''The Shakedown'' is a 1959 black and white British

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

John Lemont John Lemont (1914–2004) was a Canadian-born film and television director. He worked primarily in British television from 1954 to 1962, directing such TV series as ''Sir Francis Drake'', ''Sixpenny Corner'' and ''The Errol Flynn Theater'' among ot ...

, starring

Terence Morgan Terence Ivor Grant Morgan (8 December 1921 – 25 August 2005) was an English actor in theatre, cinema and television. He played many "villain" roles in British film but is probably best remembered for his starring role in the TV historical ...

Hazel Court Hazel Court (10 February 1926 – 15 April 2008) was an English actress. She is known for her roles in British and American horror films during the 1950s and early 1960s, including Terence Fisher's ''The Curse of Frankenstein'' (1957) and ...

, and

Donald Pleasence Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF ...

. It was filmed in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. The film was banned in

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

(known there as ''Häväistyksen kauppiaat'').

Plot

Augustus ("Augie") Cortona, a recently released convict, opens up a modelling school and photographic studio that serves as a front for a service enabling amateurs to take erotic photographs, while blackmailing some of the participants by taking pictures through a two-way mirror of their participation. Meanwhile, a longstanding feud with a rival gangster who took over his operation while he was imprisoned continues. Scotland Yard decide to investigate Cortona by sending an officer, Mildred Eyde, (Hazel Court), to operate undercover by enrolling as a student model. Cortona is smitten by Eyde and begins to woo her. Eyde's cover is blown when Spettigue is informed that she is a policewoman by a fellow con who recognizes her. Police raid the studio in order to rescue her. Cortona tries to flee but is shot by a waiting blackmail victim who has been pushed too far by repeated threats of exposure and demands for ever more money. As Cortona is dying, despite her feelings of moral disgust, Mildred's pity kneels down, and tries to comfort him. But with his last breath, Cortona repulses her, and says "You're a Bitch". Mildred is led away, appalled.

Cast

as Augie Cortona *

as Mildred Eyde *

as Jessel Brown * Bill Owen as David Spettigue *

Robert Beatty Robert Rutherford Beatty (19 October 1909 – 3 March 1992) was a Canadian actor who worked in film, television and radio for most of his career and was especially known in the UK. Early years Beatty was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton, O ...

as Chief Inspector Bob Jarvis *

Harry H. Corbett Harry H. Corbett OBE (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing rag-and-bone man Harold Steptoe alongside Wilfrid Brambell in the long-running BBC television sitcom ''Steptoe and Son'' ( ...

as Gollar * Gene Anderson as Zena *

Eddie Byrne Eddie Byrne (31 January 1911 – 21 August 1981) was an Irish actor. Career His stage work included many appearances with Dublin's Abbey Theatre, and also work with the National Theatre in London. Outside Ireland he is probably best known ...

as George, Barman *

John Salew John Rylett Salew (1902 (some sources state 1 January 1897)14 September 1961) was an English stage film and TV actor. Salew made the transition from stage to films in 1939, and according to Allmovie, "the manpower shortage during WWII enabled ...

as John Arnold *

Georgina Cookson Antoinette Georgina Cookson (19 December 1918 – 1 October 2011) was a British film, stage and television actress. She died in Sydney, aged 92, on 1 October 2011. Family Cookson was the daughter of racing driver Roger Cookson and Sybil Tayl ...

as Miss Firbank * Linda Castle as Sylvia *

Jackie Collins Jacqueline Jill Collins (4 October 1937 – 19 September 2015) was an English romance novelist and actress. She moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and spent most of her career there. She wrote 32 novels, all of which appeared on ''The New York Time ...

as Rita Mason (credited as Lynn Curtis) *

Joan Haythorne Joan Haythorne (12 April 1915 – 27 August 1987) was a British actress. Joan Haythorne was born Joan Haythornthwaite, on 12 April 1915, London and died 27 August 1987, Richmond on Thames, Surrey. Her son was the screenwriter Jeremy Paul. ...

as Miss Ogilvie * Sheila Buxton as Nadia *

Dorinda Stevens Dorinda Stevens (16 August 1932 – 25 October 2012) was a British television and film actress of the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Stevens was born Doreen May Stevens in Southampton in the UK, the daughter of and Winifred (née Lucas). Durin ...

as Grace * Jack Lambert as Sergeant Kershaw *

Charles Lamb Charles Lamb (10 February 1775 – 27 December 1834) was an English essayist, poet, and antiquarian, best known for his '' Essays of Elia'' and for the children's book '' Tales from Shakespeare'', co-authored with his sister, Mary Lamb (1764� ...

as Pinza *

Edward Judd Edward Judd (4 October 1932 – 24 February 2009) was a British actor. Biography Born in Shanghai, he and his English father and Russian mother fled when the Japanese attacked China five years later. His career was at its peak in the 1960s ...

as Bernie *

Larry Taylor Samuel Lawrence Taylor (June 26, 1942 – August 19, 2019) was an American bass guitarist, best known for his work as a member of Canned Heat from 1967. Before joining Canned Heat he had been a session bassist for The Monkees and Jerry Lee L ...

as Second Thug *

Angela Douglas Angela Douglas (born 29 October 1940), born Angela McDonagh, is an English actress. Early life Douglas was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire. Career Douglas started acting as a teenager, joining the Worthing, West Sussex repertory comp ...

as Model *

Arthur Lovegrove Arthur Lovegrove (15 July 1913 – 7 November 1981) was a British actor and playwright. His comedy ''Goodnight Mrs Puffin'' starring Irene Handl, ran for 3 years in London's West End, from 1961. Filmography * ''Noose'' (1948) - Drummer (u ...

as Barman *

Paul Whitsun-Jones Paul Whitsun-Jones (25 April 1923 – 14 January 1974) was a Welsh character actor. Born in Newport in Monmouthshire, he was educated at Merchant Taylors' School in Northwood in Middlesex. He started his acting career in 1948 with two years a ...

as Fat Drinker * Diana Chesney as Purple Woman *

Timothy Bateson Timothy Dingwall Bateson (3 April 1926 – 15 September 2009) was an English actor. Life and career Born in London, the son of solicitor Dingwall Latham Bateson and the great-nephew of rugby player Harold Dingwall Bateson, he was educated at ...

as Estate Agent *

Neal Arden Neal Arden (born Arthur Neal Aiston; 27 December 1909 – 4 June 2014) was an English-born actor and writer who appeared in films, television shows, theatre productions and radio programs. He was born in Fulham, London. In 1928, Arden moved t ...

as Harry Bowers

Production

The film was made at

Twickenham Film Studios Twickenham Studios (formerly known as Twickenham Film Studios) is a film studio in St Margarets, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, that is used by various motion picture and television companies. It was established in 1913 by Ralph ...

, and on location. A collection of location stills and corresponding contemporary photographs is hosted at reelstreets.com.

Critical reception

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' wrote: "the performances are all strong and believable, and fast-paced direction helps to gloss over some of the inadequacies in the predictable script."

External links

References

1959 films British black-and-white films 1959 crime drama films British crime drama films Films directed by John Lemont 1950s English-language films 1950s British films {{1950s-UK-film-stub