The Killers (1946)

Hit men kill an unresisting victim, and investigator Reardon uncovers his past involvement with beautiful, deadly Kitty Collins.

Director:

Robert Siodmak

Writers:

Anthony Veiller (screenplay), Ernest Hemingway (from the story by)

Stars:

Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Burt Lancaster	...	Ole 'Swede' Anderson
Ava Gardner	...	Kitty Collins
Edmond O'Brien	...	Jim Reardon
Albert Dekker	...	Big Jim Colfax
Sam Levene	...	Police Lt. Sam Lubinsky
Vince Barnett	...	Charleston
Virginia Christine	...	Lilly Harmon Lubinsky
Jack Lambert	...	'Dum-Dum' Clarke
Charles D. Brown	...	Packy Robinson - Ole's Manager
Donald MacBride	...	R.S. Kenyon
Charles McGraw	...	Al
William Conrad	...	Max

Storyline

Two professional killers invade a small town and kill a gas station attendant, "the Swede," who's expecting them. Insurance investigator Reardon pursues the case against the orders of his boss, who considers it trivial. Weaving together threads of the Swede's life, Reardon uncovers a complex tale of treachery and crime, all linked with gorgeous, mysterious Kitty Collins.

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Plot Keywords:

small town | insurance | murder | robbery | flashback | 

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Taglines:

THE MOST SUSPENSEFUL PICTURE OF ALL TIME! (re-release print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 August 1946 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ernest Hemingway's The Killers

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$58,222

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mark Hellinger Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Burt Lancaster was nearly 33 when he made his movie debut in this film.

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Goofs

When they're making their getaway from the robbery, the camera crew is reflected in the windshield of the truck they're hiding behind.

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Quotes

Big Jim Colfax: [to Dum Dum] You can leave anytime you want, friend.
'Blinky' Franklin: [acting as peacemaker] Come on! Easy does it, fellas! Easy does it!
'Dum-Dum' Clarke: I don't like to be asked to come up here and then told I can go. Who do you think you're pushin' around?
Big Jim Colfax: A minute ago we were talkin' about reputations. Well, you've got quite a reputation yourself - you're supposed to be a troublemaker.
Big Jim Colfax: [deliberately taking the cigarette out of his mouth] Okay. Make some.

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Connections

Referenced in The Outfit (1973)

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Soundtracks

With Plenty of Money and You
(1936) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Played on piano in Lou Tingle's cafe

User Reviews

dignity in the face of death - textbook noir!

Using Ernest Hemingway's short story as the foundation for the film, Siodmak and cinematographer Elwood Bredell create a dark, brooding and brilliant looking character study of Ole "The Swede" Andersen (Burt Lancaster), a quiet unassuming man who is hunted and shot by two killers who enter the small town he inhabits. Indeed, the opening shots are textbook examples of how to use shadows and light effectively in film. The central idea behind the short story and Siodmak's film, is the very masculine concept of dignity in the face of death. The fact that "the Swede" apparently knew of his fate but did not try to flee puzzles the insurance investigator (Edmond O'Brien) assigned to the case. He becomes obsessed with resolving this mystery, and through the testimony of people that had various associations with the dead man, facts start illuminating the gray areas but ultimately end up darkening the reality. Lancaster plays the proud, tough, handsome but intellectually limited Olle "the Swede" Anderson convincingly, and Ava Gardner as the sultry femme fatal never looked better.