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IMDb > Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Kiss Me Deadly
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Kiss Me Deadly (1955) More at IMDbPro »


IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   5,340 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Mickey Spillane (novel)
A.I. Bezzerides (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Mickey Spillane's Kiss Me Deadly on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 May 1955 (USA) more
Tagline:
"I don't care what you do to me, Mike - just do it fast!" more
Plot:
A doomed female hitchhiker pulls Mike Hammer into a deadly whirlpool of intrigue, revolving around a mysterious "great whatsit." full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
1 win more
User Comments:
What an utterly bizarre film... more (124 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Mickey Spillane's Kiss Me Deadly (USA)
more
Runtime:
106 min | USA:104 min (original version)
Country:
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Glen Glenn Sound)
Certification:
West Germany:18 (nf) | Australia:M | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:(Banned) | Finland:K-16 (re-rating) | Germany:18 (DVD rating) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated | UK:A (original rating) | UK:12 (video rating)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Although Victor Saville is credited as Executive Producer and director Robert Aldrich is credited only as producer, in reality Aldrich had it written into his contract that he had complete control over the picture and it would be made the way he wanted it, specifically stipulating that his decisions could not be overruled by any studio representative. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: Near the beginning of the film, as Cloris Leachman is being tortured by Evello's henchman, she screams continuously until she passes out. At the end of the film, as another woman opens "the great whatsit" box and is burned by the radioactive material, she utters the exactly identical scream. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Mike Hammer: You almost wrecked my car! Well? Get in!
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Southland Tales (2006) more
Soundtrack:
RATHER HAVE THE BLUES more

FAQ

Why are there two different endings?
What is the European ending?
Which one is the original ending?
more
47 out of 63 people found the following comment useful.
What an utterly bizarre film..., 6 July 2000
8/10
Author: A-Ron-2 from Storrs, CT

Man, I saw this movie for the first time a few years ago and I still don't know what to think about it. Ralph Meeker as a fascistic Mike Hammer, a crazy hitch-hiker, an opera fan and a box that can destroy the world. I dunno.

From what I understand Alderitch (the director) hated Mikey Spillane's story (which was about a briefcase full of drugs or money or something else), thought Mike Hammer was an image of brutality and fascism and made a film that reflected it. He makes Hammer out to be some kind of sadist and makes the suitcase out be some kind of nuclear device. The movie turns from a simple detective story to some wierd-ass, sci-fi cold war parable.

It's sort of like the X-Files meets film-noir PI, or something to that effect.

All that being said, this is a GREAT film and is well worth watching by anyone who like apocalyptic film-noir (in fact, this may be the only film in that sub-genre). Anyone who is a fan of bizarre camera work, weird symbolism and a stranger storyline, should really check this out.

Observe the many bizarre inconsistencies (clocks that jump ahead and back, screams that don't jibe right with the soundtrack, camera angles that jump mysteriously) and keep in mind that these were INTENDED! When you get a feel for this film and start noticing what the director was attempting to do with this bizarre film I think that you will enjoy it even more. Truly a unique piece of film making.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (124 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
I want a gigantic, wall-mounted, reel-to-reel, 1955, answering machine. Ham_and_Egger
Homosexuality in Kiss Me Deadly fatalattraction
Which Ending Is Better? marbleindex
Film Teachers making Mike Hammer a homosexual... Too much! mothfodder
Classical Music In The Film sss-1
Other films that use device of 'box from hell' pat102853
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