Le Carrefour de la mort

Victor Mature had no illusions about his acting; when he was rejected for membership to a golf club because he was an actor, he said, "I'm no actor, and I've got 65 movies to prove it." However unpretentious he was, when he was cast in the right role, he came off well, as he does here in the noir "Kiss of Death." Mature plays Nick Bianco, a con who becomes a stool pigeon for the D.A. (Brian Donlevy) so that he can get a parole and retrieve his kids from an orphanage. He marries a friend of his late wife's (Coleen Gray) and uses another name so that his kids won't be tainted by his old criminal life. It all goes well until he has to testify in court against Tommy Udo. Then his life and that of his family are in grave danger.

"Kiss of Death" is notable for being the auspicious debut of Richard Widmark, and few actors have had such a powerful introduction to an audience. As the sadistic Tommy Udo, Widmark's raw laugh and smirk are chill-inducing. His famous scene - maybe the most famous scene of his career, as well as being a famous scene, period - occurs when he throws an old woman in her wheelchair down a flight of stairs. And laughs. A fantastic performance.

The beautiful Coleen Gray plays Nettie, Nick's wife. Despite her looks and good acting, Gray never achieved big stardom, though she had some excellent roles. I wonder if she just wouldn't play ball with Zanuck. Now 89, she is an attractive woman who continues to make public appearances, usually at screenings of the film "Nightmare Alley." Here she's perfect as a loving, worried woman. She also narrates.

Mature gives a solid performance as Nick -- he was really in his métier here and in films like "I Wake Up Screaming," though he graduated (or was demoted) to beefcake roles in period pictures later on. He had the physique but he wasn't a great actor and somehow, it was more apparent in those movies.

I feel very privileged to have met and spoken with Coleen Gray and to have heard the remarkable Richard Widmark speak in person, so I have an affection for this film. Even if I didn't, it's still good and well worth seeing.

Small-time hood Nick Bianco (Victor Mature) is sent up the river for a jewel heist. He refuses to cooperate with the D. A. and will not turn stool-pigeon on his pals. But after he learns of his wife's suicide, he changes his tune. He's got to get out of jail to take care of his two little girls. The D. A. agrees to help Bianco if, in return, Bianco will help the D. A. Bianco fingers Tommy Udo (Richard Widmark) for a murder and even agrees to testify at the trial. But, when Udo is acquitted, Bianco knows he's a marked man - as are his new wife and his young daughters.

Kiss of Death is a solid entry in the crime/noir cycle of the 40s. The movie looks good, has some great acting, an intelligent plot, characters you can care about, and enough twists to make it all very interesting. But instead of writing at length about the acting or technical aspects of the film or plot twists or anything else, I'll limit this to a few comments on Richard Widmark. If you look over Widmark's filmography, you'll notice that Kiss of Death was his very first film. Now I haven't seen everything Widmark made, but based on what I have seen, his portrayal of Tommy Udo has to be the performance of a career. He's brilliant as Udo. You can see the evil in his eyes. He's the kind of guy who would just as soon put a bullet in you as look at you. And that maniacal laugh - it's nothing short of chilling. This is not meant to be hyperbole when I say that he's the quintessential 40s hood played to perfection. I've seen a lot of noirs in recent weeks and I don't think I've seen a performance or character that I've enjoyed more than Widmark's Tommy Udo.

Henry Hathaway does a bang-up job directing this taut, realistic gangster noir. With the exception of a couple of domestic scenes with Mature and his family, this film never lets up. In one of the most unique film debuts, Richard Widmark steals the show with his portrayal of the giggling, psychopathic killer Tommy Udo. There is no doubt about who is the star of this movie. Victor Mature gives a fine performance as the basically decent guy who turns "stoolie" and for whom you have sympathy and the rest of the cast is strong in support.....but it is Widmark who mesmerizes you with his performance. The oft cited senseless violence of the "wheelchair pushed down the stair" scene is still one that makes you turn away. The real life New York City setting adds more realism and the black and white cinematography is excellent, capturing shadows which foretell the violence that is coming. Look for Karl Malden in a small part, early in his career. This is a classic of the noir genre and should be added to your film library.

Richard Widmark belongs to a select few players who from their screen debut became instant stars. No bit parts, no walk-ons, Widmark's first feature role netted him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and stardom.

Widmark's portrayal of Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death shocked audiences nationwide. When Widmark tied up Mildred Dunnock and threw her down a flight of stairs, gasps aplenty came from audiences. That maniacal giggle became his trademark and fodder for impressionists from then on in. Widmark in fact had to really convince his bosses at 20th Century Fox that he was capable of more than being a psychopathic killer.

Widmark was fourth billed in this film and so dominates it that it's forgotten that Victor Mature is the lead and contributes a good performance in his own right. Mature is a career criminal who was left holding the bag for his associates during a jewel heist. He refuses to rat them out and gets a stretch in prison for it. By his refusal to be a stoolie, Mature gains the friendship of Widmark who has a special hatred for the breed.

Things then go bad for Mature when his wife commits suicide and his two little daughters wind up in an orphanage. At that point he rethinks becoming a stoolie for District Attorney Brian Donlevy and the main action of the film begins.

Mature gives a very good performance of a man running out of options. He's caught between concern for his family and living up to the honor system that criminals have among themselves. Brian Donlevy, usually a villain, does a good job as the District Attorney.

One other performance is worthy of note. Though he only has a few scenes, criminal defense attorney Taylor Holmes is also a real stand out. His Earle Houser is definitely one of the sleaziest lawyers ever portrayed on the screen.

For all the many good performances Richard Widmark has given in his 91 years, his debut film turned out to be the only time he was ever nominated for an Oscar. That's a shame because I could think of a couple of other films like Night and the City, Pickup on South Street and Panic in the Streets that would have been worthy of consideration.

Hopefully the American Film Institute will give Widmark a Lifetime Achievement Award and soon.

I always enjoy watching things like this for the first time. Always wondered just What was the big deal w/ Widmark and the infamous wheel-chair scene? Now I know. It's pretty effective and sure, there wasn't anything else like it on film in '47, no sir.

What about the rest of this? Well--others have pointed out-the romance happens rather suddenly, I thought Widmark played a little too much by the rules towards the end-why didn't one of his goons just off him in the restaurant-?? and sure, they tacked on the wife's suicide rather conveniently-but, for the most part, this does work.

Look for Karl Malden in a smallish early role. I also enjoy watching Brian Donlevy, he usually played sgt majors and the like, here you can see why. Kudos to Victor Mature too-nothing great, but a solid role for him, too.

*** outta ****, worth watching.