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 | mechanic | hitchhiker | hospital | cliff | 

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Taglines:

"I don't care what you do to me, Mike - just do it fast!"

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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:

601 W. Sunset Blvd, 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

Although Victor Saville is credited as Executive Producer and director Robert Aldrich is credited only as producer, in reality Aldrich had it written into his contract that he had complete control over the picture and it would be made the way he wanted it, specifically stipulating that his decisions could not be overruled by any studio representative.

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Goofs

When Hammer is talking to Evello in Evello's mansion, the telephone receiver in the background switches position between shots.

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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 Southland Tales (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Etude, Opus 10, No. 12: Revolutionary"
(uncredited)
Musid by Frédéric Chopin

User Reviews

Want to see a modern-day thriller made 43 years ago?

Kiss Me Deadly is an absolute joy to watch. There are no big-name stars, the director has never been mentioned in the same breath as a Hitchcock or Huston, and it's basically a simple Mickey Spillane story. How its presented on the screen is the genius of the picture. Right from the opening credit sequence, you know you're in for something fresh and innovative. This is a must see for fans of Quentin Tarantino, and there is a curious box containing a certain substance that glows when opened (Pulp Fiction, anyone?). It is one of the finest of the "film noir" genre, predominantly because of the moody black and white photography and its amazing 'timeless' appeal (I would rank it alongside Touch of Evil). It's great to know the film has been "rediscovered", and be sure to see a copy of the film containing 2 different versions of the mind-boggling final sequence shot at the time.