Shoot to Kill (1947)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

William Berke

Writer:

Edwin V. Westrate (writer)

Release Date:

15 March 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

A Newspaperman... A Grafting Politician... And A Beautiful Girl... In A Story Of Underworld Revenge!

Plot:

Gangster Dixie Logan is framed by crooked DA Lawrence Dale. His wife secures a job as Dale's assistant...

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Murder | Corruption

Cast

Russell Wade	...	George 'Mitch' Mitchell
Luana Walters	...	Marian Langdon (as Susan Walters)
Edmund MacDonald	...	Lawrence Dale (as Edmond MacDonald)
Robert Kent	...	'Dixie' Logan aka Judge Joel Conroy (as Douglas Blackley)
Vince Barnett	...	Charlie Gill
Nestor Paiva	...	Gus Miller
Charles Trowbridge	...	District Attorney John Forsythe
Harry Brown	...	Jim Forman
Ted Hecht	...	Al Collins
Harry Cheshire	...	Mike Blake (as Harry Chesire)
Joe Devlin	...	Smokey, Man Tailing Dale
Eddie Foster	...	Bingo, Man Tailing Dale
Frank O'Connor	...	Deputy Clem Sparks (as Frank O'Conner)
Sammy Stein	...	Blackie
Robert Riordan	...	Ed Carter
Gene Rodgers	...	Piano Player
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jessie Arnold	...	Political Speaker (uncredited)
Stanley Blystone	...	Police Chief (uncredited)
Davison Clark	...	Political Speaker (uncredited)
John Elliott	...	Judge (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Man on Dais (uncredited)
John James	...	Newscaster (uncredited)
Guy Usher	...	Political Speaker (uncredited)

Directed by
William Berke

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Edwin V. Westrate		writer

Produced by
William Berke	....	producer
Maury Nunes	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Darrell Calker
Gene Rodgers

Cinematography by
Benjamin H. Kline		(as Benjamin Kline)

Art Direction by
William Glasgow

Set Decoration by
Tommy Thompson

Makeup Department
Robert Cowan	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Carl K. Hittleman	....	production manager (as Carl Hittleman)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Byron Roberts	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Bud Asher	....	sound recordist

Editorial Department
Arthur A. Brooks	....	supervising editor

Music Department
David Chudnow	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Robert L. Lippert	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Screen Guild Productions (as Screen Arts Pictures Corp.)

Distributors

• Screen Guild Productions (1947) (USA) (theatrical)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (video)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• VCI Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

64 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #12241)

Company:

Screen Guild Productions

Quotes:

George 'Mitch' Mitchell: I was having a little chat - with Dixie Logan
Lawrence Dale: What? But how could you?
George 'Mitch' Mitchell: Oh, it was easy. First he'd say something then I'd say something.

Good Enough Story

Better than most of the low budget thrillers, this is fun because it involves a series of flashbacks which explain why a woman has been badly injured due to her connection with a corrupt district attorney. The story is pretty well put forward with a minimum of stereotyping. The woman is really a fireball, putting herself in harm's way over and over. It's odd she survived as long as she did. Most of the characters are bad guys with their own agendas. There is some double crossing and an effort to expose a frame-up. I felt the ending was pretty well done, which isn't always the case in this genre. The acting is quite good because the bad guys are presented as human beings, with human failings and emotions. Not that they aren't pretty evil and pretty cold. It's worth a look.