The Killing
| The Killing | |
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 theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Stanley Kubrick |
| Produced by | James B. Harris |
| Written by | Story: Lionel White Screenplay: Stanley Kubrick Jim Thompson |
| Starring | Sterling Hayden Coleen Gray Vince Edwards Jay C. Flippen Elisha Cook Jr. Marie Windsor |
| Music by | Gerald Fried |
| Cinematography | Lucien Ballard |
| Editing by | Betty Steinberg |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | 20 May 1956 |
| Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $320,000 |
The Killing (1956) is the second feature length film noir directed by Stanley Kubrick, written by Kubrick and Jim Thompson, based on the novel Clean Break by Lionel White. The drama features Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Vince Edwards and Elisha Cook Jr..[1]
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Plot
Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) is a veteran criminal planning one last heist before settling down and marrying Fay (Colleen Gray). He assembles a team and masterminds a racetrack robbery that, in the end, goes very wrong.
Cast
- Sterling Hayden as Johnny Clay
- Coleen Gray as Fay
- Vince Edwards as Val Cannon
- Jay C. Flippen as Marvin Unger
- Elisha Cook Jr. as George Peatty
- Marie Windsor as Sherry Peatty
- Ted de Corsia as Policeman Randy Kennan
- Joe Sawyer as Mike O'Reilly
- James Edwards as Track Parking Attendant
- Timothy Carey as Nikki Arane
- Joe Turkel as Tiny
- Jay Adler as Leo the Loanshark
- Kola Kwariani as Maurice Oboukhoff
- Tito Vuolo as Joe Piano - motel manager
- Dorothy Adams as Mrs. Ruthie O'Reilly
Cast notes:
- Three members of the cast, Hayden, de Corsia, and Carey, had appeared together the previous year in another low budget noir, Crime Wave
Critical reaction
Film noir critic Eddie Muller wrote, "With The Killing, Stanley Kubrick offered a monument to the classic caper film, and a fresh gust of filmmaking in one package. Who knew when he wrapped it, that it would be the last amusing movie he'd ever make?"[2]
A.H. Weiler, film critic for The New York Times, wrote, "Though The Killing is composed of familiar ingredients and it calls for fuller explanations. it evolves as a fairly diverting melodrama...Aficionados of the sport of kings will discover that Mr. Kubrick's cameras have captured some colorful shots of the ponies at Bay Meadows track. Other observers should find The Killing an engrossing little adventure."[3]
Film critic Mike Emery wrote, "Kubrick's camerawork was well on the way to finding the fluid style of his later work, and the sparse, low-budget circumstances give the film a raw, urgent sort of look. As good as the story and direction are, though, the true strength of The Killing lies in the characters and characterizations."[4]
The staff at Variety magazine liked the acting and wrote, "This story of a $2 million race track holdup and steps leading up to the robbery, occasionally told in a documentary style which at first tends to be somewhat confusing, soon settles into a tense and suspenseful vein which carries through to an unexpected and ironic windup...Hayden socks over a restrained characterization, and Cook is a particular standout. Windsor is particularly good, as she digs the plan out of her husband and reveals it to her boyfriend."[5]
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 96% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 24 reviews.[6]
In 2001, Empire magazine named it one of the 50 greatest crime films ever.[7]
Awards
Nominations
- British Academy of Film and Television Arts: BAFTA Film Award, Best Film from any Source, USA; 1957.
Notes
- ^ The Killing at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ Muller, Eddie. Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir.
- ^ Weiler, A.H. The New York Times, film review, May 21, 1956. Last accessed: February 7, 2008.
- ^ Emery, Mike. The Austin Chronicle, film review, March 15, 1999. Last accessed: February 7, 2008.
- ^ 'Variety. Film review, 1956. Last accessed: February 7, 2008.
- ^ The Killing at Rotten Tomatoes. Last accessed: February 7, 2008.
- ^ They Shoot Pictures web site. Last accessed: September 5, 2008.
External links
- The Killing at the Internet Movie Database
- The Killing at Allmovie
- The Killing at the TCM Movie Database
- The Killing at Film Noir of the Week
- The Killing at DVD Beaver (includes images)
- The Killing at evade the noise
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