#8 THE KILLERS
"You might say Kitty Collins signed his death warrant."
Huston, Bredell and O'Brien
Nick Adams,Queenie, Sam and Lilly
Enter Kitty Collins
Charleston, Big Jim and The Heist
Blinky and Jake The Rake
The Rest of The Story
Kitty is Innocent--Honest
A Case For Number One
Nick Adams,Queenie, Sam and Lilly
Enter Kitty Collins
Charleston, Big Jim and The Heist
Blinky and Jake The Rake
The Rest of The Story
Kitty is Innocent--Honest
A Case For Number One
Huston, Bredell and O'Brien
There is no finer beginning to a film noir than Robert Sidomak’s, The Killers, based on Ernest Hemingway's short story of the same name. Hemingway doesn’t immediately come to mind as a writer of noir fiction. However, The Breaking Point, and Fifty Grand were made into movies and,Ten Indians, and, A Clean Well Lighted Place should be.
Charles McGraw and William Conrad are the hitmen hired to kill the Swede (Burt Lancaster). The whole scene plays out as one long extended execution much as the bullfights that Hemingway loved. The killing of the bull is comprised of three stages (tericos) in a long, ritualized and choreographed process. The stages in The Killers, are: 1)Ole meets Kitty at the party. 2)Ole takes the rap for her at the restaurant and 3)Kitty sees Ole at his apartment before the heist.
The killers harass the staff and patron in the diner and readily admit their plans. They leave self-assured nothing will be said until their mission is complete. Nick Adams (Phil Brown) rushes to warn Ole, who makes no attempt to save himself. The Swede has been beaten down during the years, and most of it has been his own self-inflicted punishment. By the time the killers arrive he is already spiritually dead; they’re just administering the coup de grace. The scene reminds me of Thelma Ritter's words to Richard Kiley in, Pickup On South Street, where she tells him 'go ahead, blow my brains out, you'll be doing me a favor."
This is part of the dialogue between Nick and Ole. It's pure noir courtesy of Ernest Hemingway.
"Don't you want me to go and see the police?"
"No. That wouldn't do any good."
"Isn't there something I could do?"
"There ain't anything to do."
"Couldn't you get out of town?"
"No. I'm through with all that runnin' around."
"Why do they want to kill you?"
"I did something wrong once."
"I did something wrong once." The essence of film noir.
Charles McGraw and William Conrad are the hitmen hired to kill the Swede (Burt Lancaster). The whole scene plays out as one long extended execution much as the bullfights that Hemingway loved. The killing of the bull is comprised of three stages (tericos) in a long, ritualized and choreographed process. The stages in The Killers, are: 1)Ole meets Kitty at the party. 2)Ole takes the rap for her at the restaurant and 3)Kitty sees Ole at his apartment before the heist.
The killers harass the staff and patron in the diner and readily admit their plans. They leave self-assured nothing will be said until their mission is complete. Nick Adams (Phil Brown) rushes to warn Ole, who makes no attempt to save himself. The Swede has been beaten down during the years, and most of it has been his own self-inflicted punishment. By the time the killers arrive he is already spiritually dead; they’re just administering the coup de grace. The scene reminds me of Thelma Ritter's words to Richard Kiley in, Pickup On South Street, where she tells him 'go ahead, blow my brains out, you'll be doing me a favor."
This is part of the dialogue between Nick and Ole. It's pure noir courtesy of Ernest Hemingway.
"Don't you want me to go and see the police?"
"No. That wouldn't do any good."
"Isn't there something I could do?"
"There ain't anything to do."
"Couldn't you get out of town?"
"No. I'm through with all that runnin' around."
"Why do they want to kill you?"
"I did something wrong once."
"I did something wrong once." The essence of film noir.
The greatness of, The Killers, can be attributed to the extraordinary talent of the creative forces behind the finished product.
One example was the screenplay. It would not be easy to follow an opening act where the dialogue is taken almost word for word from a classic short story. The rest of the script had to approximate the same tone, pace, and minimalist, street-wise dialogue of the film’s first twelve minutes.
The credited screenwriter was Anthony Veiller who wrote several of the Why We Fight documentaries for Frank Capra. There were two uncredited writers, Richard Brooks and John Huston. It's hard to know who contributed how much and what to the film, but Brooks would later do the screenplays for, Siodmak’s, Brute Force, and Criss Cross. I also think John Huston had a lot to do with the story.
One of the best parts of, The Maltese Falcon, was the tale behind the black-bird. Gutman tells Spade the history of the Falcon. Gutman's captivating recitation and the richness of the story makes us want to know more, and perhaps if time and money allowed, Huston might have gone into more detail. The Killers gives Huston the opportunity to extrapolate the circumstances behind the Swede that he could not do in the, Maltese Falcon.
A popular motif of film noir is the flash-back. The Killers gives us eight different narratives (I'm including the newspaper account of the heist). A single narrator can be risky as a voice-over often will slow the pace of the film or, if poorly written, stick out like a sore thumb from the rest of the film. There is no such problem in, The Killers. Each narrative stands on it's own, and to use a literary term, is a page turner.
The dialogue is virtually bereft of wise-cracks, and double entendres that have been as much of a bane than a blessing in film noir. I submit, Dead Reckoning and portions of The Big Sleep as two examples. When combined however with a skilled actor, and used judiciously, the pairing can be classic. A great example of how a great delivery can make the banal into classic is in the beginning of, Out Of The Past. Joe (Paul Valentine) finds Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) at the gas station and says, "Funny, seeing you here." Mitchum replies, "Yeah, me and the boy laugh all the time." That line always cracks me up. Two non-noir examples are when in Public Enemy, Tom Powers (James Cagney) chides his straight arrow brother for going to school telling his Ma: "He's learning how to be poor." When Trumpets Fade is an HBO movie about The Battle of The Huertgen Forest. A soldier being dressed down for insubordination by his commanding officer deadpans; "What are you going to do? Send me to the front?" That line always cracks me up as well. Maybe, I'm easy to please. My final, final digression:
In, Pickup On South Street, Mo informs Det. Tiger that it was Skip who lifted the purse from Jean Peters. Mo sees him having coffee at a diner and sits next to him. The following is an exchange between Skip (Richard Widmark) and Moe (Thelma Ritter).
