User reviews

I found this little gem in the library. It was part of a "Hollywood's Attic" collection and had no information on the case other than the title, but I decided to check it out and have a few laughs. When I saw the credits, I decided anything with George Raft couldn't be all bad and decided to watch it through. Even though he was middle aged at the time, Raft was true to form in his portrayal of the ex-con tough guy infiltrating a loan shark operation responsible for his brother-in-law's death. Nice acting by everyone, including a young Russell Johnson. Definitely not Oscar caliber, but worth it if you're a film noir fan.

Loan Shark finds George Raft an ex-con come to live with his sister Helen Westcott after his release. Their neighbor and secretary to the owner of the factory where Westcott's husband is employed, Dorothy Hart puts in a good word for Raft for a job.

Owner Charles Meredith has a special job in mind for Raft, investigating and finding out who's behind a group of loan sharks who have been putting many of his employees in their debt. Raft doesn't want this kind of work, but changes his mind when his brother-in-law Bill Phipps is killed.

But unfortunately this involves Raft going undercover and working for the gang until he can find out who the real boss is. He makes a lot of enemies, including Westcott and Hart until the job is done.

The film was done for B picture studio Lippert films and possibly at a major studio it would have had a lot of the plot holes filled. The writing could have used some improvement, but action goes along at a nice pace and Raft is perfectly cast in the hero part. During this time Raft was doing most of his work in B films and some of them are not bad at all. Loan Shark is one of them.

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.

OK: That's only at the beginning. catch the start of this nice little noir. Raft makes an entrance any diva would have been pleased with. And he arrives to visit his sister. On the way, he passes a squabbling couple. The sister greets him with love and concern, commenting on how tired he looks. And then he goes to soak in a hot bath! Later in the movie, we see that the authors have been influenced by another play that became a movie: The girlfriend of one of the bad guys suddenly sounds like Judy Holliday as Billie Dawn, from "Born yesterday." It may indeed have been unconscious. But wait: The climactic scene -- and this is giving nothing away -- is set in a theater.

All this said, it's an excellent movie for something on so obviously low a budget. Raft is the same as he usually was. He's not exciting but he gives a solid performance. The lead female, Dorothy Hart, is attractive and convincing. The supporting cast is very good and they're all well directed.

It's by no means a great movie but it's a decent, good one, worth your time.

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.

It sure was odd seeing a 57 year-old George Raft playing essentially the same role he'd been playing almost twenty years earlier--especially since the stuntman they used for him looked much younger and a lot more fit! Also, having a 27 year age difference between him and his girlfriend also strained the limits of credibility. However, if you can ignore the oddness of the casting, then it's a very good example of Film Noir that is sure to please lovers of this genre.

Raft plays a man who has just gotten out of prison for assault. He genuinely wants to go straight, but unfortunately the job prospect he has wants him to do some undercover work to determine who's in charge of a local loan shark business. He turns the job down, but when his brother-in-law is soon killed by these thugs, he changes his mind and works his way up through the racket to find "Mr. Big".

An exciting script, very good acting and pacing make this a fine fine example of Film Noir. If you liked this film, try to see Alan Ladd in APPOINTMENT WITH DANGER. The plot is very similar, though the Ladd film is a good bit grittier and tougher.

By the way, although this is a good film, Raft's prospects in Hollywood were pretty bleak at this point in his career. Raft made a habit of turning down amazing roles and by the 1950s he was starring in mostly B-pictures. According to IMDb, he'd "turned down High Sierra (1941), The Maltese Falcon (1941), Casablanca (1942) and Double Indemnity (1944)"--yikes!

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.

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 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.

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 plays a tough ex-con, Joe Gargen, who discovers that his brother-in-law and other workers at his factory are involved with loan sharks who resort to violence when the workers cannot pay.

When a union leader and the factory owner ask Joe to help, he refuses. Then his brother-in-law is murdered.

Joe goes undercover in order to infiltrate the gang and find out who is heading it up. Because you can't tell anyone what he's doing, his sister and his new girlfriend (Dorothy Hart) turn on him.

Typical Kit Parker film, made on a shoestring, with a nice tough guy performance by Raft. Beautiful Hart left films soon afterwards and became involved in UN projects for children.

Decent B noir/crime film. Raft is a little wooden but was predictably good as the tough guy - and a little less convincing as the sensitive love interest. Paul Stewart is terrific as the lead henchman, and a cool performance by John Hoyt as well. Overall a pretty tight and entertaining movie.

The cardboard George Raft cannot sustain a movie on his own shoulders but put him next to the gorgeous Dorothy Hart and he becomes invisible. I hate to say it but even after appearing in numerous films over three decades George Raft is as emotionless and stiff as ever.

The story line of a bunch of factory workers being strong armed by a loan shark to pay ridiculous weekly interest rates called "juice" on their small loans or get beat up if they don't keep up with the weekly high interest rates is where Raft comes in to crack the syndicates hold on these poor laborers.

I just could never envision Raft as a tough guy because he is so stiff and it seems as if his lips are sewn shut as if he were talking like a hand puppet would. I really don't want to be critical of the story line which is actually decent, it is just seeing Raft pretend to be acting once again in his umpteenth feature film, I can only surmise that he had to have some dirt on the executive producers, or his family owned their own production company and just insisted that the dull and boring Raft take the lead role.

I am going to assume the producers lost a bundle on this film release and were fortunate to land the gorgeous Dorothy Hart to co-star with the pip squeak Raft and recoup some of their losses.

I give the film a 6 out of 10 IMDB rating.

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.

Quite simply this is a script anyone can, and often did, make variations on a theme. I will say there's better and worse with this one being in the middle which is a bit of fail seeing with the cast it could easily be better. Raft at approximately 60 basically playing the young tough guy is a stretch but it would presage Hollywood's (and certain stars) habit of this basic fail. Anyway for what it is it is watchable and here and there shows a spark. I am a noir fan. Is this noir? Well its drama tinged with noir for sure and since film noir was less in fashion anything half-way decent is of some interest. That's about it: some interest seeing late Raft in a pedestrian flick, yet...strangely, still worth a look.

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.

Good little crime drama at a time when TV and Technicolor were shoving B-flicks off the marquee. Raft may be along in years (51) for his romantic clinches, but he sure as heck continues as one of Hollywood's premier tough guys. Then too, he's in rough company with two of the industry's best no-nonsense supporting actors, Hoyt and Stewart. Together the three create a solid core of tough-guy menace that carries the storyline.

Seems Joe (Raft) is just out of prison and wants to go straight, but his sister's husband has been killed by loan sharks whose ruinous effect on working people he soon learns about. So he decides to to expose the criminal organization by going undercover and using his savvy tough-guy skills to disrupt their operation. Those scenes of him undercover in an actual tire factory are riveting and heighten the movie's general sense of menace, almost like a mechanical version of hell. On the other hand, too bad the producers used empty studio sets for supposed city streets that disrupt that general sense of realism. Also, the shootout could use less clumsy staging. Nonetheless, be sure to catch the naughty innuendo between Vince (Hoyt) and his cheap blonde mistress (Dean) - yeah, censorship's deadening 20-year grip is loosening.

Anyway, the flick's got a solid core of drama and suspense that also rewards fans of the inimitable George Raft, so don't pass it up.