Directed by William Berke, Shoot to Kill (also released as Police Reporter) is a compact, gritty film noir crime thriller that dives into the murky waters of political corruption, wrongful conviction, and moral ambiguity. With a runtime of just 64 minutes, it’s a fast-paced tale of deception and redemption, typical of postwar B-noir cinema.
Plot Summary
The film opens with a high-speed police chase ending in a crash. The survivor recounts the events in flashback: a former gangster named Dixie Logan (Robert Kent, billed as Douglas Blackley) has been framed for murder by a corrupt assistant district attorney, Lawrence Dale (Edmund MacDonald), who wants him out of the way.
Logan’s wife, Marian Langdon (Luana Walters, credited as Susan Walters), infiltrates Dale’s office by marrying him, hoping to uncover evidence of the frame-up. She’s aided by George “Mitch” Mitchell (Russell Wade), an investigative reporter digging into Dale’s shady dealings. As alliances shift and danger mounts, the trio races to expose the truth before Logan is permanently silenced.
Cast Highlights
- Robert Kent as Dixie Logan
- Luana Walters as Marian Langdon
- Edmund MacDonald as Lawrence Dale
- Russell Wade as George “Mitch” Mitchell
- Nestor Paiva, Charles Trowbridge, Harry Cheshire, and Vince Barnett in supporting roles
- Gene Rodgers, a real-life jazz pianist, appears on screen performing two original compositions: “Ballad of the Bayou” and “Rajah’s Blues”
Behind-the-Scenes Tidbits
- The film was produced by Robert L. Lippert Productions and distributed by Screen Guild Productions
- The screenplay was written by Edwin V. Westrate, based on his own story
- The New York Times panned the film as “an all-around amateurish job of movie-making,” criticizing its performances and direction
- A memorable fistfight scene was staged on a staircase, reportedly filmed on a single flight reused to simulate multiple levels
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