Director Robert Aldrich (What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and The Dirty Dozen) captures the manic nature of Mickey Spillane’s novel in his version of Kiss Me Deadly (1955). Ralph Meeker stars as a cranky Mike Hammer. One lonely night, Meeker stops in the middle of a deserted highway to pick up a woman who’s escaped from a mental institution. Meeker barely survives that encounter. The rest of the movie is Meeker’s quest to figure out what the woman meant by the cryptic message: “Remember Me.” Kiss Me Deadly is both a film noir gem as well as an relic of Cold War paranoia. The conclusion of the film is the most scientifically ludicrous ending I have ever seen. Grade: B+
Ridiculous ending, yeah, but I’ve used Albert Dekker’s line, “Listen to me as if I were Cerberus barking with all my heads.” in some movie reviews. Incidentally, for years this movie was edited for TV and did NOT show the original ending, but left things rather ambiguous. Movie critics who never saw (or didn’t remember) the original, praised it as a manifestation of Aldrich’s subversive vision.
That’s a great line, Dan! KISS ME DEADLY’s goofy ending might never be topped.
I’ve got to somehow work that line into my everyday conversations.
You can never miss with a Cerberus reference, Drongo.
Ludicrous yes, but you’ll never forget that scene!
It is unforgettable, Jeff. Wild and crazy!
I have this taped to watch again some time soon. The last scene is what makes it most memorable, isn’t it?
The last scene makes the movie, Patti. If it hasn’t be cut.
The climax here, however, is still not quite up to the climax of ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW….
Good point, Todd. But it might be a case of apples and oranges.
Nope. I insist. It’s over the top in almost exactly the same way.
I’ll have to watch ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW again, Todd.
Since I’m repulsed by the scientifically ludicrous, my favorite scene is the one with Hammer and the sleazy morgue attendant (the great Percy Helton).
Yes, that scene where Hammer crushes Percy Helton’s hand in the desk drawer is classic, Art.
I also remember him breaking the (opera?) record.
Yeah, that deliberate breaking of the rare opera record sent chills down my spine, Jeff. I really disliked Mike Hammer at that moment.
An ending so good in fact they re-used it for the climax RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK – and the same sound effects when the box is opened too. Classic mean-spirited noir.
I never made the connection between that scene in KISS ME DEADLY and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, Sergio! Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
I was recently reading the Bezzerides interview in The Big Book of Noir and ‘Buzz,’ the scriptwriter, said he met Spillane once, who hated the film, and Spillane let him know it…
I can see why Spillane hated the movie version of KISS ME DEADLY, Michael. Mike Hammer driving around in sports cars yet taking a lot of punishment (instead of dishing it out) for starters.
And it’s so faithful to the book…
Ha! The only think the book and film have in common is the title (and Mike Hammer), Bob.
Some of the worst violence takes place off-screen. A scene involving a pair of pliers showing nothing but a woman’s jerking feet gave me nightmares for weeks.
Yes, that torture scene creeped me out when I first saw it, too, Deb.
I was being facetious.
Me, too, Bob.
Color me interested! I’ll have to keep an eye out for it. And I’ll it in mind that the ending is strange.
The ending is VERY STRANGE, Carl. Of course, it’s a product of its time.
Come on folks, the beginning is way better than the ending. In fact, it’s one of the very best beginnings in cinema history.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjgDNvS8XVU
I love the totally bizarre contrast between the girl’s crying and panting and the smooth crooning of Nat King Cole on the car radio. If David Lynch wasn’t inspired by this, I’m going to eat my mouse pad.
The beginning of KISS ME DEADLY is enticing, Anders. A half-naked girl running down a deserted highway… I’m sure David Lynch picked up some tips from watching this movie as a kid.
It may have been unintended, but the extended shot of Mike and Velda fleeing the exploding house — the camera in front of them pulling back, moving along with them while fiery tumult rages in the background — seems creepily akin to Adam and Eve being driven out of Eden. Perhaps pure coincidence unconnected to the storyline, but I’m stunned by the terrifying beauty of that imagery.
That final scene is breath-taking, Christopher, regardless of the symbolism.