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Murder by Contract (1958)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
December 1958 (USA) moreTagline:
It's Kill or Be Killed!Plot:
Claude is a ruthless and efficient contract killer - until he finds his next target is a woman. full summary | add synopsisPlot Keywords:
Hitman
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Archery
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Golf
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Barber Shop
User Comments:
Nearly Flawless moreCast
(Complete credited cast) | Vince Edwards | ... | Claude |
| Phillip Pine | ... | Marc |
| Herschel Bernardi | ... | George |
| Caprice Toriel | ... | Billie Williams |
| Michael Granger | ... | Mr. Moon |
| Kathie Browne | ... | Mary - Secretary / Party Girl (as Cathy Browne) |
| Joseph Mell | ... | Harry - Hotel Room Waiter |
| Frances Osborne | ... | Miss Wiley, ex-maid |
| Steven Ritch | ... | Detective shooting Tear Gas |
| Janet Brandt | ||
| Davis Roberts | ... | Hall of Records clerk |
| Don Garrett | ... | James William Mayflower - Plainclothesman |
| Gloria Victor | ... | Miss Wexley - Bunco Squad |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
81 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
Finland:K-16Filming Locations:
Los Angeles, California, USAFun Stuff
Trivia:
Shot in seven days. moreFAQ
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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Murder by Contract (1958)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| coming to Dvd Nov. 2009 | CatTales |
| The 'party girl' (Kathie Browne) -- huh? | huboon |
| Score | xmasparty_2003 |
| final scene | Jmart215 |
Recommendations
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Frankly, I came in expecting little from this totally anonymous abbreviated 50s crime drama and left the theatre shocked at how much bang for my 67 minutes I got. I am hard-pressed to think of another movie of this length which accomplishes as much plotwise or entertains as much audiencewise as this thoroughly neglected late-50s gem.
Vince Edwards leaps off the screen with amazing charisma to burn and Bernardi and Pine are nearly as effective as the hapless bumbling mobsters assigned to chaperone him through his contract. Conflict, wit, suspense, and outright humor abounds in this simultaneously clever and tense little script. Even the non-existent production values are completely camouflaged by economic and nimbly staged set-pieces.
Good performances, nifty cinematography (some good POV work), and a satisfyingly unconventional script make this slightly warped b-movie a classic which deserves far, far more attention than it has received in the last forty years. Melodramatic? Hell yeah. But in the best self-aware and crowd-pleasing tradition. 9/10 and highly worthy of the time of any crime drama or noir fan. Trust me.