Kiss Me Deadly

Genre: suspense (in black and white) 

With: Ralph Meeker (Mike Hammer), Maxine Cooper (Velda Wickman), Wesley Addy (Lt. Pat Murphy), Paul Stewart (Carl Evello), Juano Hernandez (Eddie Yeager), Marian Carr (Friday), Albert Dekker (Soberin), Fortunio Bonanova (Carmen Trivago), Cloris Leachman (Christina Bailey), Gaby Rodgers (Lily)

Director: Robert Aldrich

Screenplay: A.I. Bezzerides (from a novel by Mickey Spillane)

Release: 1955

Studio: Parklane Pictures

Rating: NR

MBiS score: 8.6/10

 

 A Film Noir Double Bill –

‟Kiss me. The liar's kiss that says I love you, and means something else.”

 

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Story-line: when detective Mike Hammer picks up a barefooted blonde one night in the middle of nowhere, he senses that something’s up. Even more so when she tells him she’s ‟a loony from the laughing house. Loonies are dangerous.”   

Pluses: tone-perfect acting by Ralph Meeker and an utterly believable cast, fluid direction, a complicated and absorbing screenplay saturated with sinister-looking characters, sardonic dialogues and surprisingly heavy drama, an effective musical score, amazing costumes and sets (dig that telephone answering machine!), pretty (and sometimes slanted) cinematography, skilful editing and fine production values.

Minuses: none really… except that nobody’s legit in this stunning movie.

Comments: this gem of a film noir is mysterious, entertaining and ultimately very powerful. Like Hammer himself, you won’t figure things out until you’re in deep, deep trouble. With its tense and tragic tale that delivers a knockout ending, KISS ME DEADLY doesn’t disappoint… and you’ll have to trust me on that.

MBiS

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