THE KILLERS FILMS. 4 EDITIoN THE KILLERS Taylor, John Russell, ""Encounter with Siodmak, in Sight and Sound (London), Summer-Autumn 1959 Siodmak, Robert, and richard wilson, " "Hoodlums: The Myths and USA,1946 Their Reality, in Films and Filming(London), June 1959 Sarris, Andrew, ""Esoterica, in Film Culture(New York), Spring 1963 Director: Robert Siodmak Nolan, Jack. ""Robert Siodmak, 'in Films in Review(New York) Production: Mark Hellinger Productions; black and white, 35mm; Flinn, Tom, "Three Faces of Film Noir, in Velvet Light Trap unning time: 105 minutes, some sources list 102 minutes. Released (Madison, Wisconsin ), Summer 1972 :8 August 1946 by Universal. Filming completed 28 June 1946 in Ecran(Paris), Summer 1972. Eyles, Allen,"Edmond O Brien, in Focus on Film (London), Autumn 1974 Producer: Mark Hellinger: screenplay: Anthony Kaminsky, Stuart M, "Hemingways The Killers, in Take One short story by Ernest Hemingway; photography y bedell; (Montreal), November 1974 special photography: David S. Horsely: editor Jenkins, Steve. in Monthly Film Bulletin(London ), October 1981 Bernard Brown and William Hedgecock; art directors: Jack Goldschmidt, D, in Cinematographe(Paris), July 1985 on and Martin Obzina; music: Miklos Rozsa; costume de- Slater, Thomas, "" Anthony Veiller, "in American Screenwriters, 2nd Vera West Series, edited by Randall Clark, Detroit, 1986 Review, in EPD Film(frankfurt), vol 7, no 8, August 1990. Cast: Edmond OBrien(Riordan); Ava Gardner(Kitty Collins): Wald, Marvin, ""Richard Brooks and Me, "in Creative Screenwriting Albert Dekker(Colfax); Sam Levene(Lubinsky); John Miljan (Jake); (Washington, D.C. ) vol. 1, no 2, Summer 1994 Virginia Christine (Lilly): Vince Barnett( Charleston); Burt Lancaster Aachen, G, in Reids Film Index(Wyong), no. 23, 1996 (Swede ): Charles D. Brown(Packy): Donald Mac Bride(Kenyon): Lucas, Tim, "The Killers, Criss Cross, The Undemeath, Brute Force, Phil Brown(Nick); Charles McGraw(Al: William Conrad (Max) The Naked City, in Video Watchdog( Cincinnati), no 32, Queenie Smith(Queenie): Garry Owen(oe); Harry Hayden(George): Mumby, J, "The'Un-American'Film Art: Robert Siodmak and the Bill Walker(Sam); Jack Lambert(DumDum); Jeff Corey(Blinky); Political Significance of Film Noirs German Connection, in Wally Scott(Charlie ): Gabrielle Windsor(Ginny); Rex Dale(Man) Iris, no 21, Spring 1996 Telotte, J.P., "" Fatal Capers: Strategy and Enigma in Film noir, in Journal of Popular Film and Television(Washington, D. C ) vol Publications 23. no. 4. Winter 1996 Brierly, D,"Robert Siodmak, in Filmfax(Evanston), no. 62 Books August/September 1997 McArthur. Colin Underworld U.S.A. London. 1972. Kaminsky, Stuart M, American Film Genres, Dayton, Ohio, 1974: revised edition. Chicago, 1985 The Killers begins with literature and ends with film noir. The Silver, Alain, and Elizabeth Ward, editors, Film Noir, Woodstock, unlikely death of a filling station attendant prompts an insurance New York. 1979 investigator to solve a puzzle of events that leads him to the cause of Phillips, Gene D Hemingway and Film, New York, 1980 the murder and then envelops him in a plot ending with the murderers Laurence, Frank M, Hemingway and the Movies, Jackson, Missis- death. After staging Ernest Hemingway's story in the opening se- sippi, 1981 quence, the plot follows a structure that prevails in the convention of Dumont, Herve, Robert Siodmak: Le Maitre du film noir, the 1940s: a man utters his last words, i did something wrong, nne,1981 once, ' to avow his fatal mistake of falling in love with a woman who Alpi, Deborah Lazaroff, Robert Siodmak: A Biography, with Critical doublecrosses him. His relentless passion and blindness lead the two Analyses of His Films Noirs and a Filmography of All His Works nd to their demise ferson. 1998 Director robert Siodmak makes filmic innovation from a model Greco, Joseph, The File on Robert Siodmak in Hollywood: 1941-1951, anticipated in Renoir's La bete humaine(1938)and standardized Parkland. 1999. since Double Indemniry (1944). The opening shots afford visual plendor in deep-focus shots taken in the confines of an empty cafe Articles Hemingways narrative is translated into a tense volley of words and Variety(New York), 7 August 1946 11 major flashbacks-and flashbacks within flashbacks-before the New York Times, 29 August 1946. insurance agent(Edmond O Brien) witnesses the dying Marshman, D," Mister Siodmak, in Life(New York confession inculpating his attendant spouse. Something of August 1947. nouveau roman, the script has the narrative cross over an o a potos Lillich, Richard, " "Hemingway on the Screen, in Films in Review abyss of time-the amnesia of the Second World War-in ways that (New York), April 1959. determine the absolute immobility of the present. Recent history, as ifTHE KILLERS FILMS, 4th EDITION 632 THE KILLERS USA, 1946 Director: Robert Siodmak Production: Mark Hellinger Productions; black and white, 35mm; running time: 105 minutes, some