Kiss of Death

Kiss of Death Photos

View All Photos (10)

Cast & Crew

Victor Mature
Nick Bianco

Brian Donlevy
Assistant District Attorney Louie DeAngelo

Richard Widmark
Tommy Udo

Coleen Gray
Nettie

Karl Malden
Sergeant William Cullen

Taylor Holmes
Earl Howser

Anthony Ross
Eddie Williams

Mildred Dunnock
Rizzo's mother

Millard Mitchell
Shelby

J. Scott Smart
Skeets

Henry Hathaway
Director

Ben Hecht
Writer

Charles Lederer
Writer

Eleazar Lipsky
Writer (Story)

Fred Kohlmar
Producer

David Buttolph
Original Music

Norbert Brodine
Cinematographer

J. Watson Webb Jr.
Film Editor

Leland Fuller
Art Direction

Lyle R. Wheeler
Art Direction

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Kiss of Death

Audience Reviews for Kiss of Death

• Oct 24, 2010

  An all-star cast with a heart-felt story, but it could have done a better job at presenting the story or something, I just felt it could have been better in some way. Still, I think this is a good movie, and very worth seeing.
  Aj V Super Reviewer
• Jul 11, 2010

  Henry Hathaway's classic film noir is powerful and intensely captivating. It tells the tale of a small-time hoodlum, Nick Bianco, played marvelously by Victor Mature in the best lead performance of his career. He is convicted of a jewel heist and sent to prison, then after serving three years because he was double crossed by his shyster lawyer, he then learns that his wife has comitted suicide, and that his children have been sent away to an orphanage, so he then makes a deal with the assistant district attorney played superbly by Brian Donlevy, and is paroled, but it's not going to be easy for Nick, he must testify against a giggling sadistic killer named Tommy Udo, that works for the mob, played with great menace by Richard Widmark, who makes his remarkable Oscar nominated screen debut as the psychotic Udo. This film made a star out of Widmark and he completely dominates it. There is a infamous, shocking scene where Udo pushes a helpless crippled old lady in wheelchair down a flight of stairs to her death, so she won't squeal! Beautiful black & white cinematography by Norbert Brodine. A gripping exciting crime drama. Highly Recommended.
  Danny R Super Reviewer
• Mar 14, 2010

  This is billed as a film noir, but it plays more as a crime drama. Victor Mature plays Nick Bianco, a robber who agrees to "snitch" on his cohorts in a heist in order to see his young daughters. It's a decent suspense film, but it is most memorable not for the main story but rather for the character of Johnny Udo, a giggling psycho played by Richard Widmark in his first role. What Johnny does to the old lady in the wheelchair is now the stuff of film legend. Widmark steals every scene he's in, which admittedly isn't hard since Victor Mature isn't much of an actor and I found Colleen Gray to be kind of a dull presense. But the film is still a damn sight better than a lot of others I could name.
  Cindy I Super Reviewer
• Jul 01, 2009

  This entire film is Richard Widmark! The story isn't bad, but the love story is horrendous.Victor Mature does a great job as the leading man and brings some freshness as a tough guy who loves his family. I have seen some Film Noir done a lot better and the movie is saved because the last half hour is great(except for the L.A.Confidential ending). As I said this is Widmark's movie and he was nominated for a Oscar for this role. This movie made him a star and his performance in this film is still talked about today. It must have been shocking to see a bat-shit crazy homicidal maniac like Tommy Udo in 1947.The censors and the studio cut this film up and if Hathaway got his way with the film it would have been darker and way ahead of it's time.
  cody f Super Reviewer

Kiss of Death Quotes

Movie & TV guides