The Killing

The Killing.
1956 United Artists, distributed to DVD by MGM.
Starring: Sterling Hayden, Colleen Gray, Vince Edwards, Jay C. Flippen, Elisha Cook Jr., Marie Windsor
Director: Stanley Kubrick
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Stanley Kubrick's first major film effort features Sterling Hayden as a veteran criminal named Johnny Clay, who is planning one last big heist before he leaves the world of crome to settle down into a "normal" life and marriage with Fay (Gray). The plan is to rob a racetrack of two million dollars during a big race, and Clay recruits several accomplices including a track employee, George Peatty (Cook Jr.), who is pressured into participating by his cheating wife Sherry (Windsor).

The actual robbery goes off without a problem, but during the aftermath, it's Sherry who spoils everything when she tells her lover Val (Edwards) about what happened, and he confronts Johnny's accomplices at the meeting place. The ensuing shootout sees everyone killed except George, who is badly wounded. His last act is to go home and shoot Sherry. Running late, Johnny sees an injured George and knows something went wrong. He puts the cash in an old suitcase, and takes Fay to the airport to leave on a plane, but an unexpected mishap enroute to the plane sends the cash blowing into the wind, ruining Johnny's last heist.

Recommended movie. It is also unsettling to see Stanley Kubrick directing this relatively simple and grounded project, in comparison to some of his later, more ambitious films.