"How much did you raise on me for your stone and plot?"
"Oh, don't be sore. They'd have caught up with you in a couple of hours. I just chopped down on the time a little."
"That was mighty nice of ya."
The Killers turned out to be a classic; one of America's best films regardless of genre. Siodmak differed from the tried and true boxing movie template of local boy who reaches the top then falls to the bottom; Swede was at best a good club fighter and a stepping stone for talented up and comers. It was audacious to have the opening scene lifted from America's most popular writer, and to follow with one flash-back after another, and then to inundate the film with copious amounts of exposition and dialogue was also a risk. But, as Frederick The Great said, "L'audace, l'audace. Toujours l'audace.
One example was the screenplay. It would not be easy to follow an opening act where the dialogue is taken almost word for word from a classic short story. The rest of the script had to approximate the same tone, pace, and minimalist, street-wise dialogue of the film’s first twelve minutes.
The credited screenwriter was Anthony Veiller who wrote several of the Why We Fight documentaries for Frank Capra. There were two uncredited writers, Richard Brooks and John Huston. It's hard to know who contributed how much and what to the film, but Brooks would later do the screenplays for, Siodmak’s, Brute Force, and Criss Cross. I also think John Huston had a lot to do with the story.
One of the best parts of, The Maltese Falcon, was the tale behind the black-bird. Gutman tells Spade the history of the Falcon. Gutman's captivating recitation and the richness of the story makes us want to know more, and perhaps if time and money allowed, Huston might have gone into more detail. The Killers gives Huston the opportunity to extrapolate the circumstances behind the Swede that he could not do in the, Maltese Falcon.
A popular motif of film noir is the flash-back. The Killers gives us eight different narratives (I'm including the newspaper account of the heist). A single narrator can be risky as a voice-over often will slow the pace of the film or, if poorly written, stick out like a sore thumb from the rest of the film. There is no such problem in, The Killers. Each narrative stands on it's own, and to use a literary term, is a page turner.
The dialogue is virtually bereft of wise-cracks, and double entendres that have been as much of a bane than a blessing in film noir. I submit, Dead Reckoning and portions of The Big Sleep as two examples. When combined however with a skilled actor, and used judiciously, the pairing can be classic. A great example of how a great delivery can make the banal into classic is in the beginning of, Out Of The Past. Joe (Paul Valentine) finds Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) at the gas station and says, "Funny, seeing you here." Mitchum replies, "Yeah, me and the boy laugh all the time." That line always cracks me up. Two non-noir examples are when in Public Enemy, Tom Powers (James Cagney) chides his straight arrow brother for going to school telling his Ma: "He's learning how to be poor." When Trumpets Fade is an HBO movie about The Battle of The Huertgen Forest. A soldier being dressed down for insubordination by his commanding officer deadpans; "What are you going to do? Send me to the front?" That line always cracks me up as well. Maybe, I'm easy to please. My final, final digression:
In, Pickup On South Street, Mo informs Det. Tiger that it was Skip who lifted the purse from Jean Peters. Mo sees him having coffee at a diner and sits next to him. The following is an exchange between Skip (Richard Widmark) and Moe (Thelma Ritter).
"How much did you raise on me for your stone and plot?"
"Oh, don't be sore. They'd have caught up with you in a couple of hours. I just chopped down on the time a little."
"That was mighty nice of ya."
The Killers turned out to be a classic; one of America's best films regardless of genre. Siodmak differed from the tried and true boxing movie template of local boy who reaches the top then falls to the bottom; Swede was at best a good club fighter and a stepping stone for talented up and comers. It was audacious to have the opening scene lifted from America's most popular writer, and to follow with one flash-back after another, and then to inundate the film with copious amounts of exposition and dialogue was also a risk. But, as Frederick The Great said, "L'audace, l'audace. Toujours l'audace.
It's good to have a well written script but a classic film noir requires exceptional cinematography. Siodmak could not have chosen better than Elwood (Woody) Bredell.
The brilliant cinematography is a major reason for the greatness of this film. Bredell had previously worked with Siodmak on Christmas Holiday, and Phantom Lady. His work never interferes or draws attention to itself. Bredell is like an artist who signs his painting in barely visible small print in the far corner as not to draw attention from the paintng. Each snapshot I took from the video was like a work of art.
I chose six examples of Bredell's work from previous films. I have only a perfunctory understanding of cinematography, but from what I understand the pictures are prime examples of chiaroscuro.
The Killers, en toto, might be the definitive film of the genre, and Woody Bredell deserves a lot of the credit.
The brilliant cinematography is a major reason for the greatness of this film. Bredell had previously worked with Siodmak on Christmas Holiday, and Phantom Lady. His work never interferes or draws attention to itself. Bredell is like an artist who signs his painting in barely visible small print in the far corner as not to draw attention from the paintng. Each snapshot I took from the video was like a work of art.
I chose six examples of Bredell's work from previous films. I have only a perfunctory understanding of cinematography, but from what I understand the pictures are prime examples of chiaroscuro.
The Killers, en toto, might be the definitive film of the genre, and Woody Bredell deserves a lot of the credit.
Nick Adams, Queenie, Sam and Lilly
The first narrator is Nick Adams. Adams is a recurring character in many of Hemingway's stories and usually thought to be an extension of Ernest. Nick is the youngest bright boy at the diner and works with Ole at the gas station.
He tells his story to Jim Reardon (Edmond O'Brien) who is following up on a life insurance policy taken out by Ole. Nick's narration introduces us to Big Jim Colfax (Albert Dekker) and the story behind the Swede's murder begins to unfold. Colfax stops for gas. He sees Ole and they immediately recognize each each other. The Swede's been found out, and to show he doesn't care sits next to him when he cleans the inside of the window as Colfax smirks. From this encounter we can reasonably ascertain who sent the killers. Nick's narrative is one small step to finding the answer and having served his purpose exits the film.
