The Shakedown (1960)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

John Lemont

Writers:

John Lemont (writer)
Leigh Vance (writer)

Release Date:

January 1960 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Models were the bait for BLACKMAIL!

Plot Keywords:

Criminal | Photographer | Blackmail | Ex Convict | Female Cop

Cast

Terence Morgan	...	Augie Cortona
Hazel Court	...	Mildred Eyde
Donald Pleasence	...	Jessel Brown
Bill Owen	...	David Spettigue
Robert Beatty	...	Chief Insp. Bob Jarvis
Harry H. Corbett	...	Gollar
Gene Anderson	...	Zena
Eddie Byrne	...	George--Barman
John Salew	...	John Arnold
Georgina Cookson	...	Miss Firbank
Joan Haythorne	...	Miss Ogilvie
Sheila Buxton	...	Nadia
Dorinda Stevens	...	Grace
Jack Lambert	...	Sgt. Kershaw
Larry Burns	...	1st Thug

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:(Banned)

Company:

Ethiro-Alliance

Trivia:

First film of Angela Douglas.

A good example of the B thriller genre

This film should be studied by all who seek info on a type of film popular for a while in 50's and 60's Britain. Although obviously of limited budget, it fielded an unusually fine cast including several stalwarts and many actors and actresses - Hazel Court, Donald Pleasance, Harry H Corbett who went on to greater things and starred the extremely underrated Terence Morgan,three years before he became known as TV's "Sir Francis Drake". The film is also something of an historical document, bringing back a time when nightclubs were uncommon, close and intimate and hoping to cater for a select clientelle instead of loud and bleary as they are now. The plot has holes in it but the acting is of a high standard which more than redeems the film.