Killer's Kiss (1955)

Ready to catch a train to his hometown, a washed-up boxer tells us about the strange and twisty events that happened to him the past couple of days.

Director:

Stanley Kubrick

Writer:

Stanley Kubrick (story)

Stars:

Frank Silvera, Irene Kane, Jamie Smith

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Frank Silvera	...	Vinnie Rapallo
Jamie Smith	...	Davey Gordon
Irene Kane	...	Gloria Price
Jerry Jarrett	...	Albert (as Jerry Jarret)
Mike Dana	...	Gangster
Felice Orlandi	...	Main Gangster
Shaun O'Brien	...	Landlord
Barbara Brand	...	Taxi Dance Lady
David Vaughan	...	Conventioneer #1
Alec Rubin	...	Conventioneer #2
Ralph Roberts	...	Bouncer #1
Phil Stevenson	...	Bouncer #2
Arthur Feldman	...	Policeman #1
Bill Funaro	...	Taxi Driver
Skippy Adelman	...	Mannequin Factory Owner

Storyline

Prize-fighter Davey Gordon intervenes when private dancer Gloria Price is being attacked by her employer and lover Vincent Raphello. This brings the two together and they get involved with each other, which displeases Raphello. He sends men out to kill Davey, but they instead kill his manager. Gloria is soon kidnapped by Raphello and his men, and it is up to Davey to save her.

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Plot Keywords:

railway station | woman wears a bustier | dancer | boxer | taxi dancer | 

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Taglines:

EXPOSED! The Mobs, Molls and Mayhem of New York's Clip-Joint Jungle!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

This marked the last time that Stanley Kubrick had to obtain private funding for one of his films.

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Goofs

Pennsylvania Station was electrified, all trains entering and leaving would not be pulled by steam engines. The sounds of steam engines chugging about during the station sequence are a goof. Pennsylvania Railroad trains had GG1 electric locomotives.

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Quotes

Vincent Rapallo: Like the man said, "Can happiness buy money?"

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Connections

Featured in Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001)

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Soundtracks

Oh, Susanna
(uncredited)
Written by Stephen Foster
Performed by one of the conventioneers on a harmonica

User Reviews

A Sneak Peek At Things To Come

A young Stanley Kubrick's bare-budget film - perhaps his first "mainline" movie - shows him still in the minor leagues but very close to making it to the Major Leagues. In fact, he did so the following year with "The Killing," a film noir that still ranks among the best. At any rate, this is an opportunity to see Kubrick at work right before he "makes it" in the business.

With an almost-nothing budget you aren't going to draw too many professional actors, and that certainly was the case here, but still is worth watching. It's definitely a "B" noir that is more melodrama than crime until the ending when it gets very, very suspenseful featuring a chase over New York City rooftops and then into abandoned warehouses.

Jamie Smith and Irene Kane are the stars and if you've never heard of them, it's probably because they weren't exactly Humphey Bogart and Bette Davis, acting-wise. The other star, Frank Silvera, at least is a name I recognized.

Overall, the best feature may be the camera-work. It gives us a preview of the visual talents that Kubrick would bring to the big screen in following decade. On its own merits, if you are a film noir fan, you'll want this in your collection.

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kiss Me, Kill Me

Filming Locations:

3156 Perry Avenue, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Minotaur Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

67 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1