The Killing (1956)
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- Approved
- 1h 24min
- Crime, Drama
- 06 Jun 1956 (USA)
- Movie
Crook Johnny Clay assembles a five-man team to plan and execute a daring racetrack robbery.
Director:
Writers:
Award:
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award.
- See more »
Reviews:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Sterling Hayden | ... |
Johnny Clay
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| Coleen Gray | ... |
Fay
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| Vince Edwards | ... |
Val Cannon
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| Jay C. Flippen | ... |
Marvin Unger
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| Ted de Corsia | ... |
Patrolman Randy Kennan
(as Ted DeCorsia)
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| Marie Windsor | ... |
Sherry Peatty
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| Elisha Cook Jr. | ... |
George Peatty
(as Elisha Cook)
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| Joe Sawyer | ... |
Mike O'Reilly
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| James Edwards | ... |
Track Parking Attendant
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| Timothy Carey | ... |
Nikki Arcane
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| Kola Kwariani | ... |
Maurice Oboukhoff
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| Jay Adler | ... |
Leo the Loanshark
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| Tito Vuolo | ... |
Joe Piano
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| Dorothy Adams | ... |
Ruthie O'Reilly
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Herbert Ellis | ... |
Second American Airlines Clerk
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| James Griffith | ... |
Mr. Grimes
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Cecil Elliott | ... |
Lady with Small Dog
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| Joe Turkel | ... |
Tiny
(as Joseph Turkel)
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Steve Mitchell | ... |
Brown
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Mary Carroll | ... |
Woman Asking Kennan for Help
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| William 'Billy' Benedict | ... |
American Airlines Clerk
(as William Benedict)
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| Charles Cane | ... |
Plainclothesman at Airport
(as Charles R. Cane)
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| Robert B. Williams | ... |
Plainclothesman at Airport
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Fred Carson | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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| Gordon Carveth | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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| Noble 'Kid' Chissell | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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Richard Dale Clark | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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Tom Coleman | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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Oliver Cross | ... |
Racetrack Cashier (uncredited)
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| George DeNormand | ... |
Commuter (uncredited)
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| Franklyn Farnum | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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Charles Fogel | ... |
Race Track Worker (uncredited)
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| John George | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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Rudy Germane | ... |
Track Officer (uncredited)
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| Art Gilmore | ... |
Narrator (uncredited) (voice)
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Bennie Goldberg | ... |
Commuter (uncredited)
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| Sol Gorss | ... |
Track Guard Slugged by Johnny (uncredited)
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Harry Hines | ... |
Chess Player (uncredited)
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| John Hudkins | ... |
Track Guard (uncredited)
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| Michael Jeffers | ... |
Checkers Player (uncredited)
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| Kenner G. Kemp | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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Perk Lazelle | ... |
Clerk (uncredited)
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| Carl M. Leviness | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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King Lockwood | ... |
Clerk (uncredited)
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Robert Locke Lorraine | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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| Alan Marston | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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Hal J. Moore | ... |
Race Track P.A. Announcer (uncredited)
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| Ron Nyman | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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| Harvey Parry | ... |
Bartender (uncredited)
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| Richard Reeves | ... |
Bill (uncredited)
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| Frank Richards | ... |
Track Employee in Locker Room (uncredited)
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| Leoda Richards | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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| John Roy | ... |
Commuter (uncredited)
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| Jack Stoney | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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| Jack Tornek | ... |
Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
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Arthur Tovey | ... |
Racetrack Cashier (uncredited)
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Fred Walton | ... |
Racetrack Cashier (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Stanley Kubrick | ||
Written by
| Stanley Kubrick | ... | (screenplay by) |
| Jim Thompson | ... | (dialogue by) |
| Lionel White | ... | (based on the novel "Clean Break" by) |
Produced by
| James B. Harris | ... | producer (produced by) |
| Alexander Singer | ... | associate producer |
Music by
| Gerald Fried | ||
Cinematography by
| Lucien Ballard | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Betty Steinberg | ||
Art Direction by
| Ruth Sobotka | ||
Set Decoration by
| Harry Reif | ||
Makeup Department
| Robert Littlefield | ... | makeup artist |
| Lillian Shore | ... | hairdresser |
Production Management
| Clarence Eurist | ... | production supervisor (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Milton Carter | ... | assistant director |
