Skip to content
HOLLYWOOD METRICS
HomeAboutCraftNewsAnalyticsScriptsBooksPricingAPIMCP
Catalog/Crime/Shakedown
Shakedown poster
B
Strong
MASTER SCORE 67.3 / 100
1950·Crime / Drama / Film-Noir·1h 20m

SHAKEDOWN

“His camera Was More Deadly Than A Gangster's Gun!”

Jack Early is a photographer who will stop at nothing to climb his way to the very top of the success ladder. On the strength of his sheer tenacity, he gets a job with a major newspaper, and it's not long before he's made a name for himself by charming a notorious crime boss, Nick Palmer, into allowing himself to be photographed. Palmer takes him under his wing, but Early decides to bite the hand that feeds him and sets Palmer and another crime boss, Colton, against one another.

Above the Line
Joseph Pevney·DirectorMartin Goldsmith·ScreenplayAlfred Lewis Levitt·ScreenplayIrving Glassberg·Director of PhotographyDaniele Amfitheatrof·MusicMilton Carruth·Editor
Cast
Howard Duff·Jack EarlyBrian Donlevy·Nick PalmerPeggy Dow·Ellen BennettLawrence Tierney·Harry ColtonBruce Bennett·David GloverAnne Vernon·Nita PalmerJack Reitzen·Joe DowningPeter Virgo·RoyCharles Sherlock·SamElsie Baker·Palmer's Maid (uncredited)
Full Crew
(30 credits)
Directing· 4
Joseph Pevney·DirectorGeorge Lollier·Assistant DirectorJoseph E. Kenney·Assistant DirectorPat Betz·Script Supervisor
Writing· 4
Nat Dallinger·StoryDon Martin·StoryMartin Goldsmith·ScreenplayAlfred Lewis Levitt·Screenplay
Camera· 4
Irving Glassberg·Director of PhotographyEverett Brown·GripKyme Meade·Camera OperatorSherman Clark·Still Photographer
Editing· 1
Milton Carruth·Editor
Sound & Music· 9
Daniele Amfitheatrof·MusicLeith Stevens·MusicHans J. Salter·MusicMiklós Rózsa·MusicMilton Rosen·MusicFrank Skinner·MusicRobert Pritchard·SoundJoseph Gershenson·Music DirectorLeslie I. Carey·Sound
Art & Design· 3
Yvonne Wood·Costume DesignBernard Herzbrun·Art DirectionRobert Clatworthy·Art Direction
Production· 1
Ted Richmond·Producer
Other Departments· 4
Helen Turpin·HairstylistNorton Kurland·GafferJoan St. Oegger·HairstylistEvelynne Smith·Stunts
By the Numbers
67.3
OF 100
Master Score
7.1
OF 10
IMDb
—
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
—
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

The canonical record of where this film lives across the streaming map.

Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

Find on TMDB
Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind Shakedown's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#000000
#800000
#FFFFFF
Mood
Gritty, Intense, Edgy
Composition
Layered
Era
2000s
Visual Style
Photographic

“A group of ten men, mostly young adults, are depicted in a dark setting, appearing through a shattered mirror or glass pane. The men are wearing dark long-sleev”

actioncrime
Key Elements
Shattered Glass
Atmosphere
Gritty
Color Mood
Mixed
Setting
Abstract
Design Score
7/10
More Like This

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Neighboring films in the catalog's similarity graph.

Keep Going

THREE WAYS DEEPER

Auteur
AUT
MORE BY JOSEPH PEVNEY

Every catalog entry where Joseph Pevney is credited as director.

Open
Family
GEN
MORE CRIME

Top-ranked films inside crime, sorted by master score.

Open
Era
DEC
MORE FROM THE 1950S

The best films of the 1950s, ranked across every available metric.

Open
View on IMDbView on TMDBCatalog
HOLLYWOOD METRICS

The definitive mathematical oracle for cinematic success and creative script intelligence.

74,000+ Films100 Years1.1M+ Reviews
PRODUCT
  • Dashboard
  • Pricing
  • Script Analysis
  • Watch the Demo
  • The Red List
  • News
  • Analytics
  • API
  • MCP Connector
COMPANY
  • About
  • Track Record
  • Trust & Script Privacy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
CONNECT
  • ▶YouTube
  • ◉Instagram
  • ♪TikTok
  • @Threads
  • fFacebook
Get Started Free →
© 2026 Hollywood Metrics. All rights reserved.Powered by bespoke agents and autonomous agentic workflows