The Killing (1956) 8.1
Crooks plan and execute a daring racetrack robbery. Director:Stanley Kubrick |
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The Killing (1956) 8.1
Crooks plan and execute a daring racetrack robbery. Director:Stanley Kubrick |
|
| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Sterling Hayden | ... | ||
| Coleen Gray | ... | ||
| Vince Edwards | ... |
Val Cannon
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| Jay C. Flippen | ... |
Marvin Unger
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| Ted de Corsia | ... |
Policeman Randy Kennan
(as Ted DeCorsia)
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| Marie Windsor | ... | ||
| Elisha Cook Jr. | ... |
George Peatty
(as Elisha Cook)
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Joe Sawyer | ... |
Mike O'Reilly
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James Edwards | ... |
Track Parking Attendant
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| Timothy Carey | ... |
Nikki Arcane
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Kola Kwariani | ... | |
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Jay Adler | ... |
Leo the Loanshark
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Tito Vuolo | ... |
Joe Piano
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| Dorothy Adams | ... |
Mrs. Ruthie O'Reilly
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Herbert Ellis | ... |
2nd American Airlines Clerk
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After getting out of prison, Johnny Clay masterminds a complex race-track heist, but his scheme is complicated by the intervention of the wife of a teller (George Peatty) in on the scheme, the boyfriend of the wife, airport regulations, and a small dog. Written by Andrew Hyatt <dres@uiuc.edu>
Director Stanley Kubrick is best known for "2001: A Space Odyssey." "A Clockwork Orrange" or "The Shining" but I always found this to be my favorite of his films. This is film noir at some of its best: a tight no-nonsense story with tragic consequences, some of the best film noir actors in the business and great cinematography, which looks even better on DVD.
Sterling Hayden is the gang leader in this heist film and the big man was up to the task as he usually was in these kind of crime films. He wasn't as rough a character as he was in "Asphalt Jungle," but his role reminded me of that film.
What made this movie so appealing to me were four very interesting character actors: Elisha Cook Jr., Marie Windsor, Kola Kwariani and Ted de Corsia. Few people had those loser-type film noir characters down pat as well as the tough-talking Windsor and the meek and wimpy Cook. They played a husband-and-wife team here: that's film noir heaven!
Kwariani plays a burley chess-playing wrestler who fights six cops at one time and Carey is a long-distance racist rifleman who talks through clenched-teeth and shoots a racehorse! As I said, some very interesting characters here.
And, oh yeah.....for you over-55 readers, there's Vince Edwards, alias Dr. Ben Casey of TV fame, as a Windsor's young adulterer boyfriend trying to horn in on the money from the robbery.
This film is full of surprises and always fun to watch.