Loan Shark (film)
| Loan Shark | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release lobby card | |
| Directed by | Seymour Friedman |
| Screenplay by | Eugene Ling Martin Rackin |
| Story by | Martin Rackin |
| Produced by | Bernard Luber |
| Starring | George Raft Dorothy Hart Paul Stewart |
| Cinematography | Joseph F. Biroc |
| Edited by | Albrecht Joseph |
| Music by | Heinz Roemheld |
Production company | Encore Productions Inc. |
| Distributed by | Lippert Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 79 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $250,000[1] |
Loan Shark is a 1952 film noir directed by Seymour Friedman and starring George Raft, Dorothy Hart and Paul Stewart.[2]
Plot
An ex-con avenges his brother's death by infiltrating vicious loan rackets.
Cast
- George Raft as Joe Gargen
- Dorothy Hart as Ann Nelson
- Paul Stewart as Lou Donelli
- John Hoyt as Vince Phillips
- Helen Westcott as Martha Gargen Haines
- Henry Slate as Paul Nelson
- Russell Johnson as Charlie Thompson
- Margia Dean as Ivy
- Benny Baker as Tubby
- Lawrence Dobkin as Walter Kerr
Background
Gail Russell was meant to play the female lead but was unable to do so because of personal problems. Raft was paid $25,000 plus 25% of the profits.[1]
Reception
Critical response
Film critic Dennis Schwartz panned the film, writing, "A lifeless thriller about an ex-convict trying to smash a brutal loan-shark racket. Sappy dialogue, an awful plot, and unimaginative directing by Seymour Friedman, make this hardly believable crime story fizzle. The story made about as much sense as snow in July. It is only watchable because George Raft tries to inject into it some Hollywood star pizzazz. But even the final shootout is flat ... This low-budget crime thriller puts all its action into the final shootout scene in a shadowy theater. It had nothing to say about crime or the workforce. The script leaves the impression that all the parties concerned don't seem to have enough brains to walk and chew gum at the same time.[3]
References
- ^ a b Everett Aaker, George Raft: The Films, McFarland 2012 p150
- ^ Loan Shark at IMDb.
- ^ Schwartz, Dennis. Ozus' World Movie Reviews film review, August 29, 2003. Accessed: July 9, 2013.
External links
- Loan Shark at IMDb
- Loan Shark at AllMovie
- Loan Shark at the TCM Movie Database
- Loan Shark informational page and DVD review at DVD Beaver (includes images)
- Loan Shark film scene on YouTube