Shoot to Kill (1947 film): Difference between revisions

Shoot to Kill
Shoot to Kill
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	William Berke
Screenplay by	Edwin V. Westrate
Produced by	William Berke
Starring	Robert Kent; Luana Walters; Edmund MacDonald
Cinematography	Benjamin H. Kline
Edited by	Arthur A. Brooks
Music by	Darrell Calker; Gene Rodgers
Production; company	Robert L. Lippert Productions
Distributed by	Screen Guild Productions
Release date	March 15, 1947 (United States);
Running time	64 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

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Shoot to Kill, also known as Police Reporter, is a 1947 American film noir directed by William Berke and starring Robert Kent, Luana Walters, Edmund MacDonald and Russell Wade.^[1]

Plot[edit]

Pursued by police cars, a fleeing motor vehicle crashes off the side of the road. The survivor relates the events that preceded the chase in flashback format. A former gangster is framed by a corrupt district attorney. With his wife and an investigative reporter, he gathers proof of his innocence in hopes of clearing his name.

Cast[edit]

Russell Wade as investigative reporter George "Mitch" Mitchell
Luana Walters (billed as Susan Walters) as Marian Langdon - Logan's wife
Edmund MacDonald as the corrupt Asst. DA, Lawrence Dale
Robert Kent (billed as Douglas Blackley) as former gangster "Dixie" Logan aka Judge Joel Conroy
Vince Barnett as Charlie Gill - Janitor
Nestor Paiva as Gus Miller - Gangster
Charles Trowbridge as District Attorney John Forsythe
Harry Brown as Jim Forman - Paid witness
Ted Hecht as Al Collins - Paid witness
Harry Cheshire as Mike Blake - Gangster
Robert Riordan as Ed Carter
Joe Devlin as Smokey, Man Tailing Dale
Eddie Foster as Bingo, Man Tailing Dale
Frank O'Connor as Deputy Clem Sparks
Sammy Stein as Blackie
Gene Rodgers as Piano Player

Reception[edit]

The New York Times panned the film, writing: "Screeching tires and the barking of guns are the chief sound effects in Shoot to Kill, an all-around amateurish job of movie-making which found its way into the Rialto yesterday. An outfit called Screen Guild Productions is responsible for this dilly about an assistant district attorney who double-crosses all his racketeer pals and winds up his career on a slab in the morgue. William Berke as the director-producer did not get anything resembling a performance, much less characterization, out of his players, chief of whom are Russell Wade, Susan Walters, Edmund MacDonald and Douglas Blackley."^[2]

Soundtrack[edit]

Gene Rodgers appears on screen performing two of his own compositions: "Ballad of the Bayou" and "Rajah's Blues." The film's score was provided by Darrell Calker.

References[edit]

^ Shoot to Kill at IMDb.
^ The New York Times, film review, May 17, 1947. Accessed: July 13, 2013.

External links[edit]

Shoot to Kill at IMDb
Shoot to Kill at AllMovie
Shoot to Kill at the TCM Movie Database
Shoot to Kill is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive

[1] Shoot to Kill at IMDb.

