Burt Lancaster took no time at all in becoming a Hollywood star. Remarkably, The Killers was both the actor’s Hollywood debut and his first starring role. Making his involvement all the more notable is the fact that it wound up being a beloved favorite of the film noir genre.
While The Killers amounted to a mᴀssive breakout role for Burt Lancaster, it’s worth noting that it wasn’t technically his first time acting in a movie. The movie that holds that distinction is Desert Fury, a movie where he had third billing behind film noir icon Lizabeth Scott and John Hodiak, but it was The Killers that hit theaters first, making it the movie where audiences discovered him for the first time.
What The Killers Is About
The Killers Slowly Uncovers The Story Behind The Death Of Burt Lancaster’s Character
Adapted from an Ernest Hemingway short story from 1927, The Killers is a mystery movie that follows the efforts of an insurance investigator to get to the bottom of a boxer’s murder. But Lancaster’s status as the top-billed actor doesn’t mean he’s the insurance detective or even one of the тιтular murderers; rather, Lancaster plays the victim of the crime in question: a boxer known as “The Swede.” The Killers is able to make this work by telling most of the Swede’s story in flashback form.
The Killers was a launching pad for not just Burt Lancaster, but also Ava Gardner. She had prior acting experience, but didn’t become one of Hollywood’s top actresses until her role in the movie.
The Killers isn’t a standard mystery film where the idenтιтy of the killer or their motives is the subject of the story. In fact, The Killers reveals who killed Burt Lancaster in the opening sequence. The mystery the movie is more interesting is exploring is the question of why the Swede essentially allowed himself to be killed by two hitmen. This leads the insurance detective, Edmond O’Brien’s Jim Reardon, on a journey to piece together the Swede’s past, learning about the colorful characters wrapped up in his life, including The Killers’ femme fatale and female lead, Ava Gardner.
The Killers Made Burt Lancaster A Star (& For Good Reason)
The Swede Is One Of Burt Lancaster’s Best Characters
While Desert Fury was still in production, The Killers director Mark Hellinger was struggling to find the right fit for his film’s male lead, and in his search, eventually came across Lancaster. Though he had yet to make any movies and was therefore untested, Lancaster left a good enough impression on Hellinger during their first meeting that he was able to get the role. As Hellinger recounted telling Lancaster, “I don’t know what kind of an actor you are, but physically you’re my man. The role I have in mind for you is the Swede in ‘The Killers’ — and if you make the grade, you’ll be a star overnight.“
What Hellinger described is ultimately what happened, as The Killers was a major hit for the studio, with Lancaster’s performance being a driving force of its critical and commercial success. Looking at the film itself, it’s not hard to see why it paved the way for more acting parts for Lancaster. As the Swede, he has a commanding presence, one that’s not exactly suave, but charismatic at the same time. His nonchalant, “tough guy” atтιтude creates an air of confidence about him that makes the character instantly likable.
The Killers Is One Of The Best Film Noir Movies Of All Time
The Killers Helped Set The Standard For Film Noir Movies In The Late 1940s
Burt Lancaster’s compelling performance as the Swede is one of several facets of The Killers that helps it stand out as one of the best film noir movies ever made. Lancaster and Gardner turned out to be a perfect combination, with his deeply flawed, morally questionable protagonist and Gardner’s sultry femme fatale basically epitomizing what the male and female leads of a film noir movie are supposed to be.
Although it was not the first of its kind, in many ways, it was a standard-bearer, as its lead characters, unique take on the murder mystery concept, dark story beats, and cinematography allow it to offer nearly every element that moviegoers expect from a 1940s film noir.
Its 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes speaks volumes about how revered The Killers is among critics and audiences. When it comes to film noir, few are placed in such high regard as Burt Lancaster’s movie debut. Although it was not the first of its kind, in many ways, it was a standard-bearer, as its lead characters, unique take on the murder mystery concept, dark story beats, and cinematography allow it to offer nearly every element that moviegoers expect from a 1940s film noir.
