The Killers (Screen 1)

THE KILLERS follows the story of the Swede--Burt Lancaster, in his film debut--who is murdered by two hit men right at the start of the movie. Edmond O'Brien plays an insurance investigator who probes the Swede's past to understand why he didn't resist his own killing. The film uses 11 different flashbacks, earning it the moniker of the Citizen Kane of film noir. Co-starring a radiant 23-year-old Ava Gardner in the role that made her a star, produced by the dynamic Mark Hellinger (High Sierra) and featuring Charles McGraw and William Conrad, THE KILLERS is one of the most significant noirs ever made.