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SUBJECT:
Over-the-hill boxer becomes involved with girlfriend of gangster.

NOTES:

In 1955 Kubrick raised $40,000 from friends and relatives and shot his second feature, Killer's Kiss, in New York City. As cameras, laboratory, editing and dubbing facilities were all hired on a deferred-payment basis, the final cost of the film was $75,000 after those payments were made. Once again Kubrick acted as director, cinematographer, editor, sound man, etc., even spending 4 months dubbing in sound effects "footstep by footstep." Kubrick's second wife, Ruth Sobotka, a dancer with Balanchine's City Center ballet company, played a ballerina in the film. Kubrick was able to sell the 64 minute film to United Artists for worldwide distribution. UA even made a profit on it, though it mostly played as a second feature.

Of this film Kubrick has said:

"While Fear and Desire had been a serious effort, ineptly done, Killer's Kiss...proved, I think, to be a frivolous effort done with conceivably more expertise though still down in the student level of filmmaking." --2

And:

"The only distinction I would claim for it is that, to the best of my belief, no one at the time had ever made a feature film in such amateur circumstances and then obtained world-wide distribution for it." --2

BEHIND THE SCENES

CREDITS:
Production Company -- Minotaur
Producers -- Stanley Kubrick, Morris Bousel
Director, Cinematographer, Editor -- Stanley Kubrick
Screenplay -- Stanley Kubrick, Howard O. Sackler
Music -- Gerald Fried
Choreography -- David Vaughn
Cast:
Rapallo -- Frank Silvera
Davey -- Jamie Smith
Gloria -- Irene Kane
Albert -- Jerry Jarret
Iris -- Ruth Sobotka
Hoodlums -- Mike Dana, Felice Orlandi, Ralph Roberts, Phil Stevenson
Mannequin Factory Owner -- Julius Adelman
Conventioneers -- David Vaughn, Alec Rubin
Running time: 64 minutes
Distributor: United Artists

FOOTNOTES:

--2--Stanley Kubrick Directs by Alexander Walker, expanded edition, 1972, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich

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