The Killing
“In all its fury and violence...”
Synopsis
Career criminal Johnny Clay recruits a sharpshooter, a crooked police officer, a bartender and a betting teller named George, among others, for one last job before he goes straight and gets married. But when George tells his restless wife about the scheme to steal millions from the racetrack where he works, she hatches a plot of her own.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2023-04-10
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Sterling Hayden
Johnny Clay
Coleen Gray
Fay
Vince Edwards
Val Cannon
Jay C. Flippen
Marvin Unger
Ted de Corsia
Patrolman Randy Kennan
Marie Windsor
Sherry Peatty
Elisha Cook Jr.
George Peatty
Joe Sawyer
Mike O'Reilly
James Edwards
Track Parking Attendant
Timothy Carey
Nikki Arcane
Kola Kwariani
Maurice Oboukhoff
Jay Adler
Leo the Loanshark
Tito Vuolo
Joe Piano
Dorothy Adams
Ruthie O'Reilly
Herbert Ellis
2nd American Airlines Clerk
James Griffith
Mr. Grimes
Cecil Elliott
Lady with Small Dog
Joe Turkel
Tiny
Release History & Theatrical Window
New York City, New York
Festival / Special Debut
June 6, 1956
Wide Cinema Exhibition
April 30, 2013
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$320K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
Pending
Total global ticket sales
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Stanley Kubrick
- Screenplay & Story
- Stanley Kubrick
- Original Score
- Gerald Fried
- Original Title
- The Killing
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 25m
- Production Budget
- $320K
- Production Studios
- United Artists, Harris-Kubrick Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick, Lionel White, Jim Thompson
Gerald Fried
Lucien Ballard
Betty Steinberg
James B. Harris
Department Leadership Roster
Stanley Kubrick
Director
Stanley Kubrick
Screenplay
James B. Harris
Producer
Gerald Fried
Original Music Composer
Lucien Ballard
Director of Photography
Betty Steinberg
Editor
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.
FSK 18 — Restricted to adults 18 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Killing.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Killing.
Flickbase Watchlist
Roger Ebert's Great Movies
Every film from Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies' essays. 罗杰·伊伯特的伟大电影： 收录了已故美国著名国民级影评人罗杰·伊伯特（Roger Ebert）在其经典的《伟大电影》（Great Movies）系列专栏文章中推荐、评论过的所有影史经典佳作。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#092] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:30:01 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Killing
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Killing about?
Career criminal Johnny Clay recruits a sharpshooter, a crooked police officer, a bartender and a betting teller named George, among others, for one last job before he goes straight and gets married. But when George tells his restless wife about the scheme to steal millions from the racetrack where he works, she hatches a plot of her own.
Who directed The Killing?
The Killing was directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Who stars in The Killing?
The principal cast of The Killing includes Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, Vince Edwards, Jay C. Flippen, Ted de Corsia.
When was The Killing released and how long is it?
The Killing was released in 1956 with a total runtime of 1h 25m.
Who composed the musical score for The Killing?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Killing was composed by Gerald Fried.
Is The Killing based on a book or true story?
The Killing is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Lionel White".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Killing?
The Killing holds official age classifications: AU: PG (Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.); DE: 18 (FSK 18 — Restricted to adults 18 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).