Kiss of Death (1947)

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Ben Hecht (screenplay) and
Charles Lederer (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

27 August 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

It will mark you for life as it marked him for... Betrayal

Plot:

With his law-breaking lifestyle in the past, an ex-con, along with his family, attempt to start a new life, knowing a betrayed someone from the past is bound to see otherwise.

Plot Keywords:

Suicide | Prison | Attacking Someone In A Wheelchair | Psychopath | Depression

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins

Cast

Victor Mature	...	Nick Bianco
Brian Donlevy	...	Assistant D.A. Louis D'Angelo
Coleen Gray	...	Nettie
Richard Widmark	...	Tommy Udo
Taylor Holmes	...	Earl Howser--Attorney
Howard Smith	...	Warden
Karl Malden	...	Sgt. William Cullen
Anthony Ross	...	'Big Ed' Williams
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Adler	...	Detective (uncredited)
Rollin Bauer	...	Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)
Harry Bellaver	...	Bull Weed (uncredited)
Dennis Bohan	...	Guard (uncredited)
Olga Borget	...	Cashier at Luigi's (uncredited)
Susan Cabot	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Alexander Campbell	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
Harry Carter	...	Detective (uncredited)
Dort Clark	...	Man in Car (uncredited)
Eva Condon	...	Nun at Orphanage (uncredited)
Harry Cooke	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Harold Crane	...	Mr. Moremann (uncredited)
James Doody	...	Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)
Mildred Dunnock	...	Mrs. Rizzo (uncredited)
Arthur Foran Jr.	...	Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)
David Fresco	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Harold Gary	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Don Giovanni	...	Tommy's Henchman (uncredited)
Marilee Grassini	...	Rosaria (uncredited)
James Charles J.C. Heard	...	Jazz Drummer (uncredited)
Eda Heinemann	...	Mrs. Keller (uncredited)
Lou Herbert	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Herbert Holcombe	...	City Jail Guard (uncredited)
Arthur Holland	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Harry Kadison	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Robert Karnes	...	Tommy's Henchman (uncredited)
Arthur Kramer	...	Mr. Sulla (uncredited)
John Kullers	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Harry Landers	...	Convict (uncredited)
Perc Launders	...	Lieutenant (uncredited)
Franklyn Lenthall	...	Man (uncredited)
Paul Lilly	...	City Jail Guard (uncredited)
Pat Malone	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Iris Mann	...	Congetta (uncredited)
John Marley	...	Convict (uncredited)
Gregg Martell	...	Guard (uncredited)
Charles McClelland	...	Detective (uncredited)
Norman McKay	...	Capt. Dolan (uncredited)
Richard Midgley	...	Guard (uncredited)
Carl Milletaire	...	Customer (uncredited)
Millard Mitchell	...	(uncredited)
Mary Morrison	...	Mother Superior (uncredited)
Consuela O'Connor	...	Girl (uncredited)
Gloria O'Connor	...	Girl (uncredited)
William O'Leary	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Wendell K. Phillips	...	Tony 'Pep' Mangone (uncredited)
Yvonne Rob	...	Customer (uncredited)
Stephen Roberts	...	Guard (uncredited)
Mel Ruick	...	Moremann's Assistant (uncredited)
Jack Rutherford	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Lee Sanford	...	Chips Cooney (uncredited)
Bernard Sell	...	Policeman (uncredited)
George Shelton	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Irene Shirley	...	Nun (uncredited)
J. Scott Smart	...	(uncredited)
A. George Smith	...	Policeman (uncredited)
John Stearns	...	Harris (uncredited)
Richard Taber	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Victor Thorley	...	Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)
Lawrence Tiernan	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Tito Vuolo	...	Luigi (uncredited)
Milton Wallace	...	(uncredited)
Jesse White	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Bill Zuckert	...	Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Henry Hathaway

Writing credits
Ben Hecht		(screenplay) and
Charles Lederer		(screenplay)
Eleazar Lipsky		(story)
Philip Dunne		additional scenes (uncredited)

Produced by
Fred Kohlmar	....	producer

Original Music by
David Buttolph

Cinematography by
Norbert Brodine		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
J. Watson Webb Jr.

Art Direction by
Leland Fuller
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Charles Hall	....	unit manager (uncredited)
Raymond A. Klune	....	studio production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Abe Steinberg	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
W.D. Flick	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Rod Amateau	....	stunts (uncredited)
Herbert Holcombe	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe director
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Lyman Hallowell	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Earle Hagen	....	orchestral arranger
Lionel Newman	....	conductor

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1947) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1949) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1948) (France) (theatrical) (as Fox-Europa)
• Centfox (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Fox Film (1949) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Media Cooperation One (MC-One) (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (DVD rating) (2005) | UK:A (original rating) | West Germany:16 (nf) | USA:Approved (PCA #12356) | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

14th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Film debut of Susan Cabot.

Quotes:

Tommy Udo:I wouldn't give you the skin off a grape.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Street Scene

taut thriller

Rating * * * 1/2 Victor Mature gives one of his best performances here in this taut thriller. He plays a thief who informs on his own gang and is hunted by psycho Richard Widmark. The film is famous for the scene in which Widmark as giggling killer Tommy Udo pushes a wheelchair bound old lady down the stairs.