Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

A doomed female hitchhiker pulls Mike Hammer into a deadly whirlpool of intrigue, revolving around a mysterious "great whatsit."

Director:

Robert Aldrich

Writers:

Mickey Spillane (novel), A.I. Bezzerides (screenplay)

Stars:

Ralph Meeker, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ralph Meeker	...	Mike Hammer
Albert Dekker	...	Dr. G.E. Soberin
Paul Stewart	...	Carl Evello
Juano Hernandez	...	Eddie Yeager
Wesley Addy	...	Lt. Pat Murphy
Marian Carr	...	Friday (as Marion Carr)
Marjorie Bennett	...	Manager
Mort Marshall	...	Ray Diker
Fortunio Bonanova	...	Carmen Trivago
Strother Martin	...	Harvey Wallace
Mady Comfort	...	Nightclub Singer (as Madi Comfort)
James McCallion	...	Horace
Robert Cornthwaite	...	FBI Agent
Silvio Minciotti	...	Mover
Nick Dennis	...	Nick

Storyline

Tough L.A. private eye Mike Hammer gives a ride to Christina, a frightened young woman he finds running along the road one night. His car is run off the road by unseen thugs. Hammer is knocked out and Christina is tortured in an unsuccessful attempt to get information from her. They are put back into Hammer's car which then is forced off a cliff. Hammer wakes up in the hospital. Velda, his trusty secretary, informs him that Christina is dead. Pat Chambers, Mike's policeman friend, tells him to stay off the case, but Mike thinks it might be a big story--meaning big money for him--because the FBI is interested. He, Velda, and Nick, his garage mechanic friend, start investigating in hopes of finding out why Christina was killed.

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Plot Keywords:

mike hammer | cliff | secretary | mechanic | hospital | 

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Taglines:

Blood red kisses! White hot thrills! Mickey Spillane's latest H-bomb!

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Genres:

Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian Spanish

Release Date:

18 May 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mickey Spillane's Kiss Me Deadly

Filming Locations:

The Castle - 325 Bunker Hill Avenue, Bunker Hill, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$410,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$214 (USA) (2 May 2008)

Gross:

$882 (USA) (13 June 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Parklane Pictures Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min 104 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Memo from United Artists: Mickey Spillane's name must be above the title and in the same type style as appears on the "Kiss Me Deadly" Signet Book Jacket.

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Goofs

When Nick discovers Hammer's Corvette, a crew member's reflection is visible in the driver-side door.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mike Hammer: You almost wrecked my car! Well? Get in!

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits scroll backwards (down instead of up).

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Connections

Referenced in The Fifth Element (1997)

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Soundtracks

"M' apparì tutt' amor"
(uncredited)
from "Martha"
Music by Friedrich von Flotow
Sung by Enrico Caruso

User Reviews

Classic noir that was light years ahead of its time

This film opens out with a bang and never lets up for once. Neglected on its initial release, its this kind of film that influenced both Jean Luc Goddard and Quentin Tarantino, whose "Breathless" and "Pulp Fiction" respectively changed the way films were made for the decade. Its obvious audiences and critics of the time weren't ready for this kind of film. While I'm not sure if its the most well-made film noir, its certainly my favorite to watch. And like any truly great film, it becomes better and better with each viewing.

One aspect that was so ahead of its time was the protagonist. Mike Hammer, as played by Ralph Meeker, is one of the most unsavory "heros" ever in a film up to that time, yet was still a multi-dimensional and interesting character. The aforementioned "Breathless" was obviously influenced by this, which lead to the creation of the modern anti-hero (along with "Yojimbo"). The combination of the expressionist direction of Robert Aldrich and misanthropic screenplay by A.I. Bezzerides perfectly show why Film Noir is such an unique American creation. Robert Aldrich later went on to direct the very popular "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" and "The Dirty Dozen", but this remains his best film.

However, past all the importance and influence, its great and quickly paced entertainment. If you have any interest in film noir, you owe it to yourself to check this out, one of the last masterpieces of the genre. This is one of those rare films that becomes better and better with each viewing. Plus, if the briefcase seems a bit familiar, try to recall a certain Tarantino flick from 1994. (10/10)