Loan Shark

Loan Shark

A tire company owner is concerned that his employees are being beaten by a loan shark operation. Half of the workers owe them money. The owner and the union boss call in tough ex-con Joe Gargen (George Raft). At first, he's unwilling to help until his brother in-law gets killed. This is a standard B-crime drama done with professional workmanship. These are surface characters. The actors have hardened dialogue and pulpy plot to go through. It's nothing special. There is a bit of action but nothing grand. It's standard and a functional watch.

So George Raft goes illegally undercover to bust up a loan shark racket and at the same time gives the mob a new idea to prey on house wives and if they cant pay up - well in the real world would have been exploited for very obvious sexual payments of various kinds. Hollywood certainly comes up with some odd morality tales. Good little film for what it is and another combination of films like Souls for Sale, I was a Communits for the FBI - that kind of thing. Lots of B-Grade familiar faces, fasted paced with typical tough guy dialogue sprinkled throughout. Looking back on these times, i am not sure if i would want to go back to this era.

George Raft was a boxer who killed a man with his hands. He's just gotten out of prison. His sister, Helen Westcott, has gotten him an interview at the rubber plant where she and her husband work. The head man, though, wants George Raft to go undercover to investigate loan sharks because... uh... of his qualifications? Anyway, once that is justified by ignoring it, Raft works his way into the loan shark organization, looking for Mr. Big. Raft's line delivery is the same whether he's making love to Dorothy Hart or telling Paul Stewart he'll have to wait for his money. He moves with careful grace, like a man who has recently lost a lot of weight and is afraid of knocking over furniture. There's some interesting looks at the workings of a factory where they convert raw rubber into sheets, but otherwise, it's another movie from Lippert, using competent behind-the-camera talent to use superannuated stars in standard plots.

When factory workers can't pay off their loans, and start getting beat up, ex-convict Gargen (George Raft) is recruited to help the coppers investigate the loan shark syndicate. keep an eye out for Russel Johnson as Charlie, another factory worker; this was one of his first roles, ten years before Gilligan's Island. he's connected to the loan sharks somehow, and seems to be part of the problem. Paul Stewart is Donelli, the guy with the money. you'll recognize him from Ironside and Perry Mason. he seemed to like working with Raymond Burr. Anyhoo... Gargen keeps an eye on the loan syndicate, but doesn't want to appear too nosy. very slow boil. there will have to be a showdown at some point. Directed by Seymour Friedman. this one was towards the end of his film direction... it was mostly television after this. he had directed a bunch of "Boston Blackie" and "Rusty" films for Columbia. This one shows on Film Detectives channel. it's okay.....

George Raft Riding His Stone-Faced Star Status to the End. Here, at 57, Plays an Ex-Con, Ex-Boxer, that is a Hit with the Ladies and Hits His Share of Hoods. He's Not Only an Ex-Pug, He's Proficient in Judo too. A B-Movie that Visually has some Unexpected Style and Flourishes. Grounded in a Tire-Factory with Plenty of Machinery and Production Techniques Inside the Plant. A Good Cast with Paul Stewart and Dorthy Hart and some Familiar TV and B-Movie Faces. It's a Fast-Paced with a Goodly Amount of Contrivances as Raft Bullies HIs Way into the "Trust" of the Mob. Overall, a Better than Average Late-Life Raft Vehicle and Early-Fifties Near Noir. Worth a Watch.

While not a fan of Raft's starring qualities for major studio films, I really enjoy him in tough little black and white B films like this. Low budget, filmed quickly, they seem a good fit for his real life tough, sometimes lowlife persona and abilities. I intend this as a compliment to Raft and if you watch "Loan Shark" you will see what I mean. In addition to Raft you have here a fine supporting cast including one of the best John Hoyt crime performances of his long distinguished career. Factories, lunch boxes and cheap hoods. Really evokes the underside of the 1950's and moves along briskly. Surprisingly entertaining.

Loan Shark - 1952 George Raft vehicle about an ex-con who is recruited to break up a Loan Sharking ring in a tire factory.Solid movie following Raft's infiltration of the local mob.A good cast and crew make this typical material a solid entertainment.We see Russell Johnson(the professor on Gilligan's Island) as the tout/shill for the mob.John Hoyt(the doctor in the Star Trek pilot:The Cage) does a good job as the mob boss. Sure some of the fight scenes are clumsy and the dialogue is clichéd at times,but is a decent movie with some good shots inside the tire factory and a decent storyline with a laundry/loansharking industry.Nothing outstanding- but a good escape for fans of the genre and Raft's rakish charm.The DVD has an informative commentary track Richard M. Roberts. C+

Loan Shark is a nice little gangster melodrama centering in on the loan sharking racket. By the time this movie was made, George Raft's popularity was dwindling. But for George Raft fans, this movie still makes the grade. In my opinion, with the exception of "Each dawn I Die", "They drive by night" and "Invisible Stripes", his best movies were done in the 1950's. In Loan Shark, Raft is cast as Joe Gargan, a tough ex con who wants to settle down and go straight by working with his brother-in-law's tire company. But alas, the tire plant is infected by a wave of assaults and killings. The plant's general manager pleads with Raft to find the criminals responsible and perhaps put an end to the bloodshed. Watch for Russell Johnson (TV's "the professor" on Gilligan's Island")in an early role.

George Raft is Joe Gargan, an ex con who is hired by a tire factory owner and a union leader to help smash a loan sharking mob that has been preying on factory workers. Joe works his way into the loan sharkers operation in order to get the goods on the guy who killed his brother in law and find out who the mobs top boss is. Since Joe can't tell anyone what he is up to, this puts a strain on his personal life; his sister no longer wants anything to do with him and he gets dumped by his girlfriend. Of course Joe clears everything up at the end. Although LOAN SHARK has a somewhat weak script, the film is a fast paced, well acted, and efficient gangster thriller. Dorthy Hart, who played Jane to Lex Barkers Tarzan the same year as this film, looks lovely. Overall, LOAN SHARK is recommend for fans of George Raft and post war gangster movies.