Taglines: There is more than one way to kill a man!
The Killers movie storyline. Two professional killers fulfill a contract hit on an auto mechanics teacher in a school for the blind but are surprised that he does not try to flee and appears to welcome his fate. Charlie Strom, the older of the two hit-men, wonders why they have been overpaid for the assignment, and when he finds out that the victim, Johnny North, a former Formula One race car driver, had been involved in a million dollar robbery, they decide to pursue the matter. They become convinced that discovering the identity of the man who hired them is the key to finding the stolen money as they search out North’s past with brutal efficiency.
The Killers, released in the UK as Ernest Hemingway’s “The Killers”, is a 1964 American neo noir crime film Written by Gene L. Coon, and directed by Don Siegel, it is the second Hollywood adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s 1927 short story of the same name, following the 1946 version.
The film stars Lee Marvin, John Cassavetes, Angie Dickinson, and Ronald Reagan in his final film role. At the time of release, Marvin said that it was his favorite film. The supporting cast features Clu Gulager, Claude Akins, and Norman Fell. In July 2018, it was selected to be screened in the Venice Classics section at the 75th Venice International Film Festival.
About the Production
The Killers, intended to be one of the first “made-for-TV movies,” was intended to be part of a Project 120 series of films that did not reach the airwaves. It was filmed under the title Johnny North, but NBC judged it too violent for broadcast, so Universal released the film theatrically instead.
Steve McQueen and George Peppard were considered for the role that eventually went to Cassavetes. After Cassavetes was signed to play the race car driver, director Siegel found out the actor could barely drive.
Don Siegel had originally been hired as director of the earlier 1946 version of the same story, but had been fired. Actress Virginia Christine had also appeared in the 1946 version. According to the DVD commentary, Dickinson received the news during filming that her friend (and rumored romantic partner) President John F. Kennedy had been shot and killed.
The Killers was Reagan’s last acting role before entering politics, and the only villainous role in his career. According to Kirk Douglas’s autobiography, The Ragman’s Son, Reagan regretted doing the movie, particularly because of a scene in which he slaps Dickinson.
The main title and closing music, originally composed by Henry Mancini for the 1958 Orson Welles film Touch of Evil, was drawn from the Universal Pictures music library and re-edited for use in this film. The song “Too Little Time”, which was composed by Mancini with lyrics by Don Raye as the love theme for The Glenn Miller Story, was sung by Nancy Wilson in a new arrangement.
The Killers (1964)
Directed by: Don Siegel
Starring: Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Clu Gulager, Ronald Reagan, John Cassavetes, Claude Akins, Norman Fell, Virginia Christine, Don Haggerty, Robert Phillips, Kathleen O’Malley
Screenplay by: Gene L. Coon
Production Design by: Edward K. Dodds, Bob Larson
Cinematography by: Richard L. Rawlings
Film Editing by: Richard Belding
Costume Design by: Helen Colvig
Set Decoration by: John McCarthy Jr., James Redd
Art Direction by: Frank Arrigo, George B. Chan
Music by: John Williams, Fred Steiner
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Release Date: July 7, 1964 (New York City)
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