The Killers

1946 · crime · drama · Robert Siodmak · Mark Hellinger Productions · Universal Pictures

The Killers is a 1946 American film noir directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Burt Lancaster in his film debut, along with Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien and Sam Levene. Based in part on the 1927 short story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. The film follows an insurance investigator named Jim Reardon who looks into the murder of a gas station attendant known as "The Swede." The film begins with two hitmen arriving to kill The Swede, who makes no attempt to escape, leading Reardon to uncover the tragic backstory of The Swede's life, including his involvement with a femme fatale and a crime boss, through a series of flashbacks.