Killers
Cats: Thriller/Suspense| 
Great accidents happen once in a while that leave us saying thank God for accidents. The Killer’s starring Burt Lancaster plucked fresh from Broadway (in his motion picture debut) and Ava Gardner is just such a film.
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This 1946 classic from Universal Pictures was almost made with different lead actors. The role of Kitty Collins almost went to Audrey Totter, a blonde with a hard edge. Through a series of events producer Mark Hellinger was lead to a screening of a low budget film called Whistle Stop starring George Raft and Ava Gardner. The next day he called MGM, to whom Miss Gardner was under contract to at the time, to arrange a meeting. Hellinger was set to cast Wayne Morris in the role of the Swede but Morris was under contract to Warner Brothers and Jack Warner said “no” due to a previous disagreement with Hellinger. In the role that deservedly made him a star, Burt Lancaster is tremendous. Thank God for Jack Warner’s vindictivness.
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The first ten minutes are pure Hemingway, the rest of the picture is explaining why the first ten minutes happens. The film is text book film noir - the hero “did something wrong once” and it comes back to bite him on the butt.
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Although I call it text book film noir that does not mean that this is not an exciting, beautifully constructed story (told through a series of flashbacks). A beautifully photographed and directed film, director Robert Siodmak would receive his only Oscar nomination for his work on this film. All the performances are superb. The cast is full of the greatest character actors the world has ever known. Watch out for William Conrad in his first speaking role.
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One of the best things about this film right now is that it is free for the recording. So set your DVR boxes, DVD burners or (God forbid) VCRs for this classic film. September 18 on Turner Classic Movies at 10:15 PM.