Reardon finds the Swede’s insurance policy, along with a green scarf emblazoned with gold harps. The beneficiary is Mary Ellen Daughtery an Atlantic City hotel maid played by Queenie Smith. She is surprised to learn The Swede left her $2,500. The last time she saw him was when she came to clean his room. He was in a violent rage, trashing the room and shouting, "She's gone! She's gone." He throws a chair through the window and is about to jump when she intervenes.
She pleads with him: "Mister, don't! Please, mister. Oh, if you did, you'd never see the face of God. You'd burn in hell to the end of time. Oh, you mustn't, mister. Oh, blessed Mother of God, help me." This was the first of two religious invocations in the movie. He walks away from the window and lying on the bed mutters, "Charleston was right. Charleston was right." And with her tale done she makes her exit.
Queenie Smith is but one example where an actor, (often elderly) in a small role, adds humanity, softness, and civility that contrasts an otherwise bleak harshness of the story. Some other examples are; Esther Howard, in, Born To Kill, Ann Revere in, Fallen Angel, Josephine Hutchinson, Somewhere In the Night, Ian Wolfe in, They Live By Night, and in a major supporting role, Thelma Ritter in, Pickup On South Street.
He tells his story to Jim Reardon (Edmond O'Brien) who is following up on a life insurance policy taken out by Ole. Nick's narration introduces us to Big Jim Colfax (Albert Dekker) and the story behind the Swede's murder begins to unfold. Colfax stops for gas. He sees Ole and they immediately recognize each each other. The Swede's been found out, and to show he doesn't care sits next to him when he cleans the inside of the window as Colfax smirks. From this encounter we can reasonably ascertain who sent the killers. Nick's narrative is one small step to finding the answer and having served his purpose exits the film.
Reardon finds the Swede’s insurance policy, along with a green scarf emblazoned with gold harps. The beneficiary is Mary Ellen Daughtery an Atlantic City hotel maid played by Queenie Smith. She is surprised to learn The Swede left her $2,500. The last time she saw him was when she came to clean his room. He was in a violent rage, trashing the room and shouting, "She's gone! She's gone." He throws a chair through the window and is about to jump when she intervenes.
She pleads with him: "Mister, don't! Please, mister. Oh, if you did, you'd never see the face of God. You'd burn in hell to the end of time. Oh, you mustn't, mister. Oh, blessed Mother of God, help me." This was the first of two religious invocations in the movie. He walks away from the window and lying on the bed mutters, "Charleston was right. Charleston was right." And with her tale done she makes her exit.
Queenie Smith is but one example where an actor, (often elderly) in a small role, adds humanity, softness, and civility that contrasts an otherwise bleak harshness of the story. Some other examples are; Esther Howard, in, Born To Kill, Ann Revere in, Fallen Angel, Josephine Hutchinson, Somewhere In the Night, Ian Wolfe in, They Live By Night, and in a major supporting role, Thelma Ritter in, Pickup On South Street.
Queenie Smth was born in New York City and educated in the public schools. The city was home to a multitude of different accents. One would need only a decent ear to imitate a Yiddish, Italian, Polish, or Irish accent, and it's apparent Ms.Smith had more than a decent ear. Her character speaks in a soft, rural Irish accent. It does not have the urban harshness particular of a large city, nor is it Hollywood's stereotypical 'begosh' and 'begorra' meant to represent rural Ireland. The tenderness of her voice adds pathos to the scene where Ole essentially begins his downward spiral that will end with him murdered. I was impressed by how she pronounced the 'r' sound in 'murdered,' 'mister,' and particularly 'born.' Ms. Smith had a fantastic ear, and it's worth a listen. I would suggest listening to Smith's delivery without watching the scene.
To digress a little: A common misconception is a New York accent is the overt, 'dese, dose', and, 'dem' , and the equally, 'thoid' or 'thoity.' There is subtle transformation of the hard O+vowel in words like, 'spoil,' 'oil' and 'oyster' becoming, 'spearl,' 'earl,' and 'erster.' And then there is the reversal of a soft 'i'+'r', 'bird,' 'third,' 'girl' transforming to the hard 0+vowel sound of, 'goil,' 'boid,' 'thoid.'
Lou Gehrig's farewell speech is a fine example of a Manhattan accent. You can hear the transformation of 'earth' to a rather soft, 'oith.' Christopher Walken is from Manhattan and he sounds like it. Then there's the Irish-Catholic dialect evident in poet Jim Carroll and basketball player Chris Mullin. In case you've forgotten: I suggest listening to Ms. Smith's delivery without watching the scene. Now; back to the review.
Mary Ellen's piousness is indicative not only of her working class background but also the Swede, Sam and Lilly. Reardon pays a visit to our third narrator, the Swede's childhood friend, Lt. Sam Lubinsky (Sam Levene). Lubinsky is the the kid who picked the right path, he's Pat O'Brien telling the Bowery Boys to pray for Rocky; a boy who couldn't run as fast as him. It's a familiar trope in crime/gangster movies. Siodmak would use this device in Criss Cross, with Steve McNally taking the place of Sam Levene in a much abbreviated role.
Lubinsky lets us know Ole was a washed up boxer who could take a lot of physical punishment and, as we see later, a lot of self inflicted punishment. Lubinsky does his narrative, but does not exit.
The fourth narrator is Ole's former girl friend, and now Lubinsky's wife, Lilly Lubinsky nee Harmon (Virginia Christine). Not enough has been said about her excellent performance in the most important segment of the movie; the introduction of Kitty
To digress a little: A common misconception is a New York accent is the overt, 'dese, dose', and, 'dem' , and the equally, 'thoid' or 'thoity.' There is subtle transformation of the hard O+vowel in words like, 'spoil,' 'oil' and 'oyster' becoming, 'spearl,' 'earl,' and 'erster.' And then there is the reversal of a soft 'i'+'r', 'bird,' 'third,' 'girl' transforming to the hard 0+vowel sound of, 'goil,' 'boid,' 'thoid.'
