I Was A Shoplifter (1950)

I Was A Shoplifter (1950) is a docu-noir gangland outré procedural blackmail paranoid shoplifter exploitation film noir starring Mona Freeman as a middle class lady gone awry, slipping into a ridiculous but nonetheless dangerous noir world of slippery conspiracy and dangerous wrong-side-of-the-tracks-style lessons in life.

In 1950s California, the police force tries to infiltrate and neutralize a shoplifting crime ring operating in major department stores.

I Was a Shoplifter (1950) stars Mona Freeman as Faye Burton, a judge’s daughter turned kleptomaniac, in this gripping crime drama. Scott Brady plays undercover cop Jeff Andrews, who shadows Faye as she’s forced to join a shoplifting ring led by the merciless pawnbroker Ina Perdue, portrayed by Andrea King.

As Jeff delves deeper into the criminal world to dismantle the gang, he finds himself falling for Faye. Directed by Charles Lamont and featuring early appearances by Tony Curtis, Charles Drake, and Rock Hudson, this film noir delivers a thrilling ride.

In this weird and outlandishly compelling docu-noir, director Charles Lamont addresses California’s escalating issue with organized retail theft.

The cast delivers strong performances, with Scott Brady exuding robust health, Mona Freeman radiating beauty, and Andrea King portraying a clever criminal mastermind. Tony Curtis gives a chilling portrayal of a youthful but malevolent thief who poses a threat as both a rapist and murderer. Charles Drake and Rock Hudson also make notable appearances in minor roles. Interestingly, Curtis, Drake, and Hudson all featured in supporting roles in the acclaimed 1950 Western Winchester '73, led by Jimmy Stewart.

The film boasts, if boast is the word, even one favoured by the LLMs who do not write these web pages, that is this film boasts, offers, features and displays impressive cinematography and showcases cutting-edge police technology from 1950, including an aircraft, vehicles, surveillance devices, and other operational tools, all contributing to the film's wild and ever-pertinent noir authenticity.

Noir can be strange — I Was A Shoplifter (1950)

In a world where love and larceny intertwine, Jeff and Faye’s hearts entangle in the most flamboyant of fashions—with Jeff, ever the optimist, assuring his beloved that her penchant for pilfering is but a trifling matter, easily remedied by the tender ministrations of psychological science.

Yet, before they can waltz into their shared destiny, they must first embark on a thrilling escapade that whisks them to the sultry climes of Tijuana, followed by a riotous romp through the hallowed halls of commerce. Behold the hilarity that ensues with the ingenious employment of a package chute!

Though the film’s narrative may occasionally defy logic, particularly in its blithe dismissal of Faye’s kleptomaniacal conundrum, it remains an unrelenting cavalcade of amusement. Brady stands as the paragon of heroism, while Freeman radiates both beauty and pathos as our damsel in distress. And let us not overlook King, who revels in the art of repartee with Brady and his fellow cast members. Indeed, the ensemble shines with unparalleled brilliance.

Connoisseurs of cinema’s more lighthearted capers would be well-advised to indulge in this cinematic confection. For I WAS A SHOPLIFTER is not merely a film—it is an exuberant celebration of mirth, penned by the illustrious Irwin Gielgud and brought to life under the discerning direction of Charles Lamont and the visionary lens of Irving Glassberg.

In the drama, the judge’s daughter Faye (Mona Freeman) is caught shoplifting and coerced into signing a confession to avoid jail. She’s not alone; Jeff (Scott Brady) is also caught up in the $100 million annual shoplifting racket. Jeff, who seems more than he appears, befriends Faye, who works at a library. She’s lured to a bar by Ina (Andrea King), a cunning gang member, and gets entangled in a blackmail scheme to continue stealing for the gang.

I Was A Shoplifter features main performances by Scott Brady, Mona Freeman, Andrea King, and a young Tony Curtis, with minor roles by Charles McGraw, Peggie Castle, and Rock Hudson. While the cast has proven talent, this film doesn’t showcase their best work.

The plot follows Freeman, a judge’s daughter and librarian, who absentmindedly shoplifts from a department store and is coerced into signing a confession. Brady, an undercover agent posing as a professional shoplifter, and Curtis, a violent member of the shoplifting gang, become entwined in her fate. The story takes us from San Diego to Tijuana as it unfolds.

Best of all I Was A Shoplifter pathologizes the mundane crime of boosting from stores to a middle class suburban nightmare, including weighty tomes of advice, de-railed bourgeoise women and illness-psychosis pressing like collapse at the solidity of the fierce Americana of 1950.

While I Was a Shoplifter may not fit the classic film noir of old mold, it stands out as an excellent police procedural from the 1950s. The film is notable for featuring early performances by Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson before they rose to fame. Curtis, in particular, has a significant role as Pepe, a character far removed from his later work, who has a penchant for violence.

