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.

---

Plot Keywords:

small town | insurance | murder | robbery | flashback | 

---

Taglines:

BOLD -- because it's told the untamed HEMINGWAY WAY!

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

---

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mark Hellinger Productions, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Allegedly, the Las Vegas band The Killers named themselves after this film.

---

Goofs

As Kenyon is reading the story of the robbery in a voice over, the scene shows the gunmen escaping and exchanging shots with the factory guards. The story says the guard was hit in the groin, but as he falls he grabs his shoulder.

---

Quotes

Jim Reardon: How much time has he got?
Lieutenant Sam Lubinsky: He's behind schedule now.

---

Connections

Referenced in John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick (1988)

---

Soundtracks

The More I Know of Love
(1946)
Music by Miklós Rózsa
Lyrics Jack Brooks
Performed by Ava Gardner (uncredited)

User Reviews

Flashback-told film noir that aged really well.

'The Killers' was released on 1946. Back then, the film-noir genre was really popular. And in my opinion, this one is one of the best of this great cinematic genre, because it's told in a different way than most of its time. This movie is told through really smart flashbacks.

'The Killers' begins with two hit men arriving in a small town with only one objective: kill 'Swede' Anderson (Burt Lancaster). After this, a detective starts to investigate his death, by interviewing the people of the town. This is how he uncovers a murderous plot evolving multiple characters. This is one of those movies that really keeps you interesting and anxious on what's going to happen, ans when the plot reveals itself, it's really awesome how everything is around Kitty Collins (Ava Gardner). The story is well-told and aged really well.

The acting here is not superb, but it's not bad also. The movie is important because it's the first major role of Burt Lancaster, and the movie made him a star. It also features the always beautiful and mysterious Ava Gardner and the competent Edward O'Brien, in a interesting role.

I have never watched a Robert Siodmak picture before, and was surprised to see how well he directed this picture. The camera was always at an interesting and different angle, and there's one nice tracking shot in the middle of the movie. Along with the well-made soundtrack by Miklós Rózsa, and the also well-made cinematography by Elwood Bredell the mood in here couldn't be better.

Overral, this is a great film-noir movie, one of the best of its genre. It aged really well, most because of Ernest Hemingway's powerful story. It keeps you interested, with nice acting and directing.

8/10