A Shield For Murder (1954)

Shield for Murder / Edmond O’Brien & Howard W. Koch (1954). Edmond O’Brien gives an intense performance in this thriller which is actually pretty exceptional, at least for about the first three-quarters of its time. O’Brien plays Barney Nolan, a homicide detective who is burned out, full of rage and violence, and going just a little psycho. In the pre-credits sequence we see him waylay a mob runner carrying $25,000 from one place to another. Nolan shoots him using a suppressor, searches his body for the money, then fires his gun loudly into the air. Claiming he was bringing the man in when he tried to run, the other cops believe him and move into damage control mode (like they still do). However, a man who cannot hear nor speak has seen the whole thing from his second story apartment window. Nolan’s protégé, Mark (John Agar), on the detective force begins to have his doubts about Barney’s story. As both mobsters and cops close in, Barney begins to melt down. About the last 25 minutes, however, devolves in a long chase as Barney tries to find a way out of town. This becomes a little tedious. Others in the cast include Marla English as Barney’s fiancé (who he ends up physically abusing), Emile Meyer as the gruff Precinct Captain, Joe Sawyer as the head mobster, Claude Akins as mob muscle, Carolyn Jones, Vito Scotti, Robert Bray, William Schallert, and a very young but unmistakable Richard Deacon. Last producer and director credit for Howard W. Koch. Edmond O'Brien's acting carries this one.

John Agar tries to bring in Edmond O’Brien by himself (it doesn’t work).