Two hit men walk into a diner asking for a man called “the Swede”. When the killers find the Swede, he’s expecting them and doesn’t put up a fight. Since the Swede had a life insurance policy, an investigator, on a hunch, decides to look into the murder. As the Swede’s past is laid bare, it comes to light that he was in love with a beautiful woman who may have lured him into pulling off a bank robbery overseen by another man.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• Jim Reardon: Edmond O’Brien
• ‘Swede’ Andersen: Burt Lancaster
• Kitty Collins: Ava Gardner
• Big Jim Colfax: Albert Dekker
• Lt. Sam Lubinsky: Sam Levene
• Charleston: Vince Barnett
• Lilly Harmon Lubinsky: Virginia Christine
• ‘Dum-Dum’ Clarke: Jack Lambert
• Packy Robinson – Ole’s Manager: Charles D. Brown
• R.S. Kenyon: Donald MacBride
• Al: Charles McGraw
• Max: William Conrad
• Blinky Franklin (uncredited): Jeff Corey
• Restaurant Chef (uncredited): Gino Corrado
• Restaurant Patron (uncredited): Frank McLure
• Brentwood Police Chief (uncredited): Howard Freeman
• Farmer (uncredited): Charles Middleton
• Mary Ellen ‘Queenie’ Daugherty (uncredited): Queenie Smith
• Police Driver (uncredited): Jack Cheatham
• Fran (uncredited): William Ruhl
• Hood with Cane (uncredited): Ernie Adams
• Jail Ward Doctor (uncredited): George Anderson
• (uncredited): Sam Ash
• Fight Spectator (uncredited): Frank Baker
• Fight Spectator (uncredited): Oliver Cross
• Fight Spectator (uncredited): Sam Harris
• Fight Spectator (uncredited): Jack Lomas
• Fight Spectator (uncredited): Jack Tornek
• Fight Arena Doctor (uncredited): John Sheehan
• Party Guest (uncredited): Brooks Benedict
• Party Guest (uncredited): Mike Lally
• Mr. Plunther (uncredited): John Berkes
• Cafe Patron (uncredited): Edward Biby
• Cafe Patron (uncredited): Robert Haines
• Cafe Patron (uncredited): George Hoagland
• Cafe Patron (uncredited): Florence Wix
• Paymaster (uncredited): Harry Brown
• Nick Adams (uncredited): Phil Brown
• Onlooker at Green Cat (uncredited): James Conaty
• Lou Tingle (uncredited): Noel Cravat
• Minister (uncredited): Neal Dodd
• Timekeeper (uncredited): Mike Donovan
• Green Cat Patron (uncredited): Dick Gordon
• Green Cat Waiter (uncredited): Nolan Leary
• Pete (uncredited): Michael Hale
• George (uncredited): Harry Hayden
• Man Drinking at Bar (uncredited): Mark Hellinger
• Disgruntled Diner Patron (uncredited): Al Hill
• Factory Worker (uncredited): Jimmie Horan
• Passerby Outside Theatre / Green Cat Patron (uncredited): Kenner G. Kemp
• Reporter (uncredited): Paul Kruger
• Train Conductor (uncredited): Ethan Laidlaw
• Policeman (uncredited): Perc Launders
• Policeman (uncredited): Howard Negley
• Ma Hirsch (uncredited): Vera Lewis
• Mrs. Grimes (uncredited): Therese Lyon
• Jake the Rake (uncredited): John Miljan
• Joe Smalley (uncredited): Garry Owen
• Nurse (uncredited): Beatrice Roberts
• Bartender (uncredited): Wally Rose
• Charlie (uncredited): Wallace Scott
• Stella (uncredited): Ann Staunton
• Waiter (uncredited): Milton Wallace
• Sam (uncredited): Bill Walker

Film Crew:

• Additional Writing: Richard Brooks
• Director: Robert Siodmak
• Additional Writing: John Huston
• Original Music Composer: Miklós Rózsa
• Editor: Arthur Hilton
• Set Decoration: Russell A. Gausman
• Art Direction: Jack Otterson
• Costume Supervisor: Vera West
• Sound Director: Bernard B. Brown
• Orchestrator: Eugene Zador
• Art Direction: Martin Obzina
• Set Decoration: Edward R. Robinson
• Makeup Department Head: Jack Pierce
• Hairstylist: Carmen Dirigo
• Novel: Ernest Hemingway
• Screenplay: Anthony Veiller
• Other: Mark Hellinger
• Director of Photography: Elwood Bredell
• Assistant Director: Melville Shyer
• Special Effects: David S. Horsley
• Stunts: Gil Perkins
• Production Office Assistant: Jules Buck
• Sound: William Hedgcock

Movie Reviews:

• CinemaSerf: When two hit men arrive in the diner of a small town, they announce their intention to the owner of killing one of his customers – former boxer “the Swede” (Burt Lancaster). He manages to convince them that he would not be coming in that night, and so they leave to track him down. His friend, who was tied up in the diner rushes to warn him, but he does nothing – he invites the fate that we see, right from the beginning of the film. Why though? Why didn’t he run? It transpires that he had a modest life insurance policy and so investigator “Reardon” (Edmond O’Brien) tries to track down the beneficiary and piece together a story of robbery, betrayal and duplicity – to all of which the character of “Kitty” (Ava Gardner) proves central. This is a superior film noir, with Lancaster and O’Brien on great form as the flashbacks gradually fill in the gaps and with the help of “Lt. Lubinsky” (Sam Levene) they discovers what truly happened. Ava Gardner’s character features quite sparingly, but potently when she is on screen – manipulating and twisting as she manoeuvres the men around her with consummate skill. The pace is measured, the story takes it’s time to develop and that helps make this quite a compelling drama that puts a little more meat on the bones of the original Hemingway short story. The photography is intense, using the light and shade dramatically, and the score from the maestro Miklós Rósza adds a richness to the gritty look of the film too. Burt Lancaster’s first major screen role, but it’s O’Brien who does most of the heavy lifting here, and he does it well!