Claude is a ruthless and efficient contract killer - until he finds his next target is a woman.Claude is a ruthless and efficient contract killer - until he finds his next target is a woman.Claude is a ruthless and efficient contract killer - until he finds his next target is a woman.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
- Mary
- (as Cathy Browne)
- Theatre Patron
- (uncredited)
- Gun Salesman
- (uncredited)
- Hotel Take-Out Delivery Man
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Ben Simcoe
- Ben Maddow(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaShot in seven days.
- GoofsClaude crawls through quite a length of drain pipe and the crawl space beneath Billie's house, but emerges into her living room with no dirt on his clothes or person.
- Quotes
Mr. Moon: I'm a retired real estate broker. I don't do anything anymore but sit in my room, look at television, and smoke cigars.
Claude: I'd still like to work for you.
Mr. Moon: Doing what?
Claude: I want to be a contractor.
Mr. Moon: Have you done it before?
Claude: No, sir.
Mr. Moon: You can only make a mistake once in this job.
Claude: Well, I'm different.
Mr. Moon: What do you mean you're different?
Claude: I don't make mistakes.
Mr. Moon: Then how come you're out of a job?
This quirky crime film has the usual symptoms of a low budget and a tight shooting schedule: some poorly written scenes, poorly acted scenes and plot holes. But much of it works very well, especially the opening sequences depicting Claude's unusual job interview and his initial series of hits. I especially liked how the barber shop murder was handled. Vince Edwards is good in the lead, though he's better when he's not forced to mouth pretentious monologues that lay on the irony a bit too thick. (At one point I was reminded of Charlie Chaplin's fatuous comments about murderers versus soldiers in "Monsieur Verdoux.") The spare electric guitar score is effective. It's worth watching, especially since Martin Scorsese has acknowledged it as an influence on his films, notably "Taxi Driver."
- J. Spurlin
- Jun 21, 2010
- How long is Murder by Contract?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 21 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1