The story kicks off with two individuals apprehended for shoplifting at a department store: Mona Freeman, playing a judge’s daughter with kleptomaniac tendencies, and Scott Brady, portraying a seasoned thief who is actually an undercover detective. He’s on a mission to infiltrate a network of professional shoplifters and uncover their distribution channels. The plot weaves through various challenges, brawls, and culminates in an intense finale.

This malarky shipped a fact towards the duped audiences of the ages with the following lobby-tacked taglines:

Daring Crime Ring Expose!
Exposing Today's Most Alarming Crime Ring!

Praised for its solid writing, engaging pace, and strong performances, the film has been well-received by many viewers who appreciate its storytelling from beginning to end.

Despite its attempt to portray the serious issue of organized retail theft, the film lacks humor, style, and suspense. It’s criticized for its overly serious tone and lack of entertainment value, drawing unfavorable comparisons to films about Nazis, drug smugglers, and Communists.

The film unfolds at a good pace, highlighting the ease and profitability of shoplifting for criminals. Tony Curtis plays an unconvincing enforcer Pepe, adding an odd element to the cast. The narrative occasionally takes on a documentary style, detailing the techniques used to catch these thieves.

The chemistry between Brady and Freeman adds depth, while King’s villainous role is reminiscent of adversaries from the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes series. Despite a hurried ending, the film offers an insightful look into the world of retail theft and its aftermath

The shoplifting syndicate operates on a level of ruthlessness and secrecy on a par with the Nazis in The House on 92nd Street, the heroin smugglers in To The Ends of the Earth, or the Communists in The Woman On Pier 13. But I Was A Shoplifter shipped picked clean of wit, style and suspense; it stands as a grim example of a particular post-war posture of humorless self-importance, passing itself off as entertainment.

Jeff Andrews: You dont trust me.
Ina Perdue: Or anybody else.
Jeff Andrews: Maybe I like being the exception.
Ina Perdue: I can like you. Without trusting you.

Jeff Andrews: Well, Pepe! How are things on the seamy side of life?

Pepe: Are we takin' her along?
Ina Perdue: Just for the ride - not for you!

Jeff Andrews: What if one of these kids gets caught - they'll yap like frightened puppies!
Ina Perdue: Oh, no - every now and then we accuse one of them of ratting, rough 'em up good, and word gets around. Routine, you know.

I WAS A SHOPLIFTER (1950)

74 mins | Drama | 12 April 1950

Cast: Scott Brady, Mona Freeman, Andrea King

Alternate Title: Shoplifter

Release Date:12 April 1950

Production Date: late Oct--late Nov 1949

Sound: Western Electric Recording

Duration(in mins): 74

Length(in feet): 6,639

Charles Lamont directed many films and I Was A Shoplifter may have been his only qualified film noir style production:

Tomorrow's Youth (1934) Sons of Steel (1934) The Curtain Falls (1934) A Shot in the Dark (1935) False Pretenses (1935) One Run Elmer (1935) The Dark Hour (1936) Below the Deadline (1936) Bulldog Edition (1936) August Weekend (1936) Wallaby Jim of the Islands (1937) International Crime (1938) Slander House (1938) Shadows Over Shanghai (1938) Cipher Bureau (1938) Long Shot (1939) Pride of the Navy (1939) Verbena Tragica (1939) Little Accident (1939) Oh Johnny, How You Can Love (1940) Sandy Is a Lady (1940) Love, Honor and Oh-Baby! (1940) Give Us Wings (1940) San Antonio Rose (1941) Road Agent (1941) Sing Another Chorus (1941) Moonlight in Hawaii (1941) Melody Lane (1941) Don't Get Personal (1942) Almost Married (1942) You're Telling Me (1942) Hi, Neighbor (1942) Get Hep to Love (1942) When Johnny Comes Marching Home (1942) It Comes Up Love (1943) Mister Big (1943) Hit the Ice (1943) Fired Wife (1943) Top Man (1943) Chip Off the Old Block (1944) Her Primitive Man (1944) The Merry Monahans (1944) Bowery to Broadway (1944) Salome, Where She Danced (1945) That's the Spirit (1945) Frontier Gal (1946) The Runaround (1946) Slave Girl (1947) The Untamed Breed (1948) Ma and Pa Kettle (1949) Bagdad (1949) Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (1950) I Was a Shoplifter (1950) Curtain Call at Cactus Creek (1950) Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950) Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951) Comin' Round the Mountain (1951) Flame of Araby (1951) Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952) Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953) Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation (1953) Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953) Ma and Pa Kettle at Home (1954) Ricochet Romance (1954) Untamed Heiress (1954) Carolina Cannonball (1955) Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops (1955) Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) Lay That Rifle Down (1955) The Kettles in the Ozarks (1956) Francis in the Haunted House (1956)

An Andrea King tribute site with plenty of photos.