Lou Gehrig's farewell speech is a fine example of a Manhattan accent. You can hear the transformation of 'earth' to a rather soft, 'oith.' Christopher Walken is from Manhattan and he sounds like it. Then there's the Irish-Catholic dialect evident in poet Jim Carroll and basketball player Chris Mullin. In case you've forgotten: I suggest listening to Ms. Smith's delivery without watching the scene. Now; back to the review.
Mary Ellen's piousness is indicative not only of her working class background but also the Swede, Sam and Lilly. Reardon pays a visit to our third narrator, the Swede's childhood friend, Lt. Sam Lubinsky (Sam Levene). Lubinsky is the the kid who picked the right path, he's Pat O'Brien telling the Bowery Boys to pray for Rocky; a boy who couldn't run as fast as him. It's a familiar trope in crime/gangster movies. Siodmak would use this device in Criss Cross, with Steve McNally taking the place of Sam Levene in a much abbreviated role.
Lubinsky lets us know Ole was a washed up boxer who could take a lot of physical punishment and, as we see later, a lot of self inflicted punishment. Lubinsky does his narrative, but does not exit.
The fourth narrator is Ole's former girl friend, and now Lubinsky's wife, Lilly Lubinsky nee Harmon (Virginia Christine). Not enough has been said about her excellent performance in the most important segment of the movie; the introduction of Kitty
ENTER KITTY COLLINS
The chemistry, charisma and sex appeal of uber femme fatale Kitty Collins (Ava Gardner) and her uber male chump Ole Anderson (Burt Lancaster) is immediately evident. They are, to borrow a line from a Warren Zevon song, credits to their gender. (click above lnk for musical interlude).
It took twelve minutes of a prologue, then another twenty four minutes to set the stage for the film's money scene. It begins outside the apartment. Most videos have this around the thirty-six minute mark. I had the times when the following events occurred, but youtube pulled the movie from public view. It starts at 37:10.
38:01 We see the back of Kitty at the piano.
38:06 She is hid from the viewer as Jake positions himself alongside Lily and between Kitty and the camera. Siodmak has given us only a nibble. Ole and Lilly walk to where she sits next to the piano player.
38:10 Collins's back is turned.
38:14 She turns when Jake calls her and we get a full, unimpeded view of Kitty.
38:18 After being introduced she turns back to the piano. Lilly casts a furtive look at Ole.
38:23 Lilly looks at Ole again.
38:33 Ole moves from Lilly and gets closer to Kitty.
38:44 The piano player is in shadow. The upper right side of Kitty's face starting at her right temple and covering her entire right eye is in shadow; but the rest of her is in full light. It's in stark contrast to the lower left side of her face, down from the shoulder to her arm which is all shadow.
38:52 Ole asks her if she likes fights. Kitty tells him she's never seen a fight.
Kitty: I hate brutality, Mr. Anderson.The idea of two men beating each other to a pulp makes me ill.
Lilly: I saw all Swede's fights.
Kitty: How wonderful of you. I could never bear to see a man I really care
for being hurt.
We get the feeling she wouldn’t mind a man getting hurt as long as he was taking the punishment for her. At 38:56 she says, "the idea of two men beating each other to a pulp makes me ill." I'm telling you, Swede, this woman is evil, stay away from her.
39:06 Jake calls her. She turns her head, Ole looks at her, Lilly looks up at Ole. Lilly knows everything she suspected less than a minute ago is coming to fruition.
39:10 Kitty gets up to leave. Jake, who had been waiting on the right side of the screen exits from view and as if Moses parted th Red Sea Kitty makes her way out.
39:13 Ole continues to stare at her. Lilly looks at him. Ole is a louse for how he has treate her.
39:17 Lilly is visibly hurt. And what does Ole say? "She's beautiful." He's a crumb.
This link will lead you to the film: https://ok.ru/video/651592534768
It took twelve minutes of a prologue, then another twenty four minutes to set the stage for the film's money scene. It begins outside the apartment. Most videos have this around the thirty-six minute mark. I had the times when the following events occurred, but youtube pulled the movie from public view. It starts at 37:10.
38:01 We see the back of Kitty at the piano.
38:06 She is hid from the viewer as Jake positions himself alongside Lily and between Kitty and the camera. Siodmak has given us only a nibble. Ole and Lilly walk to where she sits next to the piano player.
38:10 Collins's back is turned.
38:14 She turns when Jake calls her and we get a full, unimpeded view of Kitty.
38:18 After being introduced she turns back to the piano. Lilly casts a furtive look at Ole.
38:23 Lilly looks at Ole again.
38:33 Ole moves from Lilly and gets closer to Kitty.
38:44 The piano player is in shadow. The upper right side of Kitty's face starting at her right temple and covering her entire right eye is in shadow; but the rest of her is in full light. It's in stark contrast to the lower left side of her face, down from the shoulder to her arm which is all shadow.
38:52 Ole asks her if she likes fights. Kitty tells him she's never seen a fight.
Kitty: I hate brutality, Mr. Anderson.The idea of two men beating each other to a pulp makes me ill.
Lilly: I saw all Swede's fights.
Kitty: How wonderful of you. I could never bear to see a man I really care
for being hurt.
We get the feeling she wouldn’t mind a man getting hurt as long as he was taking the punishment for her. At 38:56 she says, "the idea of two men beating each other to a pulp makes me ill." I'm telling you, Swede, this woman is evil, stay away from her.
39:06 Jake calls her. She turns her head, Ole looks at her, Lilly looks up at Ole. Lilly knows everything she suspected less than a minute ago is coming to fruition.
39:10 Kitty gets up to leave. Jake, who had been waiting on the right side of the screen exits from view and as if Moses parted th Red Sea Kitty makes her way out.
