The Killers (1946)

A gas station attendant (Burt Lancaster) in a small town is assassinated by two hired gunmen (William Conrad, Charles McGraw). The life insurance investigator (Edmond O'Brien) on the case tracks down his beneficiary (Queenie Smith) but it doesn't end there as he attempts to piece together why an ordinary guy living a secluded life in a small town would be the target for two gunmen. Very loosely based on the short story by Ernest Hemingway and directed by Robert Siodmak (THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE). A celebrated, if slightly overrated, prime example of film noir. Everything from the terse dialog of Anthony Veiller to the classic chiaroscuro shadings of Elwood Bredell (ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS) to the underscore by Miklos Rozsa screams out film noir. The film benefits from the presence of Lancaster and Ava Gardner in their breakout performances. This was Lancaster's film debut and he's a "Star" right out of the gate. Gardner was a contract player at MGM but it took Universal and this film to alert MGM that she was no ordinary starlet and that they had something special on their hands. While the movie is never less than engrossing, the O'Brien home office scenes are a drag (unlike similar scenes in DOUBLE INDEMNITY) though I suppose necessary. It was remade in 1964 by Don Siegel. With Albert Dekker, Jeff Corey, Sam Levene and Virginia Christine.