The Killers, also known as Ernest Hemingway's The Killers is a black and white film noir directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Burt Lancaster. The film is based on the Ernest Hemingway story of the same name. The short story is about two hit men assigned to find and kill a man, "the Swede", at a seedy diner. Actors Charles McGraw and William Conrad play the hit men in the film, however the rest of the story, told in flashback, was created (rumored to be written by uncredited John Huston) solely for the film. Lancaster wasn't the producers first pick for the part of "the Swede", but Warner Bros. wouldn't lend out actor Wayne Morris for the film. The third choice, unknown actor Lancaster, was given the part. Some of the movie's music was later used as the theme for TV's Dragnet. The Killers was made again, with a different plot, in 1964 starring Lee Marvin. Scenes from the movie were used in the Steve Martin film noir spoof Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982). In 1956, director Andrei Tarkovsky created a 19-minute short based on the story which is featured on the Criterion Collection DVD release.
Awards
Nominated for four Oscars (none won):
Tagline
Every kiss carved his name on another bullet
Quote from film
He's dead now, except for he's breathing.
External links
Great Films review
