Claude is a ruthless and efficient contract killer - until he finds his next target is a woman.
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Title: Murder by Contract (1958)
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1 nomination.
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Edit
Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Vince Edwards | ... | Claude | |
| Phillip Pine | ... | Marc | |
| Herschel Bernardi | ... | George | |
| Caprice Toriel | ... | Billie Williams | |
 |
Michael Granger | ... | Mr. Moon |
| Kathie Browne | ... | Mary - Secretary and Party Girl (as Cathy Browne) | |
|
|
Joseph Mell | ... | Harry - Hotel Room Waiter |
|
|
Frances Osborne | ... | Miss Wiley - Ex-maid |
|
|
Steven Ritch | ... | Detective Shooting Tear Gas |
|
|
Janet Brandt | ||
| Davis Roberts | ... | Hall of Records Clerk | |
|
|
Don Garrett | ... | James William Mayflower - Plainclothesman |
|
|
Gloria Victor | ... | Miss Wexley - Bunco Squad |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (273) »
Storyline
Claude is a young man with a regular job, no history of trouble with the law and no chance of making any real money. He also has the brains and emotional detachment to make the big bucks as a hit man, and that becomes his new job title. A string of successful hits gets him sent to Los Angeles for his latest job. There he is accompanied by two goons: one who is perpetually nervous and the other who quickly worships the young man as a hero. The cold, ruthless hit man finally becomes unglued when he finds out that his latest target is a woman. She's a witness, set to testify against his boss, and guarded day and night by the police. It's her femininity that worries Claude: women are unpredictable, they don't do what you expect. Claude eventually proves that he is the unpredictable one and his own worst enemy. Written by J. Spurlin
Plot Keywords:
looking at self in mirror | man wearing a tank top | killer | murderer | suitcase |Taglines:
It's Kill or Be Killed!Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
December 1958 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Assassinio per contratto See more »Filming Locations:
Chaplin Studio, 1416 N. La Brea Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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[...]
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Did You Know?
Trivia
The abandoned movie studio location in the film is the former Charlie Chaplin Studio. See more »Goofs
When the three are driving around in Los Angeles it is very obvious that the car is in the studio in front of a projection screen. You can see that the windshield has been removed and studio lights are reflected in Claude's sunglasses. See more »Quotes
Claude: The only type killing that's safe is when a stranger kills a stranger. No motive. Nothing to link the victim to the executioner. Now why would a stranger kill a stranger? Because somebody's willing to pay. It's business. Same as any other business. You murder the competition. Instead of price-cutting, throat-cutting. Same thing. There are a lot of people around that would like to see lots of other people die a fast death... only they can't see to it themselves. They got conscience, religion, ...[...]
See more »
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This little gem has dialogue to die for. Production values? We don't need no stinking production values. Not with lines like "You know what you have to be to get a gun like that, George? A civilized country. Are you a civilized country?" Vince Edwards is awesome. I am convinced this is an ancestor of "Pulp Fiction".