39:13 Ole continues to stare at her. Lilly looks at him. Ole is a louse for how he has treate her.
39:17 Lilly is visibly hurt. And what does Ole say? "She's beautiful." He's a crumb.
This link will lead you to the film: https://ok.ru/video/651592534768
Lilly Harmon, to coin the vernacular, isn't chopped liver, but she's no Kitty Collins and she's not in with the in crowd.
I may be reading too much into it, but after they enter the apartment Jake calls for the maid. At first glance Lilly and the maid look similiar in appearance. Both are the same height, blonde, dressed in black and white. Christine looks at the couple on the seat, then a longer look at the maid. That Jake cannot recall her name emphasizes there is more to equate Christine to the maid than to the guest(s).
The maid will appear again at the 38:30 mark. She cuts across the screen from the right to the left. At that moment Ole leaves Lilly and stands close to Kitty as she sings. We do not see the maid any longer and Lilly is as far to the left as possible and still be in the shot and will stay there for the rest of the scene. Both she and the maid share the same side of the set; one is out of the shot the other is nearly out. It is as if Christine and the maid have merged into one.
The contrast between her and Gardner's lifestyle is apparent. Lilly serves drinks to Sam and Reardon on the tenement rooftop. It is there her narrative began and we are taken from a tenement rooftop to Big Jim's apartment. When she is finished we’re back to the roof where she sits contently alongside Sam. Lilly's narration is done, and so is Ms. Christine's time in the film.
Lilly tries hard to win Ole while Kitty gets what she wants, without trying, and without especially wanting him,. That's what happens when seductiveness is in your DNA, as it is with Kitty (Ava Gardner). Siodmak has ensured that the audience, as the Swede, will not be able to get Kitty Collins out of our minds.
I may be reading too much into it, but after they enter the apartment Jake calls for the maid. At first glance Lilly and the maid look similiar in appearance. Both are the same height, blonde, dressed in black and white. Christine looks at the couple on the seat, then a longer look at the maid. That Jake cannot recall her name emphasizes there is more to equate Christine to the maid than to the guest(s).
The maid will appear again at the 38:30 mark. She cuts across the screen from the right to the left. At that moment Ole leaves Lilly and stands close to Kitty as she sings. We do not see the maid any longer and Lilly is as far to the left as possible and still be in the shot and will stay there for the rest of the scene. Both she and the maid share the same side of the set; one is out of the shot the other is nearly out. It is as if Christine and the maid have merged into one.
The contrast between her and Gardner's lifestyle is apparent. Lilly serves drinks to Sam and Reardon on the tenement rooftop. It is there her narrative began and we are taken from a tenement rooftop to Big Jim's apartment. When she is finished we’re back to the roof where she sits contently alongside Sam. Lilly's narration is done, and so is Ms. Christine's time in the film.
Lilly tries hard to win Ole while Kitty gets what she wants, without trying, and without especially wanting him,. That's what happens when seductiveness is in your DNA, as it is with Kitty (Ava Gardner). Siodmak has ensured that the audience, as the Swede, will not be able to get Kitty Collins out of our minds.
Charleston, Big Jim and The Heist
Our next narrator is Ole's old cellmate, Charleston (Vince Barnett). Charleston fills in the gap from the time Ole took the rap for Kitty, to when the gang planned the heist. Reardon pries Charleston with booze to get information and as long as Reardon is pouring Charleston is talking.
The flashback begins with he and Ole in their jail cell. Kitty has not written to Ole and he's worried something had happened to her. Charleston tells him, "Just because a girl doesn't write, doesn't mean she's sick." Ole disagrees, Charleston turns his head away.
Vince Barnett gives an excellent performance as a street wise, life- long small time hood. Reardon's getting him good and sloshed. No sooner does Charleston put his glass down than Reardon fills it up, but even in that condition he won't name names. Charleston tells him only that he had to meet a certain person at a certain place,' and, "The only date I can remember is 1492." Charleston's narrative was needed to bridge the gap from Ole’s arrest to when he sees Kitty in his apartment prior to the heist. It gives credence that from the start Kitty cared little for him. Charleston tells Reardon he misses the Swede. They had some good talks about the stars. And, having done his job, Charleston exits the film.
The actual planning in most heist films is relatively tension free, that's saved for the execution of said plan, but in this film the tension is palpable and violence can break out at any time.
Colfax has to keep a disgruntled Dum Dum (Jack Lambert) from usurping his authority, as well as keeping an eye on Kitty and the Swede. Colfax ensures Dum Dum that Blinky no longer has the monkey on his back (Blinky being a junkie might explain his off-beat mannerisms). They must also wait for further instructions before they get the go ahead. We never learn who else is on the heist, could it be Jake the Rake?
Albert Dekker's Big Jim Colfax casts an imposing stature with a subdued psychotic menace that was perfect for the film. In response to Dum Dum questioning his authority, Colfax tells him he can leave if he’s not happy, and he lets Colfax know about it. Dum Dum tells him:
"I don't like to be asked to come up here and then told I can go. Who do you think you're pushin' around?"
".... you've got quite a reputation...You're supposed to be a troublemaker. Okay, make some."
There is a stare down, but Dum Dum's not willing to get into a physical confrontation or blow the chance to make some big money.
The flashback begins with he and Ole in their jail cell. Kitty has not written to Ole and he's worried something had happened to her. Charleston tells him, "Just because a girl doesn't write, doesn't mean she's sick." Ole disagrees, Charleston turns his head away.
Vince Barnett gives an excellent performance as a street wise, life- long small time hood. Reardon's getting him good and sloshed. No sooner does Charleston put his glass down than Reardon fills it up, but even in that condition he won't name names. Charleston tells him only that he had to meet a certain person at a certain place,' and, "The only date I can remember is 1492." Charleston's narrative was needed to bridge the gap from Ole’s arrest to when he sees Kitty in his apartment prior to the heist. It gives credence that from the start Kitty cared little for him. Charleston tells Reardon he misses the Swede. They had some good talks about the stars. And, having done his job, Charleston exits the film.
