The Killers (1946)

Director:

Robert Siodmak

Writers:

Ernest Hemingway (story)
Anthony Veiller (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

28 August 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

THE MOST SUSPENSEFUL PICTURE OF ALL TIME! (re-release print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Hit men kill an unresisting victim, and investigator Reardon uncovers his past involvement with beautiful, deadly Kitty Collins.

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Insurance | Gas Station | Flashback | Insurance Investigator

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 wins

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	'Swede' Andersen
Ava Gardner	...	Kitty Collins
Edmond O'Brien	...	Jim Reardon
Albert Dekker	...	Big Jim Colfax
Sam Levene	...	Lt. Sam Lubinsky
Vince Barnett	...	Charleston
Virginia Christine	...	Lilly Harmon Lubinsky
Charles D. Brown	...	Packy Robinson
Jack Lambert	...	'Dum-Dum' Clarke
Donald MacBride	...	R.S. Kenyon
Charles McGraw	...	Al
William Conrad	...	Max
Phil Brown	...	Nick Adams
Queenie Smith	...	Mary Ellen Daugherty
Jeff Corey	...	'Blinky' Franklin
Harry Hayden	...	George
Bill Walker	...	Sam
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernie Adams	...	Hood with cane (uncredited)
Audley Anderson	...	Assistant paymaster (uncredited)
George Anderson	...	Jail ward doctor (uncredited)
John Berkes	...	Mr. Plunther (uncredited)
Harry Brown	...	Paymaster (uncredited)
Jack Cheatham	...	Police driver (uncredited)
Noel Cravat	...	Lou Tingle (uncredited)
Rex Dale	...	Man (uncredited)
Neal Dodd	...	Minister (uncredited)
Mike Donovan	...	Timekeeper (uncredited)
Howard Freeman	...	Brentwood Police Chief (uncredited)
Michael Hale	...	Pete (uncredited)
Mark Hellinger	...	Man drinking at bar (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Diner customer (uncredited)
Geoffrey Ingham	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw	...	Train conductor (uncredited)
Perc Launders	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Nolan Leary	...	Waiter at the Green Cat (uncredited)
Vera Lewis	...	Ma Hirsch (uncredited)
Therese Lyon	...	Mrs. Grimes (uncredited)
Charles Middleton	...	The farmer (uncredited)
John Miljan	...	Jake the Rake (uncredited)
Howard Negley	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Joe Smalley (uncredited)
Beatrice Roberts	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Wally Rose	...	Bartender (uncredited)
William Ruhl	...	Motorman (uncredited)
Wallace Scott	...	Charlie (uncredited)
John Sheehan	...	Fight arena doctor (uncredited)
Ann Staunton	...	Stella (uncredited)
John Trebach	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Milton Wallace	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Gabrielle Windsor	...	Ginny Bryson (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Siodmak

Writing credits
Ernest Hemingway		(story)
Anthony Veiller		(screenplay)
Richard Brooks		uncredited
John Huston		uncredited

Produced by
Mark Hellinger	....	producer

Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa		(as Miklos Rozsa)

Cinematography by
Elwood Bredell		(as Woody Bredell)

Film Editing by
Arthur Hilton

Art Direction by
Martin Obzina
Jack Otterson

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman
Edward R. Robinson		(as E.R. Robinson)

Makeup Department
Carmen Dirigo	....	hair stylist
Jack P. Pierce	....	makeup department head

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Melville Shyer	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound director
William Hedgcock	....	sound technician

Special Effects by
David S. Horsley	....	special photography (as D.S. Horsley)

Stunts
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vera West	....	gown supervisor

Music Department
Eugene Zador	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Jules Buck	....	assistant to producer
Mark Hellinger	....	presenter
Harry B. Friedman	....	publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Mark Hellinger Productions
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1946) (USA) (theatrical) (original release)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (1990) (Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal (1947) (France) (theatrical) (as Universal Films S.A.)
• Criterion Collection, The (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Studios Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Studios Home Video (199?) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

A Man Alone
Ernest Hemingway's The Killers (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Norway:16 | West Germany:16 (nf) | Finland:(Banned) (1947-1949) | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Company:

Mark Hellinger Productions

Trivia:

Producer Mark Hellinger purchased the rights to Ernest Hemingway's short story for $36,700, although publicity releases announced the figure at $50,000. (Source: "The Mark Hellinger Story" by Jim Bishop)

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When they're making their getaway from the robbery, the camera crew is reflected in the windshield of the truck they're hiding behind.

Quotes:

[last lines]
[after Reardon has wrapped up the investigation, Kenyon congratulates him]
R.S. Kenyon: Owing to your splendid efforts the basic rate of The Atlantic Casualty Company - as of 1947 - will probably drop one-tenth of a cent.
[he shakes Reardon's hand]
R.S. Kenyon: Congratulations, Mr. Reardon.
Jim Reardon: I'd rather have a night's sleep.
R.S. Kenyon: Why don't you take a good rest. I must say you've earned it.
[Reardon starts to leave]
R.S. Kenyon: This is Friday... don't come in 'til Monday.
Jim Reardon: Thanks.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Rules of Film Noir (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

THE MORE I KNOW OF LOVE

dignity in the face of death - textbook noir!

Using Ernest Hemingway's short story as the foundation for the film, Siodmak and cinematographer Elwood Bredell create a dark, brooding and brilliant looking character study of Ole "The Swede" Andersen (Burt Lancaster), a quiet unassuming man who is hunted and shot by two killers who enter the small town he inhabits. Indeed, the opening shots are textbook examples of how to use shadows and light effectively in film. The central idea behind the short story and Siodmak's film, is the very masculine concept of dignity in the face of death. The fact that "the Swede" apparently knew of his fate but did not try to flee puzzles the insurance investigator (Edmond O'Brien) assigned to the case. He becomes obsessed with resolving this mystery, and through the testimony of people that had various associations with the dead man, facts start illuminating the gray areas but ultimately end up darkening the reality. Lancaster plays the proud, tough, handsome but intellectually limited Olle "the Swede" Anderson convincingly, and Ava Gardner as the sultry femme fatal never looked better.