History Film / TheKillers1946

''The Killers'' is a 1964 FilmNoir directed by Creator/RobertSiodmak and starring Creator/BurtLancaster, Creator/AvaGardner, and Edmond O'Brien. It is based on a 1927 short story by Creator/ErnestHemingway.

''The Killers'' is a 1946 FilmNoir directed by Creator/RobertSiodmak and starring Creator/BurtLancaster, Creator/AvaGardner, and Edmond O'Brien. It is based on a 1927 short story by Creator/ErnestHemingway.

* AdaptationExpansion: Hemingway's short story is rather small and limited in scope, and indeed the entirety of the story is faithfully recreated in the opening minutes of Siodmak's film. The rest of the movie greatly expands the backstory leading to the contract to kill Swedish boxer Ole Andreson, adding in a FemmeFatale and a BigBad. The 1964 film, borrows the basic plot of the Siodmak film but makes the killers the VillainProtagonist.
* AdaptationalNiceGuy: The scene where the cook and counterman treat Adams report that Swede isn't going to run from the killers casually is omitted from the 1946 film.

* AintTooProudToBeg: Kitty in the 1946 film, Sheila in the 1964 film

''The Killers'' is a 1946 FilmNoir directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Creator/BurtLancaster, Creator/AvaGardner, and Edmond O'Brien. It is based on a 1927 short story by Creator/ErnestHemingway.

* ThoseTwoBadGuys:
** Max and Al, the titular "killers." Taken UpToEleven in the 1964 version, where the killers, called Charlie and Lee here, fit very nicely into the VillainProtagonist trope.
** Swede's coach and trainer always appear together and provide some PluckyComicRelief with how chatty they are.

* ThoseTwoBadGuys: The titular Killers were the TropeMaker and TropeCodifier for this in modern fiction and inspired a slew of imitators in many stories and fictions. Indeed Hemingway noted that the killers are "vaudeville twins" and designed as a comic two-man group.

[[Film/TheKillers1964 A remake was produced in 1964]], directed by Don Siegel and starring Creator/LeeMarvin, Creator/JohnCassavetes, and (in his last film role) UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan. The main difference between the two films is that while it has basic plot similarities, the 1964 film has the titular hitmen as protagonists.

** Swede's coach and trainer.

* ArtisticLicenseAstronomy: The astronomy lesson in the prison cell is a disaster. Not only is the constellation of the Great Bear (Ursa Major) nowhere near Orion, but the star Betelgeuse is improperly identified as the brightest star in the sky - however, Sirius, which is the brightest star in the sky, is close to Orion. Nonetheless, those books weren't helping out as much as thought.

[[Film/TheKillers1964 A remake was produced for television in 1964]], directed by Don Siegel and starring Creator/LeeMarvin, Creator/JohnCassavetes, and (in his last film role) UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan. The main difference between the two films is that while it has basic plot similarities, the 1964 film has the titular hitmen as protagonists.

!! The film adaptations provide examples of the following tropes:

* AdaptationalNameChange:
** Ole Anderson to Johnny North
** Kitty Collins to Sheila Farr
** Big Jim Colfax to Jack Browning
** Al and Max to Charlie and Lee

* AlmostDeadGuy: [[spoiler:Colfax]] lives long enough to tie up some loose ends for the police. Charlie lives long enough to kill Jack and Sheila.
* TheAlcoholic: Earl Sylvester (Johnny North's mechanic and best friend) in the 1964 film.

* AscendedExtra: In the first film the hitmen are in only two scenes, the opening and a shootout near the climax. In the remake, they're the protagonists.

* DeathByAdaptation: Kitty survives (but is presumably imprisoned) in the 1946 film, Sheila is shot by Charlie in the 1964 film

* FaceDeathWithDignity: The Hitmen in the 1964 film are shocked by how Swede approached his death, noting that he stood there and didn't run away or scream. It is this which leads them to investigate their own contract and unearth Swede's backstory.

* KillEmAll: [[spoiler:In the 1964 version all the main cast ends up dead.]]

* NumberTwo: Blinky Franklin to Big Jim in the 1946 film and Mickey Farmer to Browning in the 1964 film. [[spoiler:Doesn't stop either man from being betrayed by his boss]].
* TheOldConvict: Charleston in the first film, serving as a cellmate and mentor to Swede and coming out of prison wary enough to decline an opportunity to take part in another robbery.
* OneLastJob: In the 1964 film Charlie admits to Lee that he's getting weary of killing people and hopes if they find the money Johnny North stole he can pass the contract killing business onto Lee and then retire. [[{{Retirony}} Three guesses how that turns out]].

* OnlyInItForTheMoney: In the 1964 film, the reason that brings Charlie and Lee to investigate the reasons behind a murder commited by themselves is to get a bigger profit out of it.
* PetTheDog: Applied literally in the 1964 version, where Lee pets a guide dog in the garden of a charity center for blind people... Just before terrorizing and hitting the crap out of a blind old lady.

* TheSociopath: Lee from the 1964 verion shows quite a crazy, childish and violent attitude in contrast to his mentor/partner Charlie, a tough, rough but level-minded professional.

* VillainProtagonist: In the 1964 film, the two killers are the protagonists, with Lee Marvin as the main lead.
* WouldHitAGirl: Both Charlie and Lee in the 1964 version.

A remake was produced for television in 1964, directed by Don Siegel and starring Creator/LeeMarvin, Creator/JohnCassavetes, and (in his last film role) UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan. It's generally regarded as far inferior to the 1946 version though it does have a cult following. The main difference between the two films is that while it has basic plot similarities, the 1964 film has the titular hitmen as protagonists.

For the similarly-named comedy starring Creator/AshtonKutcher, see ''Film/{{Killers}}''.

For the similarly-named comedy starring Creator/AshtonKutcher, see Film/{{Killers}}.

* AlmostDeadGuy: [[spoiler:Colfax]] lives long enough to tie up some loose ends for the police.

* AdaptationalNiceGuy: The scene where the cook and counterman treat Adams report that Swede isn't login to run from the killers casually is omitted from the 1946 film.