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The Shadow Man

Original title: Street of Shadows
  • 1953
  • Approved
  • 1h 16m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
400
YOUR RATING
Cesar Romero, Kay Kendall, and Simone Silva in The Shadow Man (1953)
Small-time Soho hustler gets caught up in the murder of an ex-girl friend, evades the police and finally helps them to corner the real murderer.
Play trailer2:10
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12 Photos
CrimeDrama

Small-time Soho hustler gets caught up in the murder of an ex-girl friend, evades the police and finally helps them to corner the real murderer.Small-time Soho hustler gets caught up in the murder of an ex-girl friend, evades the police and finally helps them to corner the real murderer.Small-time Soho hustler gets caught up in the murder of an ex-girl friend, evades the police and finally helps them to corner the real murderer.

  • Director
    • Richard Vernon
  • Writers
    • Richard Vernon
    • Laurence Meynell
  • Stars
    • Cesar Romero
    • Kay Kendall
    • Edward Underdown
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.0/10
    400
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Richard Vernon
    • Writers
      • Richard Vernon
      • Laurence Meynell
    • Stars
      • Cesar Romero
      • Kay Kendall
      • Edward Underdown
    • 23User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

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    Trailer 2:10
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    Photos11

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    Top cast28

    Edit
    Cesar Romero
    Cesar Romero
    • Luigi
    Kay Kendall
    Kay Kendall
    • Barbara Gale
    Edward Underdown
    Edward Underdown
    • Det. Insp. Johnstone
    Victor Maddern
    Victor Maddern
    • Danny 'Limpy' Thomas
    Simone Silva
    Simone Silva
    • Angele Abbé
    Liam Gaffney
    • Constable Fred Roberts
    Bill Travers
    Bill Travers
    • Nigel Langley
    Robert Cawdron
    Robert Cawdron
    • Det. Sgt. Hadley
    John Penrose
    John Penrose
    • Gerald Gale
    Molly Hamley-Clifford
    • 'Starry' Darrell
    Eileen Way
    • Mrs. Thoms
    Paul Hardtmuth
    Paul Hardtmuth
    • J.M. Mayall
    Tony Sympson
    Tony Sympson
    • Nikki
    • (as Tony Simpson)
    Rose McLaren
    • Rose
    Michael Kelly
    • Merchant Seaman West
    Fred Griffiths
    • Cab Driver
    Harry Purvis
    • Darrell
    • (as Anaconda)
    Lionel King
    • The Cardsharp
    • Director
      • Richard Vernon
    • Writers
      • Richard Vernon
      • Laurence Meynell
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews23

    6.0400
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    Featured reviews

    7happytrigger-64-390517

    bluesy moody sexy drama

    "Street of Shadows" is the only movie directed by Robert Vernon, rather producer of "Colonel Blimp" or "Kiss The Blood Off My Hand" (what a title for a film noir, Burt's seventh film noir in two years !!!). The bluesy use of harmonica from the beginning reminds of the main theme in a french film noir classic, "Touchez pas au grisbi" directed by Jacques Becker. The friendship between Cesar Romero and his crippled employee Victor Maddern is touching, the atmosphere in Romero's club is moody and sexy, the jukebox has some important apparitions (and like in "Brighton Rock" for a sequence, but we're far from that unique masterpiece). There are a lot of nice surprises in british film noir like this "Street of shadows".
    6malcolmgsw

    Soho at night

    Quite an atmospheric film from Merton Park.Caesar Romero is the parachuted in American star does a very reasonable job as the owner of a pin ball arcade.Victor Maddern gets quite a large role for a change.The plot has a predictable ending but it is worth the effort to watch.
    6CinemaSerf

    Street of Shadows

    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.
    7richardchatten

    Shadows of Soho

    A slick little British film noir in the French style with the usual atmospheric photography (both in the studio at Merton Park and on location in Soho) by Phil Grindrod, a moody harmonica score by Eric Spear (who later wrote the theme for 'Coronation Street') and a classy female lead in the form of Kay Kendall.

    Victor Maddern's pathetic, lovesick sidekick 'Limpy' presumably led to his casting as mad scientist Donald Wolfit's hunchbacked lab assistant five years later in 'Blood of the Vampire'.
    6hkvfvqj

    No expense is wasted

    A typical 50s piece in B&W with Romero and Kendal holding it together. The rest of the acting ... Victor Madden limps rather too heavily whilst making sure the rest of his body is as twisted as is compatible with some forward movement. But is he twisted inside too?

    Tommy Riley's harmonica lends an extra underworld tone. Obviously everyone smokes since this was cool. The sleeze factor is raised by the lack of spending on the sets.

    Romero wastes no time by falling in love ASAP. Kendal, having had two years in a loveless marriage, surrenders (50s surrenders) immediately. It gets only slightly complicated thereafter.

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    Related interests

    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
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    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The two lead actresses, Kay Kendall and Simone Silva, would tragically die in London within 6 years of appearing in this film. Silva would die from a stroke in 1957 at age 29; Kendall would die from leukemia in 1959 at age 33.
    • Goofs
      When Luigi gets involved in the brawl outside the pub the bowl of the arc lamp is clearly reflected in the pub's plate glass window.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Mondo oscenità (1966)

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    FAQ13

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 16, 1953 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • Streaming on "TennaTV" YouTube Channel
      • Streaming on "The Sprocket Vault" YouTube Channel
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Der Vampyr von Soho
    • Filming locations
      • West End, London, England, UK(Charing X Rd, Piccadilly, Fitzrovia)
    • Production companies
      • William Nassour Productions
      • Merton Park Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 16m(76 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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