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The Killing (1956)
The Killing is a 1956 American film noir directed by Stanley Kubrick and produced by James B. Harris. It was written by Kubrick and Jim Thompson and based on Lionel White's novel Clean Break. It stars Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, and Vince Edwards, and features Marie Windsor, Elisha Cook Jr., Jay C. Flippen and Timothy Carey.
Directed by Stanley Kubrick · Shot by Lucien Ballard · Music by Gerald Fried · 85 min
How it was made
- Producer James B. Harris paid $10,000 for the rights to Lionel White's novel Clean Break, outbidding United Artists, who had wanted it as a vehicle for Frank Sinatra; Harris and Kubrick then hired novelist Jim Thompson to write the script, though Kubrick alone received screenplay credit with Thompson credited only for "dialogue".
- United Artists provided just $200,000 toward the budget because star Sterling Hayden, paid $40,000, was not considered a big enough draw; Harris covered the rest with $80,000 of his own money and a $50,000 loan from his father.
- Kubrick worked unpaid during the shoot, surviving on loans from Harris, and was barred by the Hollywood cinematographers' union from also serving as his own cinematographer, so veteran Lucien Ballard was hired, repeatedly clashing with Kubrick over camera placement.
- Kubrick cast former professional wrestler and chess friend Kola Kwariani to play an ageing, chess-playing grappler, alongside several actors from earlier film noirs he admired, including Elisha Cook Jr. and Marie Windsor.
Behind the scenes
Elsewhere
More by Stanley Kubrick
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