The Killing

1956

1h 25m

IMDb RATING

7.6/10

1.6K

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6 Videos

72 Images

Crime

Thriller

Career criminal Johnny Clay recruits a sharpshooter, a crooked police officer, a bartender and a betting teller named George, among others, for one last job before he goes straight and gets married. But when George tells his restless wife about the scheme to steal millions from the racetrack where he works, she hatches a plot of her own.

Directors

Stanley Kubrick

Writers

Lionel White(novel by)

Stanley Kubrick(screenplay by)

Jim Thompson(writer by)

Stars

Sterling Hayden

Coleen Gray

Vince Edwards

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Videos6

Photos72

Top cast

Johnny Clay

Fay

Val Cannon

Marvin Unger

Randy Kennan

Sherry Peatty

George Peatty

Mike O'Reilly

Track Parking Attendant

Nikki Arcane

Maurice Oboukhoff

Leo the Loanshark

Joe Piano - motel manager

Dorothy Adams

Mrs. Ruthie O'Reilly

Herbert Ellis

2nd American Airlines Clerk

James Griffith

Mr. Grimes

Cecil Elliott

Lady with Small Dog

Joe Turkel

Tiny

Directors

Stanley Kubrick

Writers

Lionel White(novel by)

Stanley Kubrick(screenplay by)

Jim Thompson(writer by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews2

Review

Featured review

7/10

Though it's Sterling Hayden who takes top billing here, it's actually Marie Windsor who steals the show as "Sherry". She is the rather money-grabbing, bullying, wife of "George" (Elisha Cook Jr). Now he works in the cashier's office at the local racetrack where "Mike" (Joe Sawyer) works behind the bar. These two are to be lynch pins in a daring plan to rob the place of two million dollars as it's feature race brings in the punters. Ex-con "Johnny" (Hayden) is the brains behind the scheme that also includes a bent cop "Randy" (Ted de Corsia), marksman "Nikki" (Timothy Carey) and financier "Unger" (the familiar face of Jay C. Flippen). Meticulous planning is required, diversions are created and it all looks set fair. Except, that is, for the blabbermouth "George" who tells his wife - in a bid to retain her love for him (and money) - who proceeds to tell her lover "Val" (Vince Edwards) and so a bit of double-play is soon on the cards too. It's constructed almost like a jigsaw puzzle, this film. We do a little bit of work on one aspect of the story, then move timelines and/or locations to another, or to another character before it all gradually comes together delivering a really effective eighty minutes of crime drama. Although I thought the ending just a little bit of a let down, there are strong performances across this tautly directed and effectively scored story. There's quite a lively bit of action from strongman Kola Kwariani in here too that's quite entertaining. Well worth a watch.

Geronimo196720 Jun, 2023