The stellar debut of an American movie icon. Ernest Hemingway, author of the classic short story so chillingly recreated in the opening reel of Robert Siodmak’s noir classic, always cited The Killers as the best movie ever made from his work. Burt Lancaster’s first movie role, as “the Swede,” begins only moments before his death. He knows it’s coming and he doesn’t try to run. What he did and why it used him up is told in jagged flashbacks as an insurance investigator (Edmond O’Brien) looks into the Swede’s haunted past. Ava Gardner shines darkly as quintessential femme fatale Kitty Collins.

Images courtesy of UNIVERSAL / THE KOBAL COLLECTION / JONES, RAY