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
- Writers
- Stars
Tony Sympson
- Nikki
- (as Tony Simpson)
Harry Purvis
- Darrell
- (as Anaconda)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
"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".
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.
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.
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'.
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'.
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.
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.
Did you know
- TriviaThe 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.
- GoofsWhen 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.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Mondo oscenità (1966)
- How long is The Shadow Man?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Der Vampyr von Soho
- Filming locations
- West End, London, England, UK(Charing X Rd, Piccadilly, Fitzrovia)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 1h 16m(76 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content