The Killers (1964)

Director:

Don Siegel

Writers:

Ernest Hemingway (story)
Gene L. Coon (screenplay)

Release Date:

7 July 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

There is more than one way to kill a man!

Plot:

Surprised that their contract victim didn't try to run away from them, two professional hit men try to find out who hired them and why.

Plot Keywords:

Robbery | Teacher | School For The Blind | Steak | Helicopter Shot

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Lee Marvin	...	Charlie Strom
Angie Dickinson	...	Sheila Farr
John Cassavetes	...	Johnny North
Clu Gulager	...	Lee
Claude Akins	...	Earl Sylvester
Norman Fell	...	Mickey Farmer
Ronald Reagan	...	Jack Browning
Virginia Christine	...	Miss Watson
Don Haggerty	...	Mail Truck Driver
Robert Phillips	...	George Fleming
Kathleen O'Malley	...	Miss Leslie - the receptionist
Ted Jacques	...	Gym Assistant
Irvin Mosley Jr.	...	Mail Truck Guard (as Irvin Mosley)
Jimmy Joyce	...	Salesman
Davis Roberts	...	Maître D'
Hall Brock	...	Race Marshal
Burt Mustin	...	Elderly Man
Peter Hobbs	...	Instructor
John Copage	...	Porter
Tyler McVey	...	Steward
Seymour Cassel	...	Postal Clerk
Scott Hale	...	Hotel Clerk
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Lane	...	Demolition Derby Announcer (uncredited)
Don Siegel	...	Cook at diner (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Race Crowd Extra (uncredited)
Nancy Wilson	...	Singer (uncredited)

Directed by
Don Siegel		(as Donald Siegel)

Writing credits
Ernest Hemingway		(story)
Gene L. Coon		(screenplay)

Produced by
Don Siegel	....	producer (as Donald Siegel)

Original Music by
John Williams		(as Johnny Williams)
Fred Steiner		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Richard L. Rawlings		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Richard Belding

Art Direction by
Frank Arrigo
George B. Chan		(as George Chan)

Set Decoration by
John McCarthy Jr.		(as John McCarthy)
James Redd		(as James S. Redd)

Costume Design by
Helen Colvig

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bob Larson	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Milton Feldman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
David H. Moriarty	....	sound

Stunts
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (uncredited)

Editorial Department
David J. O'Connell	....	editorial department head

Music Department
Stanley Wilson	....	music supervisor
Pete Rugolo	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Other crew
Hall Brock	....	technical advisor
Scott Hale	....	dialogue coach

Production Companies

• Revue Studios

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1964) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Universal (1964) (France) (theatrical) (as Universal Film, Inc.)
• Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Väinän Filmi (1968) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1974) (Finland) (TV) (as MTV1)
• MCA Home Video (1981) (USA) (VHS)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1983) (Finland) (theatrical)
• MCA Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• New KSM (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Films Española (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Universal (1965) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Another World Entertainment (2010) (Denmark) (DVD)
• CIC Video (1995) (France) (VHS)
• Carlotta Films (2007) (France) (DVD)
• Esselte Video (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• Krause & Schneider Multimedia (KSM) (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Studio S (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Suevia Films (200?) (Spain) (DVD)
• Teodora Film (200?) (Italy) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Ernest Hemingway's The Killers" - USA (promotional title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Finland:(Banned) (1964) (cut) | Finland:(Banned) (1964) (uncut) | Finland:K-16 (1968) (cut) | Iceland:12 | Norway:16 (1964) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Australia:M | Finland:K-18 (2007) (uncut) | France:U | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Northern California, California, USA

Company:

Revue Studios

Trivia:

Don Siegel wrote his own script for the film, which he eventually handed over to Gene L. Coon to use as his own final script.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Silencers don't work on most revolvers.

Quotes:

Sheila Farr:...just the two of us.
Johnny North:And more than a million dollars.
Sheila Farr:It'll be dangerous.
Johnny North:Living is dangerous.
Sheila Farr:Promise me you won't kill him.
Johnny North:I'm not a killer.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in American Hardcore (2006)

Soundtrack:

Too Little Time

Cast Is More Intriuging Than The Story

A bunch of well-known 1960s actors dot this film, with lesser-known but familiar faces also in here. He's not in the lead, but the most famous, of course, is former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. The stars of the film are the always- intense Lee Marvin, Clu Culager, John Cassevetes, Angie Dickinson, Claude Aiken and Norman Fell. I would like to have witnessed rehearsals for this film!

The story starts off very strong, then gets stupid with an annoying romance between Cassevates and Dickinson (complete with affected dialog) and then finishes very strong in the last 35 minutes. The ending is excellent. I guess you could label this a '60s version of film noir, especially since it is something of a re-make of the 1946 noir of the same name.

It seemed odd to see Reagan as the villain and makes the film less credible because it doesn't fit his image. Marvin, however, always is a convincing villain. What a great voice he had, too! In all, despite the cast and the good director (Don Siegel), this film never had the impact it could have had n audiences.