Kiss of Death (1947)
Kiss of Death is famous for one reason only: Richard Widmark pushing an old lady down the stairs and laughing about it. He won an Oscar nomination for his one-dimensional bad guy role, and forever after Hollywood never forgave him. Yes, he got the opportunity to play good guys occasionally, but the vast majority of his career was dedicated to playing villains. When you push the wheelchair-bound Mildred Dunnock down the stairs and gleefully giggle, you just can’t come back from that.
I really like Kiss of Death, but not for that reason. Victor Mature, the lead of the movie, gives his best performance as a dedicated father and conflicted gangster. He starts the movie getting caught in a robbery. His cohorts escape, and police detective Brian Donlevy tries to bargain with Victor in exchange for a lighter sentence. Honor among thieves, Victor claims. He doesn’t want to be parted from his family, but he just won’t squeal on his friends. Brian is terribly frustrated, but there’s nothing he can do. So, Victor goes to jail, and Brian still tries to hunt down the bigtime gangster Richard Widmark.
It might seem like it, but this isn’t really just another gangster movie. It has heart, and it has brains. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, and makes you cringe and cry. Director Henry Hathaway keeps up the tension and creates a gritty noir aura throughout the film. If you like the style of this one, check out Samuel Fuller’s Pickup on South Street. You’ll get to see Richard Widmark in probably his sexiest role, and he’s also got more seasoning to his acting chops (Kiss of Death was his film debut).
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "The Projection Room" for posting!
More Brian Donlevy movies here!
More Richard Widmark movies here!
I really like Kiss of Death, but not for that reason. Victor Mature, the lead of the movie, gives his best performance as a dedicated father and conflicted gangster. He starts the movie getting caught in a robbery. His cohorts escape, and police detective Brian Donlevy tries to bargain with Victor in exchange for a lighter sentence. Honor among thieves, Victor claims. He doesn’t want to be parted from his family, but he just won’t squeal on his friends. Brian is terribly frustrated, but there’s nothing he can do. So, Victor goes to jail, and Brian still tries to hunt down the bigtime gangster Richard Widmark.
It might seem like it, but this isn’t really just another gangster movie. It has heart, and it has brains. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, and makes you cringe and cry. Director Henry Hathaway keeps up the tension and creates a gritty noir aura throughout the film. If you like the style of this one, check out Samuel Fuller’s Pickup on South Street. You’ll get to see Richard Widmark in probably his sexiest role, and he’s also got more seasoning to his acting chops (Kiss of Death was his film debut).
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "The Projection Room" for posting!
More Brian Donlevy movies here!
More Richard Widmark movies here!