| Paul Feiner | ... | second assistant director |
| Howard Joslin | ... | second assistant director |
Art Department
| Karl Brainard | ... | assistant set decorator (as Carl Brainard) |
| Christopher Ebsen | ... | chief carpenter |
| Bud Pine | ... | construction supervisor |
| Robert L. Stephen | ... | chief painter |
| Ray Zambel | ... | property master |
Sound Department
| Rex Lipton | ... | sound effects editor |
| Earl Snyder | ... | sound |
Special Effects by
| Dave Koehler | ... | special effects |
Visual Effects by
| Louis DeWitt | ... | photographic effects |
| Jack Rabin | ... | photographic effects |
Stunts
| Fred Gabourie | ... | stunts (unconfirmed) |
| Sol Gorss | ... | stunts (unconfirmed) |
| Gil Perkins | ... | stunts (unconfirmed) |
| Wally Rose | ... | stunts (unconfirmed) |
| Eddie Saenz | ... | stunts (unconfirmed) |
| Don Turner | ... | stunts (unconfirmed) |
| Bob Morgan | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Harvey Parry | ... | stunts (uncredited) (unconfirmed) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Lou Cortese | ... | best boy |
| Paul Eagler | ... | process camera operator |
| Carl Gibson | ... | head grip |
| Robert Hosler | ... | second assistant camera |
| Bobby Jones | ... | gaffer |
| Richard Towers | ... | camera operator (as Dick Tower) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Beaumelle | ... | costumes: Miss Windsor |
| Rudy Harrington | ... | wardrobe: women |
| Jack Masters | ... | wardrobe |
| Joan Joseff | ... | costume jeweller (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Gerald Fried | ... | conductor |
| Gilbert D. Marchant | ... | music editor (as Gilbert Marchant) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Mary Gibsone | ... | script supervisor |
Transportation Department
| Dave Lesser | ... | transportation |
Additional Crew
| Joyce Hartman | ... | assistant to director |
| Marguerite Olson | ... | production assistant |
Production Companies
Distributors
- United Artists (1956) (United States) (theatrical)
- Artistas Unidos (1957) (Mexico) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1956) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Les Artistes Associés S.A.B. (1957) (Belgium) (theatrical)
- Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (1957) (Norway) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1957) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Nova Film (1957) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Bengala Films (1957) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Valio-Filmi (1961) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Gold Film (1964) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Cinema Mondo (2003) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Art Free (2004) (Greece) (theatrical)
- ARTE (1993) (France) (tv)
- Arrow Films (2015) (United Kingdom) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Cinemagia (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
- Future Film (2011) (Finland) (DVD)
- Koch Media (2018) (Germany) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- MGM Home Entertainment (1989) (United States) (VHS)
- MGM Home Entertainment (1993) (United States) (video) (LaserDisc)
- MGM Home Entertainment (1999) (United States) (DVD) (VHS)
- MGM Home Entertainment (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
- Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1971) (Finland) (tv) (MTV1) (network television)
- Studio S Entertainment (2011) (Sweden) (DVD)
- TV3 (1988) (Finland) (tv) (network television)
- The Criterion Collection (1988) (United States) (video) (LaserDisc)
- The Criterion Collection (2011) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Yleisradio (YLE) (2008) (Finland) (tv) (cable television)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (this picture made under the jurisdiction of)
- Motion Picture Association (MPA)
- RCA (sound system)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
After just being released from a five-year stint in prison, Johnny Clay has assembled a five-man team, including two insiders, to carry out what he estimates will be a $2 million heist at Lansdowne Racetrack, the take to be split five ways, minus expenses. Besides Johnny, none of the men truly are criminals in the typical sense. In addition to the other four team members, Johnny has hired two men outside of the team to carry out specific functions for a flat fee; the other four will not meet the two men for hire or know who they are, while the two men for hire will not be told of the bigger picture of the heist. None involved are to tell anyone, even their loved ones, about the job. Each of the five have a specific reason for wanting his share of the money: Johnny, in wanting to get married to his longtime girlfriend Fay, the two who have known each other since they were kids, realizes that to live comfortably, he has to shoot for the moon instead of carrying out the penny-ante stuff that put him behind bars; Marvin Unger, a bookkeeper who is bankrolling the plan, is doing it out of his friendship and loyalty to Johnny; Randy Kennan, a crooked police officer, is already late with his repayment to a loan shark; Mike O'Reilly, one of the track's bartenders, wants to be able to provide better overall care, most importantly medical, to his bedridden wife, Ruthie O'Reilly; and milquetoast George Peatty, one of the track's ticket clerks, is trying to buy back the love of his shrew of a wife of five years, Sherry Peatty, if he ever had her love at all. The elaborate plan requires meticulous timing by all seven men. Beyond any unforeseen problems causing the plan to fail, what the other four team members are unaware of is that weak-minded George told Sherry of the broad issue that he will be involved in a heist in an effort to hold on to her emotionally; she, in turn, told her boyfriend Val Cannon, with Sherry and Val having their own ideas of absconding with the entire take of the heist after the fact. Written by Huggo |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | These 5 Men Had a $2,000,000 Secret Until One of them told this Woman! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Box Office
| Budget | $320,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Initial test screenings were poor, citing the non-linear structure as the main problem. Stanley Kubrick was forced to go back and edit the film in a linear fashion, making the film even more confusing. In the end, it was released in its original form, and is often cited as being a huge influence on other non-linear films like Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994). See more » |
| Goofs | During the robbery, it's clear that a significant amount of the money is in neatly banded bundles of crisp brand-new bills, yet when it's transferred from the duffel bag to the suitcase, all the bills are loose, unstacked, and appear well-used. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into Hai-Kubrick (1999). See more » |
| Quotes |
Johnny Clay:
You'd be killing a horse - that's not first degree murder, in fact it's not murder at all, in fact I don't know what it is. See more » |