Across:
1 Convincing (COGENT) leading cameraman (leading ‘Cameraman’ = C-) to shoot The Third (‘shOot’ the third = -O-) Man (-GENT) (COGENT),
4 What the waiter is hoping for (tips) – rise (= reversal indicator) (tips = SPIT-), fuel (fuel), free (= anagram indicator) (fuel = -EFUL) (SPITEFUL) bitter? (SPITEFUL),
9 Scared out of one’s wits (AFRAID) by chicken (AFRAID),
10 Doctor (DR-) is sick (-ILL-) in hospital (-ER-) taking direction (South = -S) (DRILLERS) from boring people (DRILLERS),
12 First lady (-EVE-) director (-D-) consumed by bank (store = ST-ORE) (STEVEDORE) job associated with a crafty business (STEVEDORE works on the docks/ships),
13 Nutty type (PECAN) of writer (PE-N) takes in most of (p) Cork (‘cap’ without ‘p’ = -CA-) (PECAN),
14 A fair amount of (half of) those in 18 across (half of “French Polish” = FRENCH) find 25 across (‘custom’ = CUSTOM) (FRENCH CUSTOM) is a nice tradition? (Nice/French tradition = FRENCH CUSTOM),
18 Contribute to The Gloss (FRENCH POLISH) living in Paris (FRENCH) with buff (POLISH) (FRENCH POLISH),
21 Considers dismissing Enid (‘considers’ dismissing ‘Enid’ = cosrs = CROSS) Bridge (bridge/span = CROSS),
22 Is less generous (stingier = REIGNIT-S) about sweetheart (‘swEet’ heart = -E-) up (= reverse indicator) (REIGNITES) in lights again? (REIGNITES),
24 Embarrassed (RED-) by artist (-RA-) connecting papers (paper’s = Financial Times’s = FTs = -FTS) (REDRAFTS) with newer versions (REDRAFTS),
25 Business (business/trade = CUSTOM) practice? (CUSTOM),
26 Officer (Officer Commanding = -OC-) on weekend (‘weeK’ end = -K-) consumed by Bowie (Bowie knife/blade = BL-ADE) (BLOCKADE) in bar (BLOCKADE),
27 Interrupts to say (CUTS IN) what the butcher sells (CUTS) is popular (IN) (CUTS IN).
Down:
1 Starts inserting files (starts ‘Inserting Files’ = -IF-) in elegant (classy = CLASS-Y) (CLASSIFY) pigeonhole (CLASSIFY),
2 Adam perhaps (GARDENER from Garden of Eden) is in on the plot (GARDENER),
3 Inched away from Indo-Chinese (‘inched’ away from ‘Indo-Chinese’ = oinse = NOISE) racket (NOISE),
5 Stout (PORTER) barman (Senior Counsel = -S C-) from The Summit, Howth (summit ‘Howth’ = -H-), is put out (put out/broadcast = -AIR) (PORTER’S CHAIR) by seat taken by an old gatekeeper from the estate (PORTER’S CHAIR),
6 This is a long shot (TELEPHOTO lens) – ants accompanying elephants leave (‘ants’ accompanying ‘elephants’ leave = -ELEPH-) in toto? (T-OTO) (TELEPHOTO),
7 Heard in Canada (FRENCH) opening 14 across (opening ‘French custom’ = FRENCH),
8 Some cellos in G minor (some ‘celLOS IN G minor’ = LOSING) – they’re behind in the score! (behind in the score/game = LOSING),
11 Paid attention (CONCENTRATED) as to not lose Focus (to CONCENTRATE-) on back road (back ‘roaD’ = -D) (CONCENTRATED),
15 Jack (CARD) is a fishy type (SHARK) (CARD SHARK) – over here he’s sharp whereas in the US he’s seen as cheating with the pack (‘card sharp’ here is CARD SHARK in America),
16 Orders (DICTATES) to dig up (= reverse indicator) park (set = -TES) near academy (-A-) and institute (-I-) surrounded by university (TCD = D-CT-) (DICTATES),
17 A pawn in the mating game (CHESSMAN) in The Queen, for instance? (CHESSMAN),
19 Sounds like (= homophone indicator) one of The Beatles (‘beatle’ = ‘beetle’ = SCARAB) is lucky and charming perhaps (SCARAB is a lucky charm),
20 Opposed (versus = V-) to every second song, cover, CD, note, vocal (every second letter of ‘sOng, cOver, CD, nOte, vOcal’ = -OODOO) (VOODOO) by The Cult (VOODOO),
23 Human nature to dismiss anthem (‘human nature’ to dismiss ‘anthem’ = unaur = NAURU) of The Republic in the Pacific Islands (NAURU).