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In 1946, Universal pictures produced and released the feature film adaptation of the classic Ernest Hemingway story, "The Killers". The result would be a classic motion picture in the style of film noir, and undoubtedly, its finest example of this genre. The movie stars Burt Lancaster in his starring screen debut. He gives a brilliant performance as "Swede" Anderson, an ex-prizefighter who gets mixed up with a real femme fatale, Kitty Collins, stunningly portrayed by Ava Gardner. The story is about two hit men assigned to find and kill a man, Ole Anderson aka "the Swede" (Lancaster), at a small-town diner. Impatient for his arrival, they kill him instead at a boarding house where, resigned to his fate, he awaits their arrival. Because Anderson's life was insured, Investigator Jim Reardon (Edmund O'Brien) is assigned to look into the murder for his company. Interviewing several people from Anderson's past, Reardon develops the theory that Anderson's murder stemmed from an unsolved payroll robbery years earlier. Working with a police detective (Sam Levene), who was a boyhood friend of Anderson's, Reardon sets a plan in motion to trap the hired killers, and the man who hired them. Ava Gardner is sultry and sardonic as the lady who crosses him up. Edmond O'Brien plays the shrewd investigator in the usual cool and clipped detective style, Sam Levene is very good as a policeman and Albert Dekker makes a thoroughly nasty thug. Several other characters are sharply and colorfully played. The tempo is slow and metronomic, which makes for less excitement than suspense. The film earned 4 Oscar nominations for Adapted Screenplay, Musical Scoring Of A Dramatic Picture and Film Editing, along with a nod for director Robert Siodmak. Film noir does not get any better than "The Killers".Read full review
The quality of the tape was perfect and my gift was enjoyed immensely. Thank you
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Mostly I love Ava Gardner, she should've been bigger as a Sex-symbol and an actress. The plot is very thick, and the end is unexpected. Plus the timeline jumps around making it neccessary to really pay attention. B&W quality is OK, but for 1947 production what does one expect.
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