The actual planning in most heist films is relatively tension free, that's saved for the execution of said plan, but in this film the tension is palpable and violence can break out at any time.
Colfax has to keep a disgruntled Dum Dum (Jack Lambert) from usurping his authority, as well as keeping an eye on Kitty and the Swede. Colfax ensures Dum Dum that Blinky no longer has the monkey on his back (Blinky being a junkie might explain his off-beat mannerisms). They must also wait for further instructions before they get the go ahead. We never learn who else is on the heist, could it be Jake the Rake?
Albert Dekker's Big Jim Colfax casts an imposing stature with a subdued psychotic menace that was perfect for the film. In response to Dum Dum questioning his authority, Colfax tells him he can leave if he’s not happy, and he lets Colfax know about it. Dum Dum tells him:
"I don't like to be asked to come up here and then told I can go. Who do you think you're pushin' around?"
".... you've got quite a reputation...You're supposed to be a troublemaker. Okay, make some."
There is a stare down, but Dum Dum's not willing to get into a physical confrontation or blow the chance to make some big money.
Dum Dum, Blinky and Jake The Rake
The next expeditor is Reardon's boss, (Don McBride) who reads a newspaper account of the heist. The heist takes place at the Prentiss Hat Factory in Hackensack, New Jersey. I grew up in Hackensack and while there is no hat factory there was a Goldberg Slipper Factory only a few blocks from where I lived. The slipper company employed thousands of people during its existence. One of them was my Aunt Laura, a widow who supported two children and in less than ten minutes could walk to her job and when done come home in time to cook supper.
The newspaper account gives Reardon an additional clue; Kitty's green scarf was left behind by Ole. The puzzle of the Swede's death gets closer to being solved. Reardon's research shows that the Swede checked into the Atlantic City hotel room on July 20th, the same day as the heist. He correctly ascertains that the girl who left the Swede in Atlantic City was Kitty Collins.
Next in the lineup, and narrating in the seventh spot is Blinky (Jeff Corey). Sam calls Reardon with the news that Blinky has been shot and is in the hospital on his death bed. Reardon asks Sam about Blinky's situation.
"What are his chances?"
"Nil."
"How long has he got?"
"He's behind schedule now."
Blinky admirably hangs on to bridge the gap from when Charleston left the apartment to when Swede took the money and high-tailed it for Atlantic City. The narrative tells us there is no love lost between the crew and the Swede. When Colfax threatens to slap Kitty and Ole tries to intervene Dum Dum tells him to lay off as she's Colfax's girl. Kitty doesn't need help. "Mind your own business, Swede. I can take care of myself," and to Colfax: "You touch me and you won't live till morning." The Swede further alienates the gang when he knocks Colfax down for not showing his hand after winning the pot in a game of poker. Dum Dum tells him, "If it wasn't for tomorrow I'd be for giving you the works," and Blinky lets him know it's something he should not have done. The Swede sees himself as a knight in shining armor, Kitty sees him as the perfect fall guy.
And who is Jake the Rake? We saw him at the apartment directing Kitty who she should see, where she should go and for how long. He's at the restaurant sitting thiscloseto Kitty when Swede takes the pinch for her. He may have been the to further arrange the heist, and it's him who Kitty contact before she calls Colfax. So, who is Jake the Rake? I think he and Kitty knew each prior to her becoming Colfax's girl. I think he procured the worker's passes the get-away car and the meeting place just as he may have procured Kitty for Colfax.
The newspaper account gives Reardon an additional clue; Kitty's green scarf was left behind by Ole. The puzzle of the Swede's death gets closer to being solved. Reardon's research shows that the Swede checked into the Atlantic City hotel room on July 20th, the same day as the heist. He correctly ascertains that the girl who left the Swede in Atlantic City was Kitty Collins.
Next in the lineup, and narrating in the seventh spot is Blinky (Jeff Corey). Sam calls Reardon with the news that Blinky has been shot and is in the hospital on his death bed. Reardon asks Sam about Blinky's situation.
"What are his chances?"
"Nil."
"How long has he got?"
"He's behind schedule now."
Blinky admirably hangs on to bridge the gap from when Charleston left the apartment to when Swede took the money and high-tailed it for Atlantic City. The narrative tells us there is no love lost between the crew and the Swede. When Colfax threatens to slap Kitty and Ole tries to intervene Dum Dum tells him to lay off as she's Colfax's girl. Kitty doesn't need help. "Mind your own business, Swede. I can take care of myself," and to Colfax: "You touch me and you won't live till morning." The Swede further alienates the gang when he knocks Colfax down for not showing his hand after winning the pot in a game of poker. Dum Dum tells him, "If it wasn't for tomorrow I'd be for giving you the works," and Blinky lets him know it's something he should not have done. The Swede sees himself as a knight in shining armor, Kitty sees him as the perfect fall guy.
And who is Jake the Rake? We saw him at the apartment directing Kitty who she should see, where she should go and for how long. He's at the restaurant sitting thiscloseto Kitty when Swede takes the pinch for her. He may have been the to further arrange the heist, and it's him who Kitty contact before she calls Colfax. So, who is Jake the Rake? I think he and Kitty knew each prior to her becoming Colfax's girl. I think he procured the worker's passes the get-away car and the meeting place just as he may have procured Kitty for Colfax.
Reardon, along with Lubinsky, travel to Pittsburgh and Reardon pays Colfax at his construction site. Reardon tells him everything about Kitty, including the time she spent with the Swede in Atlantic City. Colfax wants her found, after all he tells Reardon, "there's nothing I hate worse than a double-crossing dame."
Colfax gets a call from Jake the Rake and its been arranged for Reardon to meet Kitty Collins; our final narrator.
Colfax gets a call from Jake the Rake and its been arranged for Reardon to meet Kitty Collins; our final narrator.
