THE KILLERS (1946), the first screen adaption of Ernest Hemingway’s deceptively short story, is a terrifying and taut film noir, one that would not only help create the genre but also come to define it. The iconic opening diner scene, filled with a deep sense of dread, gives way to a layered story of heartbreak and disappointment that is perfectly embodied in everything star Burt Lancaster—in his first movie role—does on screen. Director Robert Siodmak effortlessly takes Lancaster’s handsome exterior and infuses it with a startling innocence. Combined with an unforgettable Miklós Rósza score, haunting black and white photography from Woody Bredell, and a star-making turn from femme fatale Ava Gardner, THE KILLERS is a film you won’t soon forget.
THE KILLERS was restored using the original 35mm nitrate negative. 4K workflow and restoration services provided by NBCUniversal StudioPost.
Restored by Universal Pictures in collaboration with The Film Foundation. Special thanks to Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg for their consultation on this restoration.
Cassandra Moore Interview
Eddie Muller Interview
THE KILLERS (1946)
THE KILLERS (1946)
VIDEO EXTRAS
Film Historian Foster Hirsch on the Origins of Film Noir via YouTube
Ava Gardner on What's My Line? via YouTube
Burt Lancaster on the Dick Cavett Show via YouTube
THE KILLERS (1946)
READING LIST (BOOKS)
In Lonely Places: Film Noir Beyond the City, Imogen Sara Smith, McFarland & Co., 2011
Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir, Eddie Muller, Running Press Adult, 2021
The File on Robert Siodmak in Hollywood, 1941-1951, Joseph Greco, 1999
Burt Lancaster: An American Life, Kate Buford, Da Capo Press, 2001
Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations, Peter Evans & Ava Gardner, Simon and Schuster, 2014
READING LIST (ONLINE)
"‘The Killers: The Citizen Kane of Noirs" for Criterion
"Fatal Women and the Fate of Women" for Criterion
The second screen adaptation of Hemingway’s story was also the first movie ever made for television. Don Siegel’s 1964 version of THE KILLERS differs greatly from Siodmak’s in both tone and temperament. It’s shot in vibrant color and from the opening scene—moved from the stark diner to a bustling school for the blind—the movie has an off-kilter kookiness that creates a jarring sense of unease. That unnerving sense is made even stronger by the performances in the film, namely by the killers themselves, played by straight man Lee Marvin and his unpredictable sidekick played by Clu Gulager. John Cassavetes and Angie Dickinson take on the Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner roles and Siegel again twists things up, focusing more on their doomed love affair. The film also features Ronald Reagan in his last on-screen performance and his only villain role. In the end, Siegel’s film was deemed too violent for television but has lived on as a vital cult-classic companion to the original film.
THE KILLERS was restored using the original 35mm negative. 4K workflow and restoration services provided by NBCUniversal StudioPost.
Restored by Universal Pictures in collaboration with The Film Foundation. Special thanks to Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg for their consultation on this restoration.
Imogen Sara Smith Interview
THE KILLERS (1964)
THE KILLERS (1964)
VIDEO EXTRAS
Don Siegel: Last of the Independents via YouTube
Lee Marvin Discusses Acting on the Johnny Carson show via YouTube
John Cassavetes: The Man and His Work via YouTube
THE KILLERS (1964)
READING LIST (BOOKS)
Lee Marvin: Point Blank, Dwayne Epstein, Schaffner Press, 2017
Cassavetes on Cassavetes, John Cassavetes & Ray Carney, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2001
Angie: The Life and Films of Angie Dickinson, James Stratton, BearManor Media, 2020
In Lonely Places: Film Noir Beyond the City, Imogen Sara Smith, McFarland & Co., 2011
Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir, Eddie Muller, Running Press Adult, 2021
READING LIST (ONLINE)
"‘The Killers: A Decisive Reversal of Values" for Criterion
The Film Foundation on Letterboxd
Presented in The Film Foundation Restoration Screening Room in July 2023 in partnership with Universal Pictures.