sources list 102 minutes. Released 28 August 1946 by Universal. Filming completed 28 June 1946 in Universal studios. Producer: Mark Hellinger; screenplay: Anthony Veiller, from the short story by Ernest Hemingway; photography: Woody Bredell; special photography: David S. Horsely; editor: Arthur Hilton; sound: Bernard Brown and William Hedgecock; art directors: Jack Otterson and Martin Obzina; music: Miklos Rozsa; costume de￾signer: Vera West. Cast: Edmond O’Brien (Riordan); Ava Gardner (Kitty Collins); Albert Dekker (Colfax); Sam Levene (Lubinsky); John Miljan (Jake); Virginia Christine (Lilly); Vince Barnett (Charleston); Burt Lancaster (Swede); Charles D. Brown (Packy); Donald MacBride (Kenyon); Phil Brown (Nick); Charles McGraw (Al); William Conrad (Max); Queenie Smith (Queenie); Garry Owen (Joe); Harry Hayden (George); Bill Walker (Sam); Jack Lambert (Dum Dum); Jeff Corey (Blinky); Wally Scott (Charlie); Gabrielle Windsor (Ginny); Rex Dale (Man). Publications Books: McArthur, Colin, Underworld U.S.A., London, 1972. Kaminsky, Stuart M., American Film Genres, Dayton, Ohio, 1974; revised edition, Chicago, 1985. Silver, Alain, and Elizabeth Ward, editors, Film Noir, Woodstock, New York, 1979. Phillips, Gene D., Hemingway and Film, New York, 1980. Laurence, Frank M., Hemingway and the Movies, Jackson, Missis￾sippi, 1981. Dumont, Hervé, Robert Siodmak: Le Maître du film noir, Lausanne, 1981. Alpi, Deborah Lazaroff, Robert Siodmak: A Biography, with Critical Analyses of His Films Noirs and a Filmography of All His Works, Jefferson, 1998. Greco, Joseph, The File on Robert Siodmak in Hollywood: 1941–1951, Parkland, 1999. Articles: Variety (New York), 7 August 1946. New York Times, 29 August 1946. Marshman, D., ‘‘Mister Siodmak,’’ in Life (New York), 25 August 1947. Lillich, Richard, ‘‘Hemingway on the Screen,’’ in Films in Review (New York), April 1959. Taylor, John Russell, ‘‘Encounter with Siodmak,’’ in Sight and Sound (London), Summer-Autumn 1959. Siodmak, Robert, and Richard Wilson, ‘‘Hoodlums: The Myths and Their Reality,’’ in Films and Filming (London), June 1959. Sarris, Andrew, ‘‘Esoterica,’’ in Film Culture (New York), Spring 1963. Nolan, Jack, ‘‘Robert Siodmak,’’ in Films in Review (New York), April 1969. Flinn, Tom, ‘‘Three Faces of Film Noir,’’ in Velvet Light Trap (Madison, Wisconsin), Summer 1972. Ecran (Paris), Summer 1972. Eyles, Allen, ‘‘Edmond O’Brien,’’ in Focus on Film (London), Autumn 1974. Kaminsky, Stuart M., ‘‘Hemingway’s The Killers,’’ in Take One (Montreal), November 1974. Jenkins, Steve, in Monthly Film Bulletin (London), October 1981. Goldschmidt, D., in Cinématographe (Paris), July 1985. Slater, Thomas, ‘‘Anthony Veiller,’’ in American Screenwriters, 2nd Series, edited by Randall Clark, Detroit, 1986. Review, in EPD Film (Frankfurt), vol. 7, no. 8, August 1990. Wald, Marvin, ‘‘Richard Brooks and Me,’’ in Creative Screenwriting (Washington, D.C.), vol. 1, no. 2, Summer 1994. Aachen, G., in Reid’s Film Index (Wyong), no. 23, 1996. Lucas, Tim, ‘‘The Killers, Criss Cross, The Underneath, Brute Force, The Naked City,’’ in Video Watchdog (Cincinnati), no. 32, 1996. Mumby, J., ‘‘The ‘Un-American’ Film Art: Robert Siodmak and the Political Significance of Film Noir’s German Connection,’’ in Iris, no. 21, Spring 1996. Telotte, J.P., ‘‘Fatal Capers: Strategy and Enigma in Film Noir,’’ in Journal of Popular Film and Television (Washington, D.C.), vol. 23, no. 4, Winter 1996. Brierly, D., ‘‘Robert Siodmak,’’ in Filmfax (Evanston), no. 62, August/September 1997. *** The Killers begins with literature and ends with film noir. The unlikely death of a filling station attendant prompts an insurance investigator to solve a puzzle of events that leads him to the cause of the murder and then envelops him in a plot ending with the murderer’s death. After staging Ernest Hemingway’s story in the opening se￾quence, the plot follows a structure that prevails in the convention of the 1940s: a man utters his last words, ‘‘I did something wrong, once,’’ to avow his fatal mistake of falling in love with a woman who doublecrosses him. His relentless passion and blindness lead the two of them and her husband to their demise. Director Robert Siodmak makes filmic innovation from a model anticipated in Renoir’s La bête humaine (1938) and standardized since Double Indemnity (1944). The opening shots afford visual splendor in deep-focus shots taken in the confines of an empty café. Hemingway’s narrative is translated into a tense volley of words and images. The rest of the film ‘‘catches up’’ with the initial murder after 11 major flashbacks—and flashbacks within flashbacks—before the insurance agent (Edmond O’Brien) witnesses the dying culprit’s confession inculpating his attendant spouse. Something of a proto￾nouveau roman, the script has the narrative cross over an unnamed abyss of time—the amnesia of the Second World War—in ways that determine the absolute immobility of the present. Recent history, as if