The Killers (1946 film)
| The Killers | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Robert Siodmak |
| Produced by | Mark Hellinger |
| Screenplay by |
Richard Brooks Anthony Veiller John Huston |
| Based on | "The Killers" 1927 short story in Scribners Magazine by Ernest Hemingway |
| Starring |
Burt Lancaster Ava Gardner Edmond O'Brien Sam Levene |
| Music by | Miklós Rózsa |
| Cinematography | Woody Bredell |
| Edited by | Arthur Hilton |
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Production
company |
Mark Hellinger Productions
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| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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103 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2.5 million (US rentals) |
The Killers [a.k.a. 'A Man Alone'] is a 1946 American film noir directed by Robert Siodmak and based in part on the short story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway.
It stars Burt Lancaster in his film debut, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien, and Sam Levene. The film also features William Conrad in his first credited role, as one of the titular killers. An uncredited John Huston and Richard Brooks co-wrote the screenplay, which was credited to Anthony Veiller.
In 2008, The Killers was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Two hitmen, Max and Al (William Conrad and Charles McGraw), come to a small town to kill Ole "the Swede" Andreson (Burt Lancaster). The Swede's coworker at a gas station warns him but, strangely, he makes no attempt to flee, and they kill him in his hotel room.
Life insurance investigator Jim Reardon (Edmond O'Brien) is assigned to find and pay the beneficiary of his policy. Tracking down and interviewing the dead man's friends and associates, Reardon doggedly pieces together his story. Police Lieutenant Sam Lubinsky (Sam Levene), a close, longtime friend of the Swede, is particularly helpful.
Through flashbacks, it is revealed that the Swede was a professional boxer whose career was cut short by an injury to his right hand. Rejecting Lubinsky's suggestion to join the police force, the Swede gets mixed up with a bad crowd, including "Big Jim" Colfax (Albert Dekker). He drops his girlfriend Lily (Virginia Christine) for the more glamorous Kitty Collins (Ava Gardner). When Lubinsky catches Kitty wearing stolen jewelry, the Swede "confesses" to the crime and serves three years in prison.
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Wikipedia