Killer's Kiss
| Killer's Kiss | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Stanley Kubrick |
| Written by | Stanley Kubrick Howard Sackler |
| Produced by | Stanley Kubrick Morris Bousel |
| Starring | Jamie Smith Irene Kane Frank Silvera |
| Narrated by | Jamie Smith |
| Cinematography | Stanley Kubrick |
| Edited by | Stanley Kubrick |
| Music by | Gerald Fried |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date | September 28, 1955 |
Running time | 67 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Killer's Kiss is a 1955 film noir directed by Stanley Kubrick and written by Kubrick and Howard Sackler. The film stars Jamie Smith, Irene Kane and Frank Silvera.[1]
Plot
The film revolves around Davey Gordon (Jamie Smith), a 29 year old welterweight New York boxer in the end of his career, and his relationship with a dancer and her violent employer.
The drama begins with Davy in his apartment room, mentally preparing for a big fight against Kid Rodriguez. On the other side of the building, across the courtyard, he gazes upon Gloria Price (Irene Kane), an attractive taxi dancer, getting ready for work. As they both walk out of the building, they run into each other, they notice each other but say nothing. Gloria is picked up by her boss Vincent (Frank Silvera).
As Davy is losing his fight, Gloria is dealing with her boss in his office as he tries to kiss her repeatedly.
That evening Davy is awakened by screams coming from Gloria's apartment. As he looks across the courtyard, he sees that Gloria is being attacked by Vincent. He runs to her room, but Vincent has made his getaway. Davy comforts Gloria and she goes to sleep comfortable that Davy is in the room to protect her. However, Vincent is not deterred, and proceeds to interfere in their lives.
Cast
- Jamie Smith as Davy Gordon
- Irene Kane as Gloria Price
- Frank Silvera as Vincent Rapallo
- Jerry Jarrett as Albert (the fight manager)
- Mike Dana as Gangster
- Felice Orlandi as Gangster
- Skippy Adelman as Mannequin factory owner
- David Vaughan as Conventioneer
- Alec Rubin as Conventioneer
- Ralph Roberts as Gangster
- Phil Stevenson as Gangster
Background
This was Kubrick's second feature. Kubrick removed his first film Fear and Desire from circulation over his displeasure for it. Kubrick was 26 years old when he directed this movie, and had to borrow $40,000 from his uncle, who owned a drug store in New York.[2]
Kubrick began to shoot the film with sound recorded on location, as was common practice in Hollywood. However, frustrated by the intrusion of the microphone into his lighting scheme, Kubrick fired his soundman and decided to post-dub the entire film as he had with his first film.[3]
The film is notable for its location shots in the old Penn Station, which was demolished in 1963.
Critical reception
When released, the staff at Variety magazine gave the film a mixed review, and wrote, "Ex-Look photographer Stanley Kubrick turned out Killer's Kiss on the proverbial shoestring. Kiss was more than a warm-up for Kubrick's talents, for not only did he co-produce but he directed, photographed and edited the venture from his own screenplay [originally written by Howard O. Sackler] and original story...Kubrick's low-key lensing occasionally catches the flavor of the seamy side of Gotham life. His scenes of tawdry Broadway, gloomy tenements and grotesque brick-and-stone structures that make up Manhattan's downtown eastside loft district help offset the script's deficiencies."[4]
More recently, New York Times film critic Janet Maslin reviewed the film, and wrote, "Killer's Kiss brought the director onto more conventional territory, with a film noir plot about a boxer, a gangster and a dance hall girl. Using Times Square and even the subway as his backdrop, Mr. Kubrick worked in an uncharacteristically naturalistic style despite the genre material, with mixed but still fascinating results. The actress playing the dance hall girl, billed as Irene Kane, is the writer Chris Chase, whose work has frequently appeared in The New York Times. Jamie Smith plays the boxer, whose career is described as 'one long promise without fulfillment.' In the case of Mr. Kubrick's own career, the fulfillment came later. But here is the promise."[5]
Awards
Wins
- Locarno International Film Festival: Prize, Best Director, Stanley Kubrick; 1959.
See also
References
- ^ Killer's Kiss at IMDb.
- ^ Maslin, Janet. The New York Times, film review, January 14, 1994. Last accessed: February 21, 2008.
- ^ Hughes, David (2000). The Complete Kubrick. Virgin Publishing Ltd, pp. 26-27.
- ^ Variety' Film review, 1955. Last accessed: February 21, 2008.
- ^ Maslin, Janet. Ibid.
External links
- Killer's Kiss at IMDb
- Killer's Kiss at AllMovie
- Killer's Kiss at the TCM Movie Database
- Killer's Kiss at DVD Beaver (includes images)