Summary
An ex-con trying to go straight must face a crazed criminal out for revenge.
Cast
Victor Mature
Nick Bianco
Brian Donlevy
Assistant D.A. Louis D'Angelo
Coleen Gray
Nettie Cavallo
Richard Widmark
Tommy Udo
Taylor Holmes
Earl Howser
Howard Smith
Warden
Karl Malden
Sgt. William Cullen
Anthony Ross
'Big Ed' Williams (uncredited)
Robert Adler
Detective (uncredited)
Rollin Bauer
Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)
Harry Bellaver
Bull Weed (uncredited)
Dennis Bohan
Guard (uncredited)
Nina Borget
Cashier (uncredited)
Susan Cabot
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Alexander Campbell
Train Conductor (uncredited)
Harry Carter
Detective (uncredited)
Dort Clark
Man in Car (uncredited)
Eva Condon
Nun at Orphanage (uncredited)
Harry Cooke
Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Harold Crane
Mr. Moremann (uncredited)
James Doody
Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)
Mildred Dunnock
Mrs. Rizzo (uncredited)
Arthur Foran Jr.
Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)
David Fresco
Waiter (uncredited)
Harold Gary
Doorman (uncredited)
Don Giovanni
Tommy's Henchman (uncredited)
Marilee Grassini
Rosaria (uncredited)
James Charles J.C. Heard
Jazz Drummer (uncredited)
Eda Heinemann
Mrs. Keller (uncredited)
Lou Herbert
Policeman (uncredited)
Herbert Holcombe
City Jail Guard (uncredited)
Arthur Holland
Policeman (uncredited)
Harry Kadison
Policeman (uncredited)
Robert Karnes
Tommy's Henchman (uncredited)
Ronald King
Larry Young (uncredited)
Arthur Kramer
Mr. Sulla (uncredited)
John Kullers
Prisoner (uncredited)
Harry Landers
Convict (uncredited)
Perc Launders
Lieutenant (uncredited)
Franklyn Lenthall
Man (uncredited)
Paul Lilly
City Jail Guard (uncredited)
Pat Malone
Policeman (uncredited)
Iris Mann
Congetta (uncredited)
John Marley
Convict (uncredited)
Gregg Martell
Guard (uncredited)
Charles McClelland
Detective (uncredited)
Norman McKay
Capt. Dolan (uncredited)
Richard Midgley
Guard (uncredited)
Carl Milletaire
Customer (uncredited)
Millard Mitchell
Detective (uncredited)
Mary Morrison
Mother Superior (uncredited)
Consuela O'Connor
Girl (uncredited)
Gloria O'Connor
Girl (uncredited)
William O'Leary
Policeman (uncredited)
Wendell K. Phillips
Tony 'Pep' Mangone (uncredited)
Yvonne Rob
Customer (uncredited)
Stephen Roberts
Guard (uncredited)
Mel Ruick
Moremann's Assistant (uncredited)
Jack Rutherford
Policeman (uncredited)
Lee Sanford
Chips Cooney (uncredited)
Bernard Sell
Policeman (uncredited)
George Shelton
Waiter (uncredited)
Irene Shirley
Nun (uncredited)
J. Scott Smart
(uncredited)
A. George Smith
Policeman (uncredited)
John Stearns
Harris (uncredited)
Richard Taber
Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Victor Thorley
Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)
Lawrence Tiernan
Policeman (uncredited)
Tito Vuolo
Luigi (uncredited)
Milton Wallace
(uncredited)
Jesse White
Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Bill Zuckert
Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)
Frank De Kova
Con Library (uncredited)
Crew
Director
Henry Hathaway
Screenplay
Ben Hecht
Screenplay
Charles Lederer
Story
Eleazar Lipsky
Reviews
John Chard
March 16, 2020
9
Hard hitter from Hathaway, Hecht and Lederer. Adapted from a story by Eleazar Lipsky, Kiss Of Death is a tough, even frightening Crime/Noir picture that has a gritty realistic feel. Helped enormously by director Henry Hathaway shooting the whole picture in New York, Kiss Of Death is also notable for being the searing debut of Richard Widmark. With no intention of soft soaping the story, the makers cunningly lure us viewers onto the seamy New York streets. Thus with the New York locations as expertly used as they are by Hathaway, Kiss Of Death attains a documentary style similar to other notable genre pictures like Call Northside 777 (also Hathaway).
Narrating the picture is Nettie (Coleen Gray in her first credited role), the second wife of Nick Bianco (Victor Mature). Telling of his rough and troubled life, we learn that Bianco was part of a gang who was caught during a jewelry robbery over the Christmas holiday. Lied to by his lawyer, Bianco learns during his prison term that his first wife has killed herself and that his darling two girls have been packed off to an orphanage. Fretting and desperate to see his girls, Bianco makes a deal with Assistant District Attorney Louis D'Angelo (Brian Donlevy), where in exchange for is parole, he will rat out his old gang buddies. D'Angelo is mostly concerned with one man tho, sadistic murderer and boss, Tommy Udo (Widmark). Bianco must pal up to Udo and hope that he doesn't get found out, for if he does, Udo is sure to enact psychotic retribution on Nick and all those close to him.
Mature gives one of his finest shows as the pained Bianco forced to squeal, Gray as his second wife is sedate and effective and Donlevy as the crusading Assistant D.A. with a heart is as reliable as he always is. But all are playing second fiddle to Widmark, ferocious stare, dirty laugh and an unnerving falsetto voice, it announced Widmark to the cinematic world, garnered him a contract with Twentieth Century Fox and he never looked back afterwards. Some of his scenes are just mesmerising, including one that is as shocking as it is a lesson in villainy. Taut and tight scripting from the Hecht/Lederer partnership, with rounded characters and a sensible plot, Kiss Of Death is not to be missed by the Crime/Noir genre/style fan. 8.5/10
Media
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00
Keywords
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