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Universal International Pictures
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She's a match for any mobster!
Two hit men walk into a diner asking for a man called "the Swede". When the killers find the Swede, he's expecting them and doesn't put up a fight. Since the Swede had a life insurance policy, an investigator, on a hunch, decides to look into the murder. As the Swede's past is laid bare, it comes to light that he was in love with a beautiful woman who may have lured him into pulling off a bank robbery overseen by another man.
griggs79
Nov 14, 2024 · via TMDB
Robert Siodmak’s _The Killers_ intrigues more than it excites. Each scene is steeped in a rich atmosphere, with tension simmering under the surface. Siodmak’s non-linear storytelling leads you through a maze of betrayal and mystery, making it a slow-burn puzzle rather than a thrill ride. It’s a film that keeps you engaged with its moody shadows and complex web of lies, even if it didn’t thoroughly sweep me off my feet.
CinemaSerf
Aug 29, 2022 · via TMDB
When two hit men arrive in the diner of a small town, they announce their intention to the owner of killing one of his customers - former boxer "the Swede" (Burt Lancaster). He manages to convince them that he would not be coming in that night, and so they leave to track him down. His friend, who was tied up in the diner rushes to warn him, but he does nothing - he invites the fate that we see, right from the beginning of the film. Why though? Why didn't he run? It transpires that he had a modest life insurance policy and so investigator "Reardon" (Edmond O'Brien) tries to track down the beneficiary and piece together a story of robbery, betrayal and duplicity - to all of which the character of "Kitty" (Ava Gardner) proves central. This is a superior film noir, with Lancaster and O'Brien on great form as the flashbacks gradually fill in the gaps and with the help of "Lt. Lubinsky" (Sam Levene) they discover what truly happened. Ava Gardner's character features quite sparingly, but potently when she is on screen - manipulating and twisting as she manoeuvres the men around her with consummate skill. The pace is measured, the story takes it's time to develop and that helps make this quite a compelling drama that puts a little more meat on the bones of the original Hemingway short story. The photography is intense, using the light and shade dramatically, and the score from the maestro Miklós Rósza adds a richness to the gritty look of the film too. Burt Lancaster's first major screen role, but it's O'Brien who does most of the heavy lifting here, and he does it well!
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Edmond O'Brien
Jim Reardon
Burt Lancaster
'Swede' Andersen
Ava Gardner
Kitty Collins
Albert Dekker
Big Jim Colfax
Sam Levene
Lt. Sam Lubinsky
Vince Barnett
Charleston
Virginia Christine
Lilly Harmon Lubinsky
Jack Lambert
'Dum-Dum' Clarke
Charles D. Brown
Packy Robinson - Ole's Manager
Donald MacBride
R.S. Kenyon
Charles McGraw
Al
William Conrad
Max
Jeff Corey
Blinky Franklin (uncredited)
Gino Corrado
Restaurant Chef (uncredited)
Frank McLure
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Howard Freeman
Brentwood Police Chief (uncredited)
Charles Middleton
Farmer (uncredited)
Queenie Smith
Mary Ellen 'Queenie' Daugherty (uncredited)
Jack Cheatham
Police Driver (uncredited)
Ernie Adams
Hood with Cane (uncredited)
Sam Ash
(uncredited)
Frank Baker
Fight Spectator (uncredited)
Jack Tornek
Fight Spectator (uncredited)
John Sheehan
Fight Arena Doctor (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict
Party Guest (uncredited)
Mike Lally
Party Guest (uncredited)
John Berkes
Mr. Plunther (uncredited)
Florence Wix
Cafe Patron (uncredited)
Phil Brown
Nick Adams (uncredited)
Noel Cravat
Lou Tingle (uncredited)
Nolan Leary
Green Cat Waiter (uncredited)
Harry Hayden
George (uncredited)
Al Hill
Disgruntled Diner Patron (uncredited)
Jimmie Horan
Factory Worker (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp
Passerby Outside Theatre / Green Cat Patron (uncredited)
Paul Kruger
Reporter (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw
Train Conductor (uncredited)
Howard Negley
Policeman (uncredited)
Vera Lewis
Ma Hirsch (uncredited)
John Miljan
Jake the Rake (uncredited)
Garry Owen
Joe Smalley (uncredited)
Beatrice Roberts
Nurse (uncredited)
Bill Walker
Sam (uncredited)
Jack Pierce
Makeup Department Head
John Huston
Additional Writing
Richard Brooks
Additional Writing
Gil Perkins
Stunts
Robert Siodmak
Director
Miklós Rózsa
Original Music Composer
Ernest Hemingway
Novel
Anthony Veiller
Screenplay
John Huston
Writer
Richard Brooks
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Aug 28, 1946
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FISFiC Vol. 1
2011
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
2015
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
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