THE KILLERS (1946) Edmond O'Brien,Ava Gardner,Albert Dekker,Sam Levene,Burt Lancaster - Public Domain DVD NO CASE

THE KILLERS (1946) Edmond O'Brien,Ava Gardner,Albert Dekker,Sam Levene,Burt Lancaster - Public Domain - Black & White - DVD NO CASE

The Killers is a 1946 American film noir directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Burt Lancaster in his film debut, along with Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien and Sam Levene. Based in part on the 1927 short story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway,it focuses on an insurance detective's investigation into the execution by two professional killers of a former boxer who was unresistant to his own murder. The screenplay was written by Anthony Veiller, with uncredited contributions by John Huston and Richard Brooks.

Released in August 1946, The Killers was a critical and commercial success, earning four Academy Award nominations, including for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Hemingway, who was habitually disgusted with how Hollywood distorted his thematic intentions, was an open admirer of the film. It is widely regarded as one of the classics of the film noir genre.

In 2008, The Killers was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Plot
In 1946, two professional hitmen arrive in Brentwood, New Jersey, to kill Pete Lund, a gas pump attendant known as "The Swede". After being confronted by the pair in a diner, Lund's coworker, Nick Adams, warns him. Strangely, Lund makes no attempt to flee, and he is shot dead in his room.

A life insurance investigator, Jim Reardon, is assigned to find and pay the beneficiary of the Swede's $2,500 policy. Tracking down and interviewing the dead man's friends and associates, Reardon doggedly pieces together his story. The Swede was a former boxer and hoodlum named Ole Anderson. Philadelphia police Lieutenant Sam Lubinsky, a friend of Ole since childhood, is particularly helpful.

In flashback it is revealed that the Swede's boxing career was cut short by a broken hand. Rejecting Lubinsky's suggestion to join the police force, the Swede becomes mixed up with crime boss "Big Jim" Colfax and drops his plain, loyal girlfriend Lilly for the more glamorous Kitty Collins. When Lubinsky, now married to Lilly, catches Kitty wearing stolen jewelry, the Swede confesses to the crime, slugs him, and flees, leading to three years in prison.

After completing his sentence, the Swede, "Dum-Dum" Clarke, and "Blinky" Franklin are recruited for a payroll robbery in Hackensack, New Jersey, masterminded by Colfax. Complicating matters is that Kitty has hooked up with Colfax. The robbery nets the gang $254,912. When their safe house burns down, everyone but the Swede is notified of a new rendezvous. Kitty tells the Swede that he is being double-crossed by the gang, inciting him to take all of the money at gunpoint and run. Kitty meets with him later in Atlantic City, then disappears with the haul herself.

In the present, Reardon stakes out Swede’s old room in Brentwood. Dum-Dum sneaks in searching for the loot. Reardon confronts him, but he flees before he can be arrested. Reardon subsequently receives confirmation that the safe house fire occurred hours after it was alleged to have. With this key he finally begins to solve the puzzle.

Reardon goes to visit Colfax, a successful building contractor in Pittsburgh. He claims no knowledge of Kitty's whereabouts. Reardon lies, claiming he has enough evidence to convict her. A short time later Reardon receives a phone call from Kitty, who suggests they meet at a nightclub called The Green Cat. Once there Kitty claims she convinced the Swede to hold up his double-crossers to get the money to rescue her from Colfax. She admits having swiped it and run in Atlantic City, and, believing Reardon's revelation that he has evidence against her, agrees to offer Colfax as a fall guy to save herself. When she excuses herself to go to the ladies' room, the Swede’s hitmen arrive at the nightclub and try to kill Reardon. Anticipating such a confrontation, Reardon and Lubinsky manage to slay the pair. When Reardon goes to get Kitty he discovers she has slipped out the bathroom window.

Reardon and Lubinsky pick up a police escort and head to Colfax's mansion. They arrive to hear gunshots as Dum-Dum and Colfax mortally wound eachother in a shootout. Lubinsky asks Colfax, barely hanging on, why he had the Swede killed. Colfax admits to the contract, having feared other gang members, who knew he and Kitty were married, might just run into the Swede like he had and realize that the two had double-crossed everyone. Kitty, on her knees, begs Colfax to exonerate her in a deathbed confession, but he is too far gone.

1hr 43Mins

Please note this DVD movie is over 50 years Old and in Black & White, it will not be up to today's high Quality, although the Quality is very good and can be watched on a large screen. Please remember it was made for the older screens though and not digital.

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High Quality Printed DVD-R in Plastic Wallet not a DVD Case.