Killer's Kiss (1955)

As a man waits at a train station for his girl, he tells us about the recent past and we segue into a long flashback.

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writer:

Stanley Kubrick (story)

Stars:

Frank Silvera, Jamie Smith, Irene Kane

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Frank Silvera	...	Vincent Rapallo
Jamie Smith	...	Davey Gordon
Irene Kane	...	Gloria Price
Jerry Jarrett	...	Albert
Mike Dana	...	Gangster
Felice Orlandi	...	Gangster
Shaun O'Brien	...	Landlord
Barbara Brand	...	Taxi Dance Lady
David Vaughan	...	Conventioneer #1
Alec Rubin	...	Conventioneer #2
Ralph Roberts	...	Bouncer #1
Phil Stevenson	...	Bouncer #2
Arthur Feldman	...	Policeman #1
Bill Funaro	...	Taxi Driver
Skippy Adelman	...	Mannequin Factory Owner

Storyline

Prize-fighter Davy Gordon intervenes when private dancer Gloria Price is being attacked by her employer and lover Vincent Raphello. This brings the two together and they get involved with each other, which displeases Raphello. He sends men out to kill Davy, but they instead kill his friend. Gloria is soon kidnapped by Raphello and his men, and it is up to Davy to save her.

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Plot Keywords:

train station | flashback | dancer | crashing through a window | mannequin | 

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Taglines:

Her Soft Mouth Was the Road to Sin-Smeared Violence!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kiss Me, Kill Me

Filming Locations:

Dumbo, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Minotaur Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

67 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Stanley Kubrick:  [breaking the 180-degree stageline]  Kubrick often breaks the 180-degree stageline in this film. That is, characters are photographed from both sides of the stageline, making them appear to be (for instance) looking in the same direction, when they are supposed to be looking in opposite directions. Watch the Davey Gordon and Rapallo ax fight at the denouement for an example. This film and Fear and Desire are the only two Kubrick films not based upon novels or previously published works.

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Goofs

When Davey packs up to leave his apartment, his two bags are not the same two bags he has at the end of the film.

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Quotes

Gloria Price: It's a mistake to confuse pity with love.

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Connections

Featured in Edge of Outside (2006)

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Soundtracks

Love Theme from the Song "Once"
by Norman Gimbel and Arden E. Clar (as Arden Clar)

User Reviews

Kubrick's fully formed masterpiece at age 27

At an age when most wannabe filmmakers are still 'in training' Stanley Kubrick was producing full length feature masterpieces.

I'm still shocked at how many fans of Kubrick's later work do not appreciate Killer's Kiss. While the basic plot of the movie is nothing special and decidely more 'Hollywood' than Kubrick's later works there are more signs of his trademark style in this film than I feel there were in The Killing or Paths of Glory.

Kubrick's own cinematography in particular blew me away. The use of depth, light and shadow and of his trademark moving camera show us more skill and thought than directors with dozens of films and much better scripts under their belt. And Kubrick's trademark use of his camera to observe silently, capturing the true spirit of his characters when they are alone (no music, no dialogue) is seen over and over in the apartment. If Kubrick's direction could turn a story like this into such a masterful cinematic experience I shudder at what he would of done with this film had he made 10 or 20 years later.

If you love the unique cinematic idiosynchracies of Kubrick's later work then you MUST SEE KILLER'S KISS!