Summary
Two hit men walk into a diner asking for a man called "the Swede". When the killers find the Swede, he's expecting them and doesn't put up a fight. Since the Swede had a life insurance policy, an investigator, on a hunch, decides to look into the murder. As the Swede's past is laid bare, it comes to light that he was in love with a beautiful woman who may have lured him into pulling off a bank robbery overseen by another man.
Cast
Edmond O'Brien
Jim Reardon
Burt Lancaster
'Swede' Andersen
Ava Gardner
Kitty Collins
Albert Dekker
Big Jim Colfax
Sam Levene
Lt. Sam Lubinsky
Vince Barnett
Charleston
Virginia Christine
Lilly Harmon Lubinsky
Jack Lambert
'Dum-Dum' Clarke
Charles D. Brown
Packy Robinson - Ole's Manager
Donald MacBride
R.S. Kenyon
Charles McGraw
Al
William Conrad
Max
Jeff Corey
Blinky Franklin (uncredited)
Gino Corrado
Restaurant Chef (uncredited)
Frank McLure
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Howard Freeman
Brentwood Police Chief (uncredited)
Charles Middleton
Farmer (uncredited)
Queenie Smith
Mary Ellen 'Queenie' Daugherty (uncredited)
Jack Cheatham
Police Driver (uncredited)
William Ruhl
Fran (uncredited)
Ernie Adams
Hood with Cane (uncredited)
George Anderson
Jail Ward Doctor (uncredited)
Sam Ash
(uncredited)
Frank Baker
Fight Spectator (uncredited)
Oliver Cross
Fight Spectator (uncredited)
Sam Harris
Fight Spectator (uncredited)
Jack Lomas
Fight Spectator (uncredited)
Jack Tornek
Fight Spectator (uncredited)
John Sheehan
Fight Arena Doctor (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict
Party Guest (uncredited)
Mike Lally
Party Guest (uncredited)
John Berkes
Mr. Plunther (uncredited)
Edward Biby
Cafe Patron (uncredited)
Robert Haines
Cafe Patron (uncredited)
George Hoagland
Cafe Patron (uncredited)
Florence Wix
Cafe Patron (uncredited)
Harry Brown
Paymaster (uncredited)
Phil Brown
Nick Adams (uncredited)
James Conaty
Onlooker at Green Cat (uncredited)
Noel Cravat
Lou Tingle (uncredited)
Neal Dodd
Minister (uncredited)
Mike Donovan
Timekeeper (uncredited)
Dick Gordon
Green Cat Patron (uncredited)
Nolan Leary
Green Cat Waiter (uncredited)
Michael Hale
Pete (uncredited)
Harry Hayden
George (uncredited)
Mark Hellinger
Man Drinking at Bar (uncredited)
Al Hill
Disgruntled Diner Patron (uncredited)
Jimmie Horan
Factory Worker (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp
Passerby Outside Theatre / Green Cat Patron (uncredited)
Paul Kruger
Reporter (uncredited)
Ethan Laidlaw
Train Conductor (uncredited)
Perc Launders
Policeman (uncredited)
Howard Negley
Policeman (uncredited)
Vera Lewis
Ma Hirsch (uncredited)
Therese Lyon
Mrs. Grimes (uncredited)
John Miljan
Jake the Rake (uncredited)
Garry Owen
Joe Smalley (uncredited)
Beatrice Roberts
Nurse (uncredited)
Wally Rose
Bartender (uncredited)
Wallace Scott
Charlie (uncredited)
Ann Staunton
Stella (uncredited)
Milton Wallace
Waiter (uncredited)
Bill Walker
Sam (uncredited)
Crew
Director
Robert Siodmak
Novel
Ernest Hemingway
Screenplay
Anthony Veiller
Writer
Richard Brooks
Writer
John Huston
Reviews
Geronimo1967
August 29, 2022
7
When two hit men arrive in the diner of a small town, they announce their intention to the owner of killing one of his customers - former boxer "the Swede" (Burt Lancaster). He manages to convince them that he would not be coming in that night, and so they leave to track him down. His friend, who was tied up in the diner rushes to warn him, but he does nothing - he invites the fate that we see, right from the beginning of the film. Why though? Why didn't he run? It transpires that he had a modest life insurance policy and so investigator "Reardon" (Edmond O'Brien) tries to track down the beneficiary and piece together a story of robbery, betrayal and duplicity - to all of which the character of "Kitty" (Ava Gardner) proves central. This is a superior film noir, with Lancaster and O'Brien on great form as the flashbacks gradually fill in the gaps and with the help of "Lt. Lubinsky" (Sam Levene) they discovers what truly happened. Ava Gardner's character features quite sparingly, but potently when she is on screen - manipulating and twisting as she manoeuvres the men around her with consummate skill. The pace is measured, the story takes it's time to develop and that helps make this quite a compelling drama that puts a little more meat on the bones of the original Hemingway short story. The photography is intense, using the light and shade dramatically, and the score from the maestro Miklós Rósza adds a richness to the gritty look of the film too. Burt Lancaster's first major screen role, but it's O'Brien who does most of the heavy lifting here, and he does it well!
Media
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00