The Rest of the Story
Reardon waits for Kitty in front of a building on a busy street. She approaches him and they take a cab to the Green Cat restaurant. All of this time they have been watched by a short man wearing a bowler hat who follows them in another cab. Kitty and Reardon take a table at the back in front of a large mirror. The man in the bowler hat enters the restaurant and walks up the stairs. Kitty tells Reardon the rest of the story.
After the heist the gang lays low until the time is right to meet at a half-way house to divvy up the loot. Colfax sends Kitty to tell them the meeting place has been changed to a farmhouse. She saves the Swede for last. The Swede is lying on his bed, similar to when we first saw him waiting for his killers. Kitty tells him a story of how the gang are going to double cross him, and she's risking her life by warning him because Colfax would kill her if he found out, but she's doing it because she loves him. The Swede asks her:
"Why did you ever go back to him, Kitty?"
"Maybe because I hate him. I'm poison, Swede, to myself and everybody around me. I'd be afraid to go with anyone I love for the harm I'd do them."
And all this time I thought it was because she was playing him and setting him up to be the fall guy. They go to Atlantic City for a brief honeymoon and then she leaves. It's at that point Queenie finds the Swede. Kitty may have, as Colfax told Reardon, signed Ole's death warrant, but it was Ole who wrote it. When her story is done Reardon says the Swede never had a chance. She takes a puff from a cigarette, and with a 'oh, well, that's how it goes,' type shrug smiles.
The man with the bowler orders a drink at the bar which is a tip off that the killers are on their way. Siodmak sets up the shoot-up with the same economic precision used when he introduced us to Kitty. Kitty excuses herself and the camera follows. She passes a table, three people rise from their chairs and for a second Kitty is out of our sight. They exit the restaurant as the killers enter and their departure shields the killers from our view.
One killer (McGraw) takes a seat at the bar and looks straight into the mirror behind the bar. The other (Conrad) sees Reardon who waits for Kitty at their table. Miklos Rozsa’s great score (the music is another major reason for the film being the classic it is) that had been in background suddenly erupts into the foreground. From the familiar, dum-de-dum-dum to the frenetic increase in tempo, the music accentuates the tension and danger already inherent in the situation. With the exception of a few screams, and those are rather muted, all we hear are music and gun shots.
Just as Kitty was tipped off the killers were coming, so was Sam tipped off the killers had arrived. It’s done when a waiter carries an empty tray, presumably to pick up empty glasses, walks past the killers, and reaches between two customers, but the glass he takes from Sam is nearly full. Sam turns, looks into the mirror behind Reardon and spots the killers. From the time Kitty tells Reardon to wait for her to when he sees the open window in the ladies room takes only ninety seconds pass and is done without dialogue. The shoot-out lasts but a few seconds (much as Kubrick's shoot-out in, The Killing).
In a film where there is so much dialogue and exposition there is also an abundance of non-verbal expression. When Nick finds Swede, his hands are folded above his head. It’s a sign of peaceful relaxation when lying down, and a sign of surrender when standing. The Swede has done both. When Big Jim stops for gas they eyeball each other; the Swede sits beside him to clean the window. It's as when they played poker, Lancaster has called him and now it's Colfax's turn to show his hand, which he won't do until he hires the killers. At the restaurant an associate of Colfax taps a wine glass to get the waiter's attention and then lights a cigarette to warn Kitty to hide the stolen pin. Later on, there is a look of disgust and disbelief from Blinky when the Swede enters from the bed room and says, "I must have fell asleep." And there are several examples from Kitty Collins herself which I've mentioned.
Kitty Is Innocent-Honest!
Lubinsky, Reardon and the police enter the home of Big Jim Colfax. There are gunshots. Dum Dum stumbles down the stairs and collapses in front of them fatally wounded. Colfax has also been shot, and mortally wounded collapses on the staircase landing. As he prepares to meet his maker, he explains to Sam why the Swede had to be killed and asks for a cigarette. I don't think Colfax knew about the Swede and Kitty playing patty cake until Reardon told him they shared the same hotel room. Colfax didn't let on but as we've seen he's not one to easily show his hand.
Kitty won't let him die in peace. She pleads for him to: "Tell them I didn't know those gunmen were coming. Say, "Kitty is innocent. I swear, Kitty is innocent." Sam is shocked and turns to her, "Don't ask a dying man to lie his soul into hell!"
This is the second evocation in the movie. The Swede listened to Queenie’s plea and assured himself burial in consecrated ground. Nothing can stop, or save Kitty from secular or Godly justice a she repeats: "Kitty is innocent. I swear, Kitty is innocent." Colfax says nothing and goes to meet his maker. Ole’s life insurance policy with Queenie as beneficiary may be seen as a sign of repentance. Kitty is unrepentant to the end. To save herself she would gladly have others kill, die, go to jail, and even be condemned to hell for her. And yet, she is, as she would tell you straight-faced, innocent.
A few words about the director:
Anyone who wants to understand noir need only focus on the films directed by Siodmak from 1943 to 1950. Siodmak understood the demographic and literary foundations of film noir more than any of the European emigre directors. In addition to, The Killers there are Criss Cross, Phantom Lady, Cry of The City, and, The File On Thelma Jordan. He was like a tourist that visits America (Siodmak would later return to Germany) and rather than take in familiar landscapes travels instead from the swamps of Louisiana (Son of Dracula), to staid New England towns, (The Spiral Stair Staircase and The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry), to the underworld of forbidden jazz and drugs, in (Phantom Lady).
Criss Cross and Cry Of the City takes place respectively in the ethnic and working class enclaves of Bunker Hill in Los Angeles and Little Italy in New York. The Killers starts in Philadelphia and ends in Pittsburgh, neither are popular noir destinations, but the bulk of the film takes place in exotic New Jersey with stops in Newark, Brentwood, Atlantic City and Hackensack. The religious evocations of Queenie and Sam reflect the importance of religion in their socio-economic backgrounds and as we see in, Cry of the City.
