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
Mike Dana	...	Gangster
Felice Orlandi	...	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 Davy 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 Davy, but they instead kill his friend. Gloria is soon kidnapped by Raphello and his men, and it is up to Davy to save her.

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Plot Keywords:

railway station | dancer | boxer | taxi dancer | dance hall | 

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Taglines:

Her Soft Mouth Was the Road to Sin-Smeared Violence!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

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:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Stanley Kubrick: [breaking the 180-degree stageline] Kubrick often breaks the 180-degree stageline in this film. That is, characters are photographed from both sides of the stageline, making them appear to be (for instance) looking in the same direction, when they are supposed to be looking in opposite directions. Watch the Davey Gordon and Rapallo ax fight at the denouement for an example.

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Goofs

Before Davy jumps through the loft window, he is wearing light socks and later dark socks. When he lands on the sidewalk, he is clearly wearing white socks.

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Quotes

Vincent Rapallo: What do you take me for, a 14-karat sucker?

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Connections

References The Queen of Sheba (1952)

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Soundtracks

Love Theme from the Song "Once"
by Norman Gimbel and Arden E. Clar (as Arden Clar)

User Reviews

A early start to Kubrick's fantastic career.

With 3 short films and a feature (Fear And Desire [1953]) under his belt, none of which had received any notice (in fact, Kubrick bought up all of the existing prints of Fear And Desire, because he thought it was poorly done [not to mention that it was being billed as a sexploitation film]), Kubrick decided to try out something new. He decided to go with Film-Noir.

The film is filled with Kubrick trademarks through and through. He uses boxing (which was the subject of his very first short Day of the Fight [1951]), zooming techniques, flashbacks (also used in his next film The Killing [1956]) and narration. The cinematography is exquisite, as usual, with many shots (particularly in the boxing studio and the train station) being backlit with a soft, grey light to give it a disconnected, almost rear-screen-projection feel. However, it is obvious that this is the early, naive Kubrick at work here. The entire movie, like Fear And Desire, is post-dubbed (much like a Fellini film), with all of the sound effects being done over by a meticulous Kubrick. And, of course, the Film-Noir. Davey Gordon (played to perfection by Jamie Smith) is the almost-stereotypical Noir anti-hero, with Irene Kane (aka journalist Chris Chase) as his anti-heroine. Frank Silvera, who had the lead role in Fear And Desire, is the slimy villain, whom you actually want to die (a good sign [for a villain]).

This Kubrick film can most be compared to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) or Barry Lyndon (1975), in that, once you get past a slow beginning, the end is absolutely riveting. Kubrick knows that he wants to grab his audience, and he does so with perfection. Some of it is padded (the ballet sequence is not particular interest), but the rest it great, from the initial boxing sequence to the chase scene at the end. If you're a fan of Kubrick, see it. If you're a fan of great cinema, see it. If you're a fan of Film-Noir, see it (but take it with a pinch of salt). If you're none of these things, see it, and you will be.