Shield for Murder
"Thrill after thrill hits you where you feel it most!"
A crooked police detective masterminds a robbery then fights to keep the stolen money.
Top Cast
-
Edmond O'Brien
Det. Lt. Barney Nolan
-
Marla English
Patty Winters
-
John Agar
Det. Sgt. Mark Brewster
-
Emile Meyer
Capt. Gunnarson
-
Carolyn Jones
Beth, Girl at Bar
-
Claude Akins
Fat Michaels
-
Herbert Butterfield
Cabot, Reporter
-
Hugh Sanders
Packy Reed
-
William Schallert
Asst. Dist. Atty. Andy Tucker
Overview
A crooked police detective masterminds a robbery then fights to keep the stolen money.
Rating
6.7
/ 10
35 Reviews 1 Popular
1 Reviews
-
CinemaSerf7 Nov 30, 2024We discover right from the outset that "Nolan" (Edmond O'Brien) is a dodgy cop, and that he has killed a bookie's runner so he can take the $25k he was carrying and use it to build a new life for him and his girlfriend 'Patty" (Marla English). Unfortunately for him, he was seen by a deaf mute and so has to think on his feet before his partner "Brewster" (John Agar) gets to the truth or before the mob, whose cash it was, decide to take their own form of retribution. He has a reputation as a bit of a shoot-first merchant so faces a considerable degree of internal suspicion and that doesn't help as his initially loyal colleague begins to smell a very big rat. Can he get away with it and make it to to his retirement bungalow? On that front, there's not so much jeopardy nor is the writing really up to much either. What does help this stand out, though, is the strong characterisation of the odious "Nolan". O'Brien almost sweats the role, effectively demonstrating his loathing of his fellow cops and of the arrogant mob as he treats them all with contempt and disdain. Even the usually underwhelming Agar is likewise quiet effective as this story quite cleverly marries the crooked cop with the crooked system and the crooked gangsters all in the hope that somebody, somewhere, might actually prove decent enough to avenge the slaughtered man. It's quite a potent little eighty minute thriller, and worth a watch.
Trailers & Clips
![Shield for Murder (1954) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/OfhbD2GEkpM/hqdefault.webp)
Recommendations
Police Lt. Leonard Diamond vies to bring a clever, well connected, and sadistic gangster to justice all the while obsessing over the gangster's girlfriend.
The Big Combo
7.0 1955
A duel between a suspected murderer and a detective pressed by people who want results. But whose skin is really wanted?
The Interview
6.8 1998
After years of investigation, Assistant District Attorney Martin Ferguson has managed to build a solid case against an elusive gangster whose top lieutenant is about to testify.
The Enforcer
7.1 1951
Three detectives in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner.
L.A. Confidential
7.8 1997
After Police Captain Dan McLaren becomes police commissioner, former detective Johnny Blake publicly punches him, convincing rackets boss Al Kruger that Blake is sincere in his effort to join the mob. "Bugs" Fenner, meanwhile, is certain that Blake is a police agent.
Bullets or Ballots
6.6 1936
A police detective's violent nature keeps him from being a good cop.
Where the Sidewalk Ends
7.2 1950
Mysterious Orfamay Quest hires Los Angeles private investigator Philip Marlowe to find her missing brother. Though the job seems simple enough, it leads Marlowe into the underbelly of the city, turning up leads who are murdered with ice picks, exotic dancers, blackmailed television stars, and self-preserving gangsters. Soon, Marlowe's life is on the line right along with his case.
Marlowe
6.1 1969
A woman fights to convince the police that she witnessed a murder while looking out her bedroom window.
Witness to Murder
6.3 1954
Petty crook and cop-killer Martin Rome, in bad shape from wounds in the hospital prison ward, still refuses to help slimy lawyer Niles clear his client by confessing to another crime. Police Lt. Candella must check Niles' allegation; a friend of the Rome family, he walks a tightrope between sentiment and cynicism. When Martin fears Candella will implicate his girlfriend Teena, he'll do anything to protect her. How many others will he drag down to disaster with him?
Cry of the City
6.7 1948
When a drug heist swerves lethally out of control, a jaded cop fights his way through a corrupt city's criminal underworld to save a politician's son.
Havoc
6.4 2025