/xakBi1IvmZv9Ok48mgRm1pFmYAs.jpg
CrimeThriller

Kiss of Death

- From her lips there is no escape!

An ex-con trying to go straight must face a crazed criminal out for revenge.

Release Date : 1947-08-27

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : 20th Century Fox

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Victor Mature

Character Name : Nick Bianco

Original Name : Victor Mature

Gender : Male

Brian Donlevy

Character Name : Assistant D.A. Louis D'Angelo

Original Name : Brian Donlevy

Gender : Male

Coleen Gray

Character Name : Nettie Cavallo

Original Name : Coleen Gray

Gender : Female

Richard Widmark

Character Name : Tommy Udo

Original Name : Richard Widmark

Gender : Male

Taylor Holmes

Character Name : Earl Howser

Original Name : Taylor Holmes

Gender : Male

Howard Smith

Character Name : Warden

Original Name : Howard Smith

Gender : Male

Karl Malden

Character Name : Sgt. William Cullen

Original Name : Karl Malden

Gender : Male

Anthony Ross

Character Name : 'Big Ed' Williams (uncredited)

Original Name : Anthony Ross

Gender : Male

Robert Adler

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Adler

Gender : Male

Rollin Bauer

Character Name : Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Rollin Bauer

Gender : Male

Harry Bellaver

Character Name : Bull Weed (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Bellaver

Gender : Male

Dennis Bohan

Character Name : Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Dennis Bohan

Gender : Male

Nina Borget

Character Name : Cashier (uncredited)

Original Name : Nina Borget

Gender : Female

Susan Cabot

Character Name : Restaurant Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Susan Cabot

Gender : Female

Alexander Campbell

Character Name : Train Conductor (uncredited)

Original Name : Alexander Campbell

Gender : Male

Harry Carter

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Carter

Gender : Male

Dort Clark

Character Name : Man in Car (uncredited)

Original Name : Dort Clark

Gender : Male

Eva Condon

Character Name : Nun at Orphanage (uncredited)

Original Name : Eva Condon

Gender : Female

Harry Cooke

Character Name : Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Cooke

Gender : Male

Harold Crane

Character Name : Mr. Moremann (uncredited)

Original Name : Harold Crane

Gender : Male

James Doody

Character Name : Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : James Doody

Gender : Male

Mildred Dunnock

Character Name : Mrs. Rizzo (uncredited)

Original Name : Mildred Dunnock

Gender : Female

Arthur Foran Jr.

Character Name : Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Arthur Foran Jr.

Gender : Male

David Fresco

Character Name : Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : David Fresco

Gender : Male

Harold Gary

Character Name : Doorman (uncredited)

Original Name : Harold Gary

Gender : Male

Don Giovanni

Character Name : Tommy's Henchman (uncredited)

Original Name : Don Giovanni

Gender : Male

Marilee Grassini

Character Name : Rosaria (uncredited)

Original Name : Marilee Grassini

Gender : Male

James Charles J.C. Heard

Character Name : Jazz Drummer (uncredited)

Original Name : James Charles J.C. Heard

Gender : Male

Eda Heinemann

Character Name : Mrs. Keller (uncredited)

Original Name : Eda Heinemann

Gender : Male

Lou Herbert

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Lou Herbert

Gender : Male

Herbert Holcombe

Character Name : City Jail Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Herbert Holcombe

Gender : Male

Arthur Holland

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Arthur Holland

Gender : Male

Harry Kadison

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Kadison

Gender : Male

Robert Karnes

Character Name : Tommy's Henchman (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Karnes

Gender : Male

Ronald King

Character Name : Larry Young (uncredited)

Original Name : Ronald King

Gender : Male

Arthur Kramer

Character Name : Mr. Sulla (uncredited)

Original Name : Arthur Kramer

Gender : Male

John Kullers

Character Name : Prisoner (uncredited)

Original Name : John Kullers

Gender : Male

Harry Landers

Character Name : Convict (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Landers

Gender : Male

Perc Launders

Character Name : Lieutenant (uncredited)

Original Name : Perc Launders

Gender : Male

Franklyn Lenthall

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Franklyn Lenthall

Gender : Male

Paul Lilly

Character Name : City Jail Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Lilly

Gender : Male

Pat Malone

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Pat Malone

Gender : Male

Iris Mann

Character Name : Congetta (uncredited)

