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Kiss Me Deadly

    Mystery
    Thriller
    Crime
72%tmdb logo
•
Apr 28, 1955
Rating Unavailable

One evening, Hammer gives a ride to Christina, an attractive hitchhiker on a lonely country road, who has escaped from the nearby lunatic asylum. Thugs waylay them and force his car to crash. When Hammer returns to semi-consciousness, he hears Christina being tortured until she dies. Hammer, both for vengeance and in hopes that "something big" is behind it all, decides to pursue the case.

Details

  • Directors
  • Revenue$726,000
  • Budget
    $410,000
  • Vote Average
    7.2
  • Vote Count
    365
  • Popularity
    16
  • Language
    English
  • Origin Country
    US

Cast

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Ralph Meeker
Mike Hammer
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Albert Dekker
Dr. G.E. Soberin
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Paul Stewart
Carl Evello
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Juano Hernández
Eddie Yeager
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Wesley Addy
Lt. Pat Murphy
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Marian Carr
Friday
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Maxine Cooper
Velda
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Cloris Leachman
Christina Bailey
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Gaby Rodgers
Lily Carver
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Nick Dennis
Nick
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Jack Lambert
Sugar Smallhouse
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Jack Elam
Charlie Max
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Jerry Zinneman
Sammy
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Leigh Snowden
Cheesecake
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Percy Helton
Doc Kennedy
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Marjorie Bennett
Manager
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Strother Martin
Harvey Wallace
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John George
Popcorn Vendor (uncredited)
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Fortunio Bonanova
Carmen Trivago
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Nat King Cole
Self - Singer (voice)
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Kitty White
Club Vocalist
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Mady Comfort
Nightclub Singer
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Art Loggins
Bartender (uncredited)
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Robert Sherman
Gas Station Man (uncredited)
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Eddie Beal
Sideman (uncredited)
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Leonard Mudie
Athletic Club Clerk (uncredited)
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Mort Marshall
Ray Diker

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Reviews

(1)
John Chard
90%
Yesterday I was looking for a thread, today I'm looking for a piece of string. Mike Hammer is driving down a dark highway when a half naked blonde forces him to stop, this event sends Hammer spiralling on a journey that may have a cataclysmic consequence for all involved. Kiss Me Deadly is a harsh movie, it contains an array of characters that are dislikable in the extreme, nobody can be trusted, and everyone on the surface appears to be selfish in their respective motivations. Taking in torture, murder, violence on tap, and a wonderful mystery plot, it's not hard to see why the film has gained a massive reputation as the years have rolled by - where although it's brutish in substance, the film is a damn riveting piece of work. Ralp Meeker is excellent as Hammer, a character who refuses to lay down, he gets knocked down constantly, but he gets back up tougher than before, he becomes the kind of hard boiled guy who hits first and then asks questions later. The direction from Robert Aldrich is perfect, off-kilter camera work drags the viewer into this skew-whiff world that Hammer has entered, and we often only see shots of the bad guys torsos so as to make them faceless thugs. It's down right aggressive film making that hits the requisite thriller mark. Kiss Me Deadly has influenced many others since its release, be it "Repo Man" or "Pulp Fiction", the impact is still being felt today. Containing a much talked about ending (both the restored and alternate endings work on differing levels to many), it's a film that leaves things up for discussion and debate, but what we do know for sure is that it's explosive and crowns what is now firmly established as a crime classic from the film noir splinter of film making styles. 8.5/10