The Killing (1956)
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A career criminal orchestrates a high-stakes racetrack heist that spirals into a chaotic web of betrayal and violence.
The story
Johnny Clay, a career criminal recently released from prison, plans a heist at a thoroughbred racetrack with an estimated take of two million dollars. His associate Marvin Unger provides financial backing and a hideout, while a corrupt police officer joins the scheme. The plan involves various roles, including a sharpshooter and a wrestler to create diversions. However, the plot is compromised when George Peatty's wife, Sherry, discovers the plan and communicates it to her boyfriend. As the group prepares for the heist, internal tensions rise and the risk of exposure looms over the conspirators.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Johnny Clay, a career criminal recently released from prison, plans a heist at a thoroughbred racetrack with an estimated take of two million dollars. His associate Marvin Unger provides financial backing and a hideout, while a corrupt police officer joins the scheme. The plan involves a sharpshooter to kill a favored horse and a wrestler to create a diversion. Sherry, George's wife, discovers the plan and tells her boyfriend, Val. During the heist, the wrestler starts a fight, and George helps Johnny access the locker room. Johnny acquires a gun, dons a mask, and holds up the money room while the horse is shot. The sharpshooter, Nikki, is caught and killed after a confrontation with a guard. Back at the hideout, Val ambushes the group in a shootout, leaving a wounded George. Johnny escapes with the money, but George returns home and kills Sherry before collapsing. At the airport, Johnny reunites with his girlfriend Fay. They check a suitcase containing the money, but it falls off a cart and bursts open, scattering the cash. Johnny is recognized by authorities and calmly accepts his fate.
- First release year
- 1956
- Runtime (minutes)
- 84
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Stanley Kubrick
- Writers
- Stanley Kubrick · screenplay; Jim Thompson · Dialogue
- Cast and characters
- Sterling Hayden; Coleen Gray; Vince Edwards; Marie Windsor; Elisha Cook Jr.; Jay C. Flippen; Timothy Carey
- Genres
- film noir; crime thriller; heist
- Themes
- betrayal; crime; fate
- Tone and mood
- tense; suspenseful; raw; urgent
- Premise and plot tags
- heist; crime; noir
- Source material / true-story basis
- Lionel White's novel Clean Break
- Reception
- The film was generally well received by critics and gained a cult following, though it performed poorly at the box office.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 91 · scale: 100 · review count: 15
- Awards and nominations
- BAFTA Film Award · Best Film from any Source, USA · 1957 · Nomination
- Production trivia
- Working titles included Clean Break and Bed of Fear.; The film was the last feature film completely filmed by Kubrick in the United States.; Quentin Tarantino cited the film as an influence on Reservoir Dogs.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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