Kiss Me Deadly 1955

     This film is based a novel by Mickey Spillane.  Investigator Mike Hammer is driving along a Los Angeles highway when a woman stands in the path of his car.  She has been trying to flag down cars but no one would stop.  Her name is Christina Bailey and she’s on the run from something.  She is running barefoot and she is wearing only a trench coat.  The people chasing her catch up with them and they are taken for questioning.  Christina has some kind of information they want but she dies while they interrogate her.  Mike and Christina are placed in his car and it is pushed off the road.  Christina is already dead but Mike is taken to a hospital.  He has the scent of a case and he’s on it even if it kills him?

     There are a lot of twists and turns with a growing body count along the way.  In this version of Mike Hammer he is a shallow con artist and he isn’t on the level as a detective either.  He likes to knock people around to get information. He specializes in divorces but prior to the litigation as in a blackmail squeeze.  Velda, his assistant sets up the guys and Mike sets up the women.  I thought the ending was slightly sketchy?  3 ½* (I liked this movie) 

106 min, Crime directed by Robert Aldrich with Ralph Meeker, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart, Juano Hernandez, Wesley Addy, Marian Carr, Marjorie Bennett, Mort Marshall, Fortunio Bonanova, Strother Martin.

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10, 97% critic 85% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.2* out of 5* with 129 reviews.

Special Note:  A young Cloris Leachman plays Christina Bailey and she’s not listed in the credits as a first billed actor.  I thought it was Cloris by her face, voice and manner.