Kiss of Death (1947)

Director:

Henry Hathaway

Writers:

Ben Hecht (screenplay) and
Charles Lederer (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

27 August 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

Tagline:

It will mark you for life as it marked him for... Betrayal

Plot:

With his law-breaking lifestyle in the past, an ex-con, along with his family, attempt to start a new life, unknowing a betrayed someone from the past is bound to see otherwise.

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Psychopath | Stairs | New York | Wheelchair

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins

Cast

Victor Mature	...	Nick Bianco
Brian Donlevy	...	Asst. Dist. Atty. Louis D'Angelo
Coleen Gray	...	Nettie
Richard Widmark	...	Tommy Udo
Taylor Holmes	...	Earl Howser, Attorney
Howard Smith	...	Warden
Karl Malden	...	Sgt. William Cullen

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (nf) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:12 (DVD rating) (2005) | USA:Approved (PCA #12356) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

14th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Jesse White's film debut.

Quotes:

Tommy Udo: I wouldn't give you the skin off a grape.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Striptease Baby Dolls from Cleveland Meet the Unkillables (2005)

Great noir

Kiss of Death was an engaging and suspenseful film noir thriller. Standout performances were delivered from Victor Mature and Richard Widmark among others. Widmark as the sadistic Udo had a particularly memorable turn. This film actually reminded me quite a bit of the Humphrey Bogart film, The Enforcer, at least the first twenty minutes of that equally good crime drama. In both movies, the turning of evidence by witnesses for the state and their protection figure prominently. Unfortunately, the witness in The Enforcer isn't as lucky as Nick Bianco. One other note: the great Karl Malden has a small role in this film as a junior detective. Both Kiss of Death and The Enforcer get a solid 8/10.