The Killing (1956)

Last updated:
April 18, 2025

Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing is a masterclass in film noir storytelling, non-linear narrative, and tightly wound suspense. Released in 1956, this gritty black-and-white crime thriller set the stage for Kubrick’s legendary career, blending pulp fiction-style dialogue with clinical precision and fatalistic tension.

Let’s deep-dive into this classic.

Detailed Summary

The Master Plan

Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden), a recently released ex-convict, orchestrates a daring plan to rob a racetrack during a major horse race. His idea is meticulous: use a team of seemingly unrelated men—each with a specific role and no knowledge of the full scheme—to pull off the perfect crime.

Each man is motivated by desperation, boredom, or greed: a corrupt cop, a henpecked cashier, a sharpshooter, and a wrestler, among others.

The Nonlinear Narrative Structure

The film’s narrative is presented in a nonlinear fashion, a groundbreaking technique at the time. Events are replayed from different perspectives, slowly revealing how each cog in the criminal machine fits—or malfunctions. This adds both suspense and a creeping sense of inevitability to the heist’s unraveling.

The Heist

The heist itself is a high point of tension. Johnny’s plan is nearly flawless:

A sharpshooter named Nikki is hired to kill a horse to cause a distraction.
A wrestler starts a brawl in the bar to draw security away.
The gang slips in through a back entrance.
Johnny gets the money out in duffel bags—until things go sideways.

Everything Falls Apart

Despite the meticulous planning, human error and hubris doom the job. George Peatty (the racetrack cashier) spills the beans to his disloyal wife Sherry (Marie Windsor), who then conspires with her lover to steal the money for themselves.

What follows is an ironic cascade of betrayal, violence, and fate catching up with everyone involved.

Movie Ending

In the final act, Johnny Clay escapes with the loot in a large suitcase. However, in a moment of cruel fate (and classic noir irony), his suitcase—poorly fastened—is shredded open on the airport tarmac, sending money flying into the wind.

When asked why he doesn’t run, Johnny shrugs and says, “What’s the difference?”—a devastating, pitch-perfect ending to a film about futility, greed, and the illusion of control.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

Nope—The Killing does not feature a post-credits scene. This was well before the Marvel-style tradition of mid- and post-credit stingers. The story ends definitively, and bleakly, before the credits even roll.

Type of Movie

The Killing is a film noir / crime thriller, known for its cynical characters, fatalism, and shadowy cinematography. It’s also an early example of a heist film, setting the blueprint for countless genre entries to follow.

Cast

Sterling Hayden as Johnny Clay
Coleen Gray as Fay
Vince Edwards as Val Cannon
Jay C. Flippen as Marvin Unger
Elisha Cook Jr. as George Peatty
Marie Windsor as Sherry Peatty
Timothy Carey as Nikki Arcane
Ted de Corsia as Randy Kennan

Film Music and Composer

Score by Gerald Fried, a frequent collaborator with Kubrick in his early career. The score is sparse and atmospheric, heightening tension rather than overwhelming it—typical of noir films from the era.

Filming Locations

Shot primarily on location in Los Angeles, especially at the Bay Meadows Racetrack (standing in for the fictional racetrack).
The choice of location enhances the authenticity of the heist and lends the film a gritty, lived-in quality.
Interior sets were filmed at Chadwick Studios.

Awards and Nominations

While critically praised, The Killing was not a major awards contender at the time of its release. However, it has since gained classic status and appears on numerous “Best Crime Films” lists.

Its biggest accolade? Gaining the attention of Kirk Douglas, who hired Kubrick for Paths of Glory after seeing it.

Behind the Scenes Insights

Stanley Kubrick reportedly clashed with producer James B. Harris, but the tension helped sharpen the film’s meticulous detail.
Kubrick insisted on dozens of takes for simple scenes—a trademark that would become legend (and sometimes nightmare) for future collaborators.
The narration (by Art Gilmore) was a last-minute addition to help audiences follow the non-linear plot. Kubrick was reportedly unhappy with how it turned out.
The film’s budget was around $320,000—extremely modest even for the time.

Inspirations and References

Based on the novel “Clean Break” by Lionel White, a hardboiled crime novel that Kubrick adapted with a sharp eye for irony and detail.
Influenced by earlier noir films such as The Asphalt Jungle (1950), also starring Sterling Hayden.
Later inspired filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, who cited it as a key influence for Reservoir Dogs.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

There are no widely known alternate endings or deleted scenes. Kubrick’s cut is the definitive version. However, studio pressure did lead to the addition of the narrator, which Kubrick disliked but didn’t cut.

Book Adaptations and Differences

Adapted from “Clean Break” by Lionel White. Differences include:

The novel uses a straightforward timeline, while the film famously adopts a fragmented, looping narrative.
Kubrick stripped away some of the book’s emotional depth for a colder, more analytical tone.
The film removes or shortens several subplots for a leaner runtime.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

The racetrack heist, told from multiple perspectives.
The hotel room shootout when Sherry’s lover tries to ambush the gang.
The final airport sequence with the suitcase unraveling.

Iconic Quotes

Johnny Clay: “You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.”
Johnny (at the end): “Eh, what’s the difference?”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

The use of clocks and watches in nearly every scene reflects Kubrick’s obsession with time and precision.
The layout of the heist is later mirrored in films like Reservoir Dogs and Ocean’s Eleven.
Timothy Carey’s character Nikki is based loosely on real-life hitmen from 1950s crime reports.

Trivia

Sterling Hayden was actually under FBI surveillance during the making of the film due to past communist affiliations.
It was Kubrick’s third feature film but the first to show his signature control over every aspect of production.
Quentin Tarantino said the structure of The Killing changed the way he thought about storytelling.

Why Watch?

Watch The Killing if:

You love tight, clever storytelling.
You want to see the roots of modern heist films.
You enjoy classic film noir with morally complex characters.
You’re a fan of Stanley Kubrick and want to witness the evolution of a master.