the money to buy a new home for his would-be lounge singer girlfriend. Written by Ed Lorusso
Taglines:
If ever a picture was crammed with guts, this is it. See more »Parents Guide:
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
September 1954 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Shield for Murder See more »Company Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.75 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
Right after Nolan's kills the bookie they turn a corner and the shadow of a boom microphone can be seen just as the shot changes. See more »Goofs
At the beginning of the movie, as Nolan pulls his first victim into the alley, the shadow of the boom mic is clearly visible on the wall behind them. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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There are some similarities here with a great B-level film made close to 40 years later "Miami Blues". Both focus on desperate, lawless men with soft spots for a pretty, child-like woman, who abuse the power of a police badge in a violent, supremely ill-advised attempt to settle into a comfortable, anonymous existence in the "paradise" of America's suburbs. And as with "Blues", the last 30 minutes are as frantic and exciting and darkly comic as anything you will see.
The film isn't perfect. There are weak links in the cast: Marla English is unremarkable as the trusting girlfriend, Herb Butterfield doesn't register as a pesky reporter (and John Agar's nagging conscience), and I found snarling Emile Meyer to be a disproportionately cynical police captain consumed with disgust for mankind. But Edmond O'Brien is suitably sweaty and hard-boiled as the corrupt cop (though damn, he is one puffy and bloated leading man), Agar is fine as his conflicted protegee (just before Agar moved into his mostly bad sci-fi phase) and Carolyn Jones spices things up big-time as a spaghetti loving floozy.
Starts off looking sort of cheap and routine but it's one of those films that sneaks up and surprises you. Not bad at all. A little like Richard Gere's "Internal Affairs" too, come to think of it.