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DramaCrime

Street of Shadows

- Every step he took led him to Murder and a woman !

A saloon owner falls in love with the abused wife of a heavy gambler. He is snared into a web of intrigue when an ex-girlfriend is found murdered in his apartment.

Release Date : 1953-10-16

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Merton Park Studios Ltd.

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles : The Shadow ManShadow Man

Cast

Cesar Romero

Character Name : Luigi

Original Name : Cesar Romero

Gender : Male

Kay Kendall

Character Name : Barbara Gale

Original Name : Kay Kendall

Gender : Female

Victor Maddern

Character Name : Danny 'Limpy' Thomas

Original Name : Victor Maddern

Gender : Male

Edward Underdown

Character Name : Det. Insp. Johnstone

Original Name : Edward Underdown

Gender : Male

Simone Silva

Character Name : Angele Abbé

Original Name : Simone Silva

Gender : Female

Liam Gaffney

Character Name : Constable Fred Roberts

Original Name : Liam Gaffney

Gender : Male

Bill Travers

Character Name : Nigel Langley - Barbara's date

Original Name : Bill Travers

Gender : Male

Molly Hawley-Clifford

Character Name : "Starry" Darryl

Original Name : Molly Hawley-Clifford

Gender : Male

John Penrose

Character Name : Gerald Gale

Original Name : John Penrose

Gender : Male

Robert Cawdron

Character Name : Det. Sgt. Hadley

Original Name : Robert Cawdron

Gender : Male

Henry Purvis

Character Name : Starry's Brother

Original Name : Henry Purvis

Gender : Male

Paul Hardtmuth

Character Name : V. H. Mayall

Original Name : Paul Hardtmuth

Gender : Male

Eileen Way

Character Name : Mrs. Thoms

Original Name : Eileen Way

Gender : Female

Tony Sympson

Character Name : Nicky the Burgler

Original Name : Tony Sympson

Gender : Male

Fred Griffiths

Character Name : Cabbie

Original Name : Fred Griffiths

Gender : Male

Jack Howarth

Character Name : Limpy's Landlord

Original Name : Jack Howarth

Gender : Male

Harry Purvis

Character Name : Darrell

Original Name : Harry Purvis

Gender : Male

Rose McLaren

Character Name : Rose

Original Name : Rose McLaren

Gender : Female

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Pin-Table Murder: Surprise Development. Street of Shadows (AKA: Shadow Man) is directed by Richard Vernon, who also adapts the screenplay from the novel “The Creaking Chair” written by Laurence Meynell. It stars Cesar Romero, Victor Maddern, Kay Kendall, Simone Silva, John Penrose, Bill Travers and Liam Gaffney. Music is by Eric Spear, with harmonica by Tommy Reilly, and cinematography is by Phil Grindod. A good old frame-up thriller with noir styling, Street of Shadows finds Romero as Luigi, the manager of a gaming premises in London’s Soho area. When an old acquaintance of his, Angele Abbe (Silva), is found murdered in his apartment, he’s naturally the chief suspect. Forced to go on the run, Luigi hopes that the police or himself can find the real culprit soon. The story is pretty conventional stuff, with the mystery element none existent since it can only really be one person who committed the murder. However, the benefits elsewhere make this worth sampling by the film noir faithful, even if it’s not what you would call essential viewing. The whole picture is filmed in the noir style, Vernon and Grindod not missing any opportunities for a bit of shadow play or psychologically tinted contrast usage. The backdrop is a dour London of dark streets and alleyways, a dank part of the city where sordid characters go about their respective business. These people are either carrying some sort of affliction, aggressive or are emotionally stunted. An abused wife, a sexually frustrated janitor with a foot disability, card sharps, a man with huge cauliflower ears, a playboy, ladies of the night, or in the case of Luigi, someone who you really wouldn’t want to count on. Police Close Pin-Table Saloon! Luigi’s Pin-Table business is delightfully dingy, filled out with slot machines and macabre looking games such as a laughing sailor or Konki The Clown: Fortune Teller. Breezing around the place are the two gals, Angele and Barbara Gale (Kendall), getting the lads hot under the collar, while the human fortune teller Starry Darrell (Molly Hamley Clifford) is a splendid character capable of smoothing out Luigi’s edges. Acting is good, with Maddern the stand out performer, and how nice to hear good quality Harmonica as part of a musical score. 6/10

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2023-05-25

This time it's Cesar Romero who has been drafted in to boost the box office for this otherwise rather unremarkable drama. He is "Luigi" and owns a seedy saloon that's usually frequented by petty criminals and ne'er-do-wells. One night he encounters the married, but neglected, "Barbara" (Kay Kendall) and after a whirlwind romance, they plot to elope. Before they can flee, though, his ex-girlfriend "Angelo" (Simone Silva) is found in his flat - dead as a doornail. He ropes in his rather untrustworthy pal "Limpy" (Victor Maddern) to get shot of the body, but the police intervene and both are soon facing interrogation. To be fair to Richard Vernon, the whodunit element of this thriller is kept under wraps til quite late in the day, so there is a gently accruing sense of mystery with quite a few red herrings to distract us from an ending that I quite liked. The production is really basic, though. The lighting is really in need of some extra wattage and the score is rather intrusive with enough harmonica to make an album of sea shanties. Not a film you'll remember, but it does remind of just how stylish Kendall was.