Kiss of Death

1947
Approved
1h 39m

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

9.8K

YOUR RATING

Trailer for this black and white classic

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Film Noir Crime Drama Thriller

A thief arrested for a jewelry heist initially refuses to give up his accomplices, but he changes his mind after his wife dies under mysterious circumstances.A thief arrested for a jewelry heist initially refuses to give up his accomplices, but he changes his mind after his wife dies under mysterious circumstances.A thief arrested for a jewelry heist initially refuses to give up his accomplices, but he changes his mind after his wife dies under mysterious circumstances.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

9.8K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 3 wins & 2 nominations total

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)

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Originally, Patricia Morison played Victor Mature's wife, who is attacked and raped by a gangster who is supposed to be watching out for her while Mature is in prison. Afterwards, she commits suicide by sticking her head in the kitchen oven and turning on the gas. Both scenes were cut from the original print at the insistence of the censors, who wanted no depiction of either a rape or a suicide, so she does not appear in the film at all. Mention is made later in the film about Mature's wife's suicide and an obscure reference is made by Nettie that the unseen gangster Rizzo contributed to the wife's downfall.

Goofs
When Assistant District Attorney D'Angelo comes to the cell to talk to Bianco, Udo is sharing the cell with Bianco. D'Angelo then again proposes a deal for Bianco to turn in his accomplices in exchange for leniency; however, Udo is still in the cell within hearing distance. A District Attorney proposing a deal to a prisoner in the presence of another prisoner is highly unrealistic and against policy. As a precaution, these deals are proposed in private to safeguard the inmate's life.

Quotes
Tommy Udo: I wouldn't give you the skin off a grape.

Crazy credits
"All scenes in this motion picture, both exterior and interior were photographed in the state of New York on the actual locale associated with the story."

Alternate versions
For the theatrical release in Manitoba, the shot of the woman in the wheelchair going down the staircase had to be shortened.

Connections
Edited into Myra Breckinridge (1970)

Soundtracks
Street Scene
(uncredited)
Music by Alfred Newman

User reviews108

Review

Featured review

8/10

Powerful Film-Noir

In the New York Christmas, the family man Nick Bianco (Victor Mature) has bad luck and criminal record, and can not find a honest job. He is caught in a jewelry heist, but he does not accept the proposal of the Assistant District Attorney Louis D'Angelo (Brian Donlevy) to be a squealer and denounce his accomplices and he goes to prison. Three years later, his depressed woman commits suicide and his two daughters are sent to an orphanage. Nick makes a deal with Mr. D'Ángelo and rats his former partners; then he marries Nettie (Collen Gray), moves to another to town with a new identity, where he finds a honest job. However, when the psychopathic killer Tommy Udo (Richard Widmark) is sentenced not-guilty in a trial where Nick was forced to testimony against the criminal, the desperate Nick uses one last attempt to save his family from the psychotic killer.

"Kiss of Death" is a powerful film-noir, with an engaging and credible plot, fantastic direction of Henry Hathaway and great performances of Victor Mature and Richard Widmark. Among the movies that I have watched of the great actor Richard Widmark, this is his best performance and he really deserved his nomination to the Oscar. His sadistic character is really a scary cold-blood killer. The black and white cinematography is amazing, with great use of shadows valorized by the image of the DVD. Karl Malden in the beginning of his successful career has a minor participation. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Beijo da Morte" ("Kiss of the Death")