[2] The New York Times, film review, May 17, 1947. Accessed: July 13, 2013.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|1947 film by William A. Berke}}
 {{Infobox film
 | name           = Shoot to Kill
-| image_size     =
 | alt            =
 | image          = Shoot to Kill FilmPoster.jpeg
@@ Line 9: / Line 10: @@
 | screenplay     = Edwin V. Westrate
 | narrator       =
-| starring       =  [[Robert Kent (actor)|Robert Kent]]<br/>[[Luana Walters]]<br/>Edmund MacDonald
+| starring       =  [[Robert Kent (actor)|Robert Kent]]<br/>[[Luana Walters]]<br/>[[Edmund MacDonald]]
 | music          = [[Darrell Calker]]<br>[[Gene Rodgers]]
 | cinematography = [[Benjamin H. Kline]]
-| editing        = Arthur A. Brooks
+| editing        = [[Arthur A. Brooks]]
+| studio      = Robert L. Lippert Productions
-| distributor    = [[Screen Guild Pictures]]
+| distributor    = [[Screen Guild Productions]]
 | released       = {{Film date|1947|3|15|United States}}
 | runtime        = 64 minutes
 | country        = United States
+| language       = English}}'''''Shoot to Kill''''', also known as '''''Police Reporter''''', is a 1947 American [[film noir]] directed by [[William Berke]] and starring [[Robert Kent (actor)|Robert Kent]], [[Luana Walters]], [[Edmund MacDonald]] and Russell Wade.<ref>{{IMDb title|id=0039820|title=Shoot to Kill}}.</ref>
-| language       = English
-| budget         =
-| gross          =
-}}
-'''''Shoot to Kill''''', also known as '''''Police Reporter''''' is a 1947 American [[black-and-white]] [[film noir]] directed by [[William Berke]], and stars [[Robert Kent (actor)|Robert Kent]], [[Luana Walters]], Edmund MacDonald and Russell Wade.<ref>{{IMDb title|id=0039820|title=Shoot to Kill}}.</ref>
 ==Plot==
-Being pursued by police cars, a fleeing motor vehicle crashes off the side of the road.  The survivor relates the events that preceded the chase in flashback format.
+Pursued by police cars, a fleeing motor vehicle crashes off the side of the road. The survivor relates the events that preceded the chase in flashback format. A former gangster is framed by a corrupt district attorney. With his wife and an investigative reporter, he gathers proof of his innocence in hopes of clearing his name.
-A former gangster is framed by a corrupt district attorney. With his wife and an investigative reporter, he gathers proof of his innocence in hopes of clearing his name.
 ==Cast==
+<!--In cast of character end credits order-->
-* [[Robert Kent (actor)|Robert Kent]] as former gangster "Dixie" Logan aka Judge Joel Conroy
+* [[Russell Wade]] as investigative reporter George "Mitch" Mitchell
-* [[Luana Walters]] as Logan's wife, Marian Logan
+* [[Luana Walters]] (billed as Susan Walters) as Marian Langdon - Logan's wife
-* Edmund MacDonald as the corrupt DA, Lawrence Dale
+* [[Edmund MacDonald]] as the corrupt Asst. DA, Lawrence Dale
-* Russell Wade as investigative reporter George "Mitch" Mitchell
+* [[Robert Kent (actor)|Robert Kent]] (billed as Douglas Blackley) as former gangster "Dixie" Logan aka Judge Joel Conroy
-* [[Vince Barnett]] as Charlie Gill
-* [[Nestor Paiva]] as Gus Miller
+* [[Vince Barnett]] as Charlie Gill - Janitor
+* [[Nestor Paiva]] as Gus Miller - Gangster
 * [[Charles Trowbridge]] as District Attorney John Forsythe
-* Harry Brown as Jim Forman
+* Harry Brown as Jim Forman - Paid witness
-* Ted Hecht as Al Collins
+* Ted Hecht as Al Collins - Paid witness
-* [[Harry Cheshire]] as Mike Blake
+* [[Harry Cheshire]] as Mike Blake - Gangster
+* Robert Riordan as Ed Carter
 * Joe Devlin as Smokey, Man Tailing Dale
 * Eddie Foster as Bingo, Man Tailing Dale
 * Frank O'Connor as Deputy Clem Sparks
 * Sammy Stein as Blackie
-* Robert Riordan as Ed Carter
+* [[Gene Rodgers]] as Piano Player
-*[[Gene Rodgers]] as Piano Player
 ==Reception==
-===Critical response===
-When the film was release ''[[The New York Times]]'' panned the film, writing, "Screeching tires and the barking of guns are the chief sound effects in ''Shoot to Kill'', an all-around amateurish job of movie-making which found its way into the Rialto yesterday. An outfit called Screen Guild Productions is responsible for this dilly about an assistant district attorney who double-crosses all his racketeer pals and winds up his career on a slab in the morgue. William Berke as the director-producer did not get anything resembling a performance, much less characterization, out of his players, chief of whom are Russell Wade, Susan Walters, Edmund MacDonald and Douglas Blackley."<ref>[http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CEFDD1E3EEE3BBC4F52DFB366838C659EDE ''The New York Times''], film review, May 17, 1947.  Accessed: July 13, 2013.</ref>
+''[[The New York Times]]'' panned the film, writing: "Screeching tires and the barking of guns are the chief sound effects in ''Shoot to Kill'', an all-around amateurish job of movie-making which found its way into the Rialto yesterday. An outfit called Screen Guild Productions is responsible for this dilly about an assistant district attorney who double-crosses all his racketeer pals and winds up his career on a slab in the morgue. William Berke as the director-producer did not get anything resembling a performance, much less characterization, out of his players, chief of whom are Russell Wade, Susan Walters, Edmund MacDonald and Douglas Blackley."<ref>[https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CEFDD1E3EEE3BBC4F52DFB366838C659EDE ''The New York Times''], film review, May 17, 1947.  Accessed: July 13, 2013.</ref>
 ==Soundtrack==
-[[Gene Rodgers]] appears on screen performing two of his own compositions: "Ballad of the Bayou" and "Rajah's Blues"; the film's scorer was provided by [[Darrell Calker]].
+[[Gene Rodgers]] appears on screen performing two of his own compositions: "Ballad of the Bayou" and "Rajah's Blues." The film's score was provided by [[Darrell Calker]].
 ==References==
@@ Line 58: / Line 55: @@
 ==External links==
 * {{IMDb title|id=0039820|title=Shoot to Kill}}
-* {{Allmovie title|id=44444|title=Shoot to Kill}}
+* {{AllMovie title|id=44444|title=Shoot to Kill}}
-* {{Tcmdb title|id=89989|title=Shoot to Kill}}
+* {{TCMDb title|id=89989|title=Shoot to Kill}}
 * {{Internet Archive film|id=Shoot_to_Kill|name=Shoot to Kill}}
+{{William Berke}}
-* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5RldPZvq8w ''Shoot to Kill''] complete film at [[YouTube]]
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Shoot to Kill}}
 [[Category:1947 films]]
-[[Category:1940s crime films]]
+[[Category:1947 crime drama films]]
-[[Category:American films]]
+[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
-[[Category:Black-and-white films]]
+[[Category:American crime drama films]]
-[[Category:Crime drama films]]
+[[Category:American crime thriller films]]
-[[Category:Crime thriller films]]
+[[Category:1940s English-language films]]
-[[Category:English-language films]]
 [[Category:Film noir]]
 [[Category:Films directed by William A. Berke]]
+[[Category:Lippert Pictures films]]
+[[Category:1940s American films]]