elvis1956 The star reporter, who works for the Tribune, stands by as big story after big story is reported by the competition. When he uncovers big public corruption he bows to social pressure and agrees to sit on his scoop.

bkoganbing Shoot To Kill takes Luana Walters out of her usual western cowgirl outfits and puts her in modern dress as a woman with one incredible scheme that involves bringing down a crooked prosecutor. Doubly hard because prosecutor Edmund MacDonald is regarded as a hero with a bright future.MacDonald has brought down Robert Kent a big name hoodlum. But it was at the bidding of three others racketeers who frame Kent because they want him out of the way. Kent escapes and therein lies the tale.Walters who usually was the girl that any number of Saturday matinée cowboys would be vying for did a really good job as a woman on a mission. You'd hardly know this was the same woman as this is one hardboiled dame. Walters is aided and abetted by reporter Russell Wade who also has a big size torch for Walters. In fact the whole story is related in flashback by Walters to Wade and Wade sees for the first time how his role fit in the big picture. Shoot To Kill obviously had a different ending in mind when you see it. For whatever reason, Lippert Pictures chose the wrong one. It should have ended like Humphrey Bogart's classic The Big Shot. It really spoiled what could have been a minor noir classic. You'll see what I mean when you watch it.

JohnHowardReid I expected little from William Berke's 1947 Shoot To Kill. In fact, my expectations were so low, I left the DVD until late at night. I was just about to retire, but thought I'd take a quick look at the opening sequence. The movie hooked me straight away. Not only was Berke's direction way more polished than his norm, the movie was most atmospherically photographed by Benjamin Kline. Deft writing by Edwin V. Westrate also helped, and the actors were great too, especially Edmund MacDonald (who reminded me of a young Citizen Kane), heroine Luana Walters, reporter Russell Wade, gangster Robert Kent, the boogie-woogie piano player Gene Rodgers, and is-he-honest-or-is-he district attorney Charles Trowbridge (in noirish close-ups, giving the best performance of his lengthy career).

dbborroughs The film opens with a high speed chase at night. the cops are chasing after someone. Shots ring out. The car the cops are chasing crashes ejecting the passengers-a notorious criminal as well as the newly elected DA and his wife. Only the wife survives. A reporter and friend of the gravely injured wife sneaks into her room in the hospital and asks her to tell him what happened, she does.Cheaply made film noir with a cast that is mostly unfamiliar faces. Not a bad film as such, its just that the film seems to confuse motion of a twisty plot as the same thing as motion of characters you care about. I don't blame the cast for making this less than engaging, I blame the writer who is constantly changing who the principle characters are as a way of keeping you interested. Is anyone good or bad? Its not really clear until the final fade out. Only the dueling mob bosses seem to be constant, the result is that they play more as cartons rather than real people. As I said its not bad, its just that you end up watching it to see how the twists go rather than because you're engaged with the characters. You probably could spend your time better elsewhere.