{"id":73505,"date":"2021-07-03T12:50:47","date_gmt":"2021-07-03T19:50:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=73505"},"modified":"2022-07-24T19:25:29","modified_gmt":"2022-07-25T02:25:29","slug":"kiss-before-dying-a-1956","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=73505","title":{"rendered":"Kiss Before Dying, A (1956)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Haven&#8217;t you heard? Love conquers all.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Poster-197x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"197\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-73508\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Poster-197x300.png 197w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Poster-673x1024.png 673w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Poster-84x128.png 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Poster-177x270.png 177w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Poster.png 735w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA sociopathic college student (Robert Wagner) murders his pregnant girlfriend (Joanne Woodward), then romances her sister Ellen (Virginia Leith), in an attempt to maintain access to her wealthy father (George Macready) &#8212; but a savvy classmate (Jeffrey Hunter) helps Ellen uncover the true danger she&#8217;s in.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>George Macready Films<\/li>\n<li>Jeffrey Hunter Films<\/li>\n<li>Joanne Woodward Films<\/li>\n<li>Mary Astor Films<\/li>\n<li>Plot to Murder<\/li>\n<li>Pregnancy<\/li>\n<li>Psychopaths<\/li>\n<li>Robert Wagner Films<\/li>\n<li>Social Climbers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThis adaptation of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/A_Kiss_Before_Dying_(novel)\">Ira Levin&#8217;s award winning debut novel<\/a> was controversial at the time for openly using the word &#8220;pregnant&#8221;. In <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/fJrPtI002v8\">Eddie Muller&#8217;s intro to the movie for TCM<\/a>, he describes it as a kind of &#8220;homicidal Douglas Sirk&#8221;, with Technicolor cinematography, location shooting in Tucson, and a sexy <em>homme fatale<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Tucson.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Tucson.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"304\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73515\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Tucson.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Tucson-300x127.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Tucson-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Tucson-604x255.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s notable for offering Joanne Woodward her second film role, though she&#8217;s killed off midway through, and apparently Woodward hated this movie (I can&#8217;t say I blame her, given that she comes across as not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Woodward.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Woodward.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"304\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73513\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Woodward.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Woodward-300x127.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Woodward-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Woodward-604x255.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Virginia Leith is fine and beautiful (if undistinguished) as her brunette sister:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Leith.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Leith.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"304\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73514\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Leith.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Leith-300x127.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Leith-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Leith-604x255.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; in what appears to be her only <em>GFTFF<\/em>-listed film, though she had a role in Stanley Kubrick&#8217;s debut feature &#8212; <em>Fear and Desire<\/em> (1953) &#8212; and is apparently beloved for her beheaded role in <em>The Brain That Wouldn&#8217;t Die<\/em> (1962). Meanwhile, Wagner is appropriately smarmy and charming as a man foolish enough to date his murder victim&#8217;s sister (talk about tools not being very sharp! &#8212; or perhaps simply hubris inevitably causing one&#8217;s downfall). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Wagner.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Wagner.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"304\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73517\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Wagner.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Wagner-300x127.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Wagner-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Wagner-604x255.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Watch for Mary Astor in a bit role as Wagner&#8217;s lower-class mother. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Astor.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Astor.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"304\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Astor.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Astor-300x127.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Astor-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Astor-604x255.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lucien Ballard&#8217;s atmospheric cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Building.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Building.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"304\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73511\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Building.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Building-300x127.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Building-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Building-604x255.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"304\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-73509\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Cinematography.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Cinematography-300x127.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Cinematography-128x54.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Kiss-Before-Dying-Cinematography-604x255.png 604w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though it&#8217;s worth a one-time look. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0049414\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/18743\/a-kiss-before-dying#articles-reviews\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Haven&#8217;t you heard? Love conquers all.&#8221; Synopsis: A sociopathic college student (Robert Wagner) murders his pregnant girlfriend (Joanne Woodward), then romances her sister Ellen (Virginia Leith), in an attempt to maintain access to her wealthy father (George Macready) &#8212; but a savvy classmate (Jeffrey Hunter) helps Ellen uncover the true danger she&#8217;s in. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: George Macready Films Jeffrey Hunter Films Joanne Woodward Films Mary Astor Films Plot to Murder Pregnancy Psychopaths Robert Wagner Films Social Climbers&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=73505\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=73505"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73505\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85746,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73505\/revisions\/85746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=73505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=73505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=73505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}