In the small town of Brentwood, New Jersey lives an unassuming man known as Pete Lund, nicknamed the Swede. Only having lived in Brentwood for a year, not many in town know his background. Two thugs arrive in town stating openly that they are going to kill the Swede. Upon hearing the news, the Swede gives up, saying that he can no longer keep running. Following the murder of the Swede, John Reardon investigates on behalf of the insurance company in which the Swede had a small life insurance policy. In finding and speaking to people connected to the Swede’s past, Reardon learns that he was an ex-boxer really named Ole Andersen. His murder seems to be connected to a woman by the name of Kitty Collins, who the Swede loved and would do anything for and who had criminal associates. When Reardon connects the Swede to an unsolved robbery from six years earlier which in turn is connected to the Swede’s murder, Reardon, against the wishes of his superior, decides to try and retrieve the moneys from the robbery and in turn catch the killers. He has the assistance of Lieutenant Sam Lubinsky, an old friend of the Swede’s. To find the money, Reardon has to find Kitty Collins, who seems to be the person in the middle of everything.

The Killers (1946)
  • Rating: (7,704 votes)
  • Taglines:THE MOST SUSPENSEFUL PICTURE OF ALL TIME! (re-release print ad - all caps) » She's a match for any mobster! »
  • Runtime:103 minutes
  • Director: Robert Siodmak
  • Country:USA
  • Actors:
    Ole 'Swede' Andreson
    Burt Lancaster
    Kitty Collins
    Ava Gardner
    Jim Riordan
    Edmond O'Brien
    Big Jim Colfax
    Albert Dekker
    Police Lt. Sam Lubinsky
    Sam Levene
    Charleston
    Vince Barnett
    Lilly Harmon Lubinsky
    Virginia Christine
    'Dum-Dum' Clarke
    Jack Lambert
    Packy Robinson - Ole's Manager
    Charles D. Brown
    R.S. Kenyon
    Donald MacBride
  • Genres:Crime, Drama, Film-Noir, Mystery, Romance
  • Producer:
    Mark Hellinger
    producer  
  • Plots: Two professional killers invade a small town and kill a gas station attendant, "the Swede," who's expecting them. Insurance investigator Reardon pursues the case against the orders of his boss, who considers it trivial. Weaving together threads of the Swede's life, Reardon uncovers a complex tale of treachery and crime, all linked with gorgeous, mysterious Kitty Collins. Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
The Killers
  • User's comment:You're a pretty bright boy ain't ya? by Danny-Rodriguez

    "It's a really a good yarn." That's what President Ronald Regan said about Tom Clancy's book "The Hunt for Red October". The same thing can be said about this movie. It's like a big yarn. And in the end you're still not quite sure who screwed who. Two men walks in to a diner. It becomes clear that what they're after isn't eggs and bacon but a man. A man named Swede. Swede has done something. A long time ago and now it's catching up to him.

    Ernest Hemingway's "The Killers" is a good film noir. It's based on a short story and the only connection between it and this movie is the opening scene. The rest is written by various other writers. The film was entertaining. Drawn out at times but entertaining none the same. Humor combined with drama like the dialogue in the opening scene makes you think about it later on and it doesn't just leave your mind three minutes later.

    The gritty film noir style and filming is quite clear in this movie. Especially in the opening scene which remains as my favorite part in the film. The use of shadow and light is wonderful. As for the rest of the movie, it was good and even a bit thrilling at times. This is definitely recommended to people who like good film noir.


  • Quotes: Jail ward doctor: [speaking about the fatally wounded Blinky] Beats me. I don't know what keeps him going. Jim Reardon: Will he be able to talk anymore? Jail ward doctor: He's dead now - except he's breathing!
  • Also known as: Assassinos (Brazil - original subtitled version), Assassinos (Portugal), Die Killer (Austria), Die Killer (West Germany), Hämnarna (Finland - Swedish title), Hämnarna (Sweden), Les tueurs (Belgium - French title), Les tueurs (France), Rächer der Unterwelt (Austria), Rächer der Unterwelt (West Germany), A Man Alone ( - undefined), A gyilkosok (Hungary - imdb display title), Asesinos (Venezuela), De doders (Belgium - Flemish title), Den, der hævner (Denmark), Drapsmenn (Norway - imdb display title), Ernest Hemingway's The Killers (USA - complete title), Forajidos (Spain), I gangsters (Italy), Katiller (Turkey - Turkish title), Oi dolofonoi (Greece - transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title), Os Assassinos (Brazil - DVD title), Tappajat (Finland), Zabójcy (Poland),

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