Original Name : Iris Mann

Gender : Female

John Marley

Character Name : Convict (uncredited)

Original Name : John Marley

Gender : Male

Gregg Martell

Character Name : Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Gregg Martell

Gender : Male

Charles McClelland

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles McClelland

Gender : Male

Norman McKay

Character Name : Capt. Dolan (uncredited)

Original Name : Norman McKay

Gender : Male

Richard Midgley

Character Name : Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Richard Midgley

Gender : Male

Carl Milletaire

Character Name : Customer (uncredited)

Original Name : Carl Milletaire

Gender : Male

Millard Mitchell

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Millard Mitchell

Gender : Male

Mary Morrison

Character Name : Mother Superior (uncredited)

Original Name : Mary Morrison

Gender : Male

Consuela O'Connor

Character Name : Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Consuela O'Connor

Gender : Male

Gloria O'Connor

Character Name : Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Gloria O'Connor

Gender : Male

William O'Leary

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : William O'Leary

Gender : Male

Wendell K. Phillips

Character Name : Tony 'Pep' Mangone (uncredited)

Original Name : Wendell K. Phillips

Gender : Male

Yvonne Rob

Character Name : Customer (uncredited)

Original Name : Yvonne Rob

Gender : Female

Stephen Roberts

Character Name : Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Stephen Roberts

Gender : Male

Mel Ruick

Character Name : Moremann's Assistant (uncredited)

Original Name : Mel Ruick

Gender : Male

Jack Rutherford

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Rutherford

Gender : Male

Lee Sanford

Character Name : Chips Cooney (uncredited)

Original Name : Lee Sanford

Gender : Male

Bernard Sell

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Bernard Sell

Gender : Male

George Shelton

Character Name : Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : George Shelton

Gender : Male

Irene Shirley

Character Name : Nun (uncredited)

Original Name : Irene Shirley

Gender : Male

J. Scott Smart

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : J. Scott Smart

Gender : Male

A. George Smith

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : A. George Smith

Gender : Male

John Stearns

Character Name : Harris (uncredited)

Original Name : John Stearns

Gender : Male

Richard Taber

Character Name : Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Richard Taber

Gender : Male

Victor Thorley

Character Name : Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Victor Thorley

Gender : Male

Lawrence Tiernan

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Lawrence Tiernan

Gender : Male

Tito Vuolo

Character Name : Luigi (uncredited)

Original Name : Tito Vuolo

Gender : Male

Milton Wallace

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Milton Wallace

Gender : Male

Jesse White

Character Name : Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Jesse White

Gender : Male

Bill Zuckert

Character Name : Sing Sing Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Bill Zuckert

Gender : Male

Frank De Kova

Character Name : Con Library (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank De Kova

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

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

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-12-07

This starts off by tugging at the heart-strings a little as we are introduced to "Nick" (Victor Mature). He's an ex-con, trying to go straight with his wife and two children but struggling to make ends meet as Christmas approaches. An opportunity to carry out one last robbery presents itself, but all that does is put him in front of D.A. "D'Angelo" (Brian Donlevy) who offers him a deal if he turns in his cohorts. He's an honourable man so declines and gets sent down, but when he discovers from the paper that his wife has committed suicide, he changes his position and that shift earns him quite a bit of enmity. He moves, changes his name and meets a new woman hoping his life might finally be settled for the better. Unfortunately for him, one of the men he informed on has been released and he is out for revenge. "Tommy Udo" (Richard Widmark) is violent, barely the right side of sanity at the best of times and is quite prepared to use all his guile to track down his betrayer and exact his own ruthless revenge on not just him, but on those he holds dear. As the peril mounts, can "Nick" keep his family safe? Despite not featuring on the top billing, it's Widmark who steals the scenes here as the wide-eyed and maniacal character who just oozes a sense of evil that's compelling to watch. It's that achievement that manages to elicit something akin to emotion from the usually wooden Mature as the tension mounts and the solid story advances steadily for quite a gripping ninety minutes that's darkly photographed and scored.

G

griggs79

@griggs79

2025-03-28

_Kiss of Death_ is OK. However, it certainly didn’t wow me. The plot’s solid, and Widmark’s unhinged performance steals the show, but it drags in places and feels a bit stiff overall. Classic noir vibes, but there’s nothing here I hadn’t seen before. It's worth a watch but certainly isn’t essential viewing.