Kitty won't let him die in peace. She pleads for him to: "Tell them I didn't know those gunmen were coming. Say, "Kitty is innocent. I swear, Kitty is innocent." Sam is shocked and turns to her, "Don't ask a dying man to lie his soul into hell!"
This is the second evocation in the movie. The Swede listened to Queenie’s plea and assured himself burial in consecrated ground. Nothing can stop, or save Kitty from secular or Godly justice a she repeats: "Kitty is innocent. I swear, Kitty is innocent." Colfax says nothing and goes to meet his maker. Ole’s life insurance policy with Queenie as beneficiary may be seen as a sign of repentance. Kitty is unrepentant to the end. To save herself she would gladly have others kill, die, go to jail, and even be condemned to hell for her. And yet, she is, as she would tell you straight-faced, innocent.
A few words about the director:
Anyone who wants to understand noir need only focus on the films directed by Siodmak from 1943 to 1950. Siodmak understood the demographic and literary foundations of film noir more than any of the European emigre directors. In addition to, The Killers there are Criss Cross, Phantom Lady, Cry of The City, and, The File On Thelma Jordan. He was like a tourist that visits America (Siodmak would later return to Germany) and rather than take in familiar landscapes travels instead from the swamps of Louisiana (Son of Dracula), to staid New England towns, (The Spiral Stair Staircase and The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry), to the underworld of forbidden jazz and drugs, in (Phantom Lady).
Criss Cross and Cry Of the City takes place respectively in the ethnic and working class enclaves of Bunker Hill in Los Angeles and Little Italy in New York. The Killers starts in Philadelphia and ends in Pittsburgh, neither are popular noir destinations, but the bulk of the film takes place in exotic New Jersey with stops in Newark, Brentwood, Atlantic City and Hackensack. The religious evocations of Queenie and Sam reflect the importance of religion in their socio-economic backgrounds and as we see in, Cry of the City.
A Case For Number One
Kitty Collins is the most dangerous femme fatale in film noir. We don't see Kitty until over thirty minutes into the film. Her dialogue is minimal, but her facial gestures speak volumes. She projects evil and menace with a slight smile. No finer example is when she finishes her narrative. Reardon tells her, “And as soon as you could break away, you left him flat.” She responds with a shrug of her should and blows out a large puff of cigarette smoke.
Ole thought Kitty was his girl, but was she, and how much did he mean to her? The answer to the first is, 'no,' and, 'very little,' to the second. He was her escort; little more than an accessory along with her clothes and jewelry. One doesn’t give Kitty faux jewelry nor off the rack clothes and neither should she be seen about town with a slug at her side. And Colfax was smart enough to have Jake The Rake chaperone.
The romance was in Jake's mind. Even Sam was fooled. He tells Reardon there was talk about her being his girl, but there is no evidence of that. Before Ole arrives at the restaurant, Sam asks someone at another table if Kitty is seeing Ole. These people know the score and say nothing. If Ole was anything other than an escort, Big Jim would have known about it. When Ole arrives at the restaurant Kitty sits close to Jake and their elbows touch. Kitty lets Ole take the rap for her and in three years doesn't write to him. They did connect, in the biblical sense, after the heist, and that could be the 'double-cross,' to which Big Jim alluded.
A case can be made for The Killers, as the #1 noir film of all time. It may be the most artistic, technically flawless noir film. It has a femme fatale, a male chump, a sense of fatalism and certainly cynicism, brilliant cinematography, a script that reads as if taken from a crime novel; choices are given, and the wrong ones are chosen. There are double-crosses; an emphasis on local settings, there is also an act of redemption that is too often overlooked in the discussion of film noir.
In some ways The Killers is too smooth of a noir, and that’s a trait (with the exception of Fritz Lang) shared by most German émigré film noir directors. It’s the difference, one might say, between speeding down the ultra smooth Autobahn in a top of the line Mercedes to that of tooling down an interstate in a bona fide muscle car.
The Killers is more than a great film noir, perhaps the epitome of the genre, but one of the great films regardless of genre. It’s a testament to the collaborative effort of a score of talented, creative people, starting with the director, Robert Siodmak.
Ole thought Kitty was his girl, but was she, and how much did he mean to her? The answer to the first is, 'no,' and, 'very little,' to the second. He was her escort; little more than an accessory along with her clothes and jewelry. One doesn’t give Kitty faux jewelry nor off the rack clothes and neither should she be seen about town with a slug at her side. And Colfax was smart enough to have Jake The Rake chaperone.
The romance was in Jake's mind. Even Sam was fooled. He tells Reardon there was talk about her being his girl, but there is no evidence of that. Before Ole arrives at the restaurant, Sam asks someone at another table if Kitty is seeing Ole. These people know the score and say nothing. If Ole was anything other than an escort, Big Jim would have known about it. When Ole arrives at the restaurant Kitty sits close to Jake and their elbows touch. Kitty lets Ole take the rap for her and in three years doesn't write to him. They did connect, in the biblical sense, after the heist, and that could be the 'double-cross,' to which Big Jim alluded.
A case can be made for The Killers, as the #1 noir film of all time. It may be the most artistic, technically flawless noir film. It has a femme fatale, a male chump, a sense of fatalism and certainly cynicism, brilliant cinematography, a script that reads as if taken from a crime novel; choices are given, and the wrong ones are chosen. There are double-crosses; an emphasis on local settings, there is also an act of redemption that is too often overlooked in the discussion of film noir.
In some ways The Killers is too smooth of a noir, and that’s a trait (with the exception of Fritz Lang) shared by most German émigré film noir directors. It’s the difference, one might say, between speeding down the ultra smooth Autobahn in a top of the line Mercedes to that of tooling down an interstate in a bona fide muscle car.
The Killers is more than a great film noir, perhaps the epitome of the genre, but one of the great films regardless of genre. It’s a testament to the collaborative effort of a score of talented, creative people, starting with the director, Robert Siodmak.