Episode 353 · Film year 1955
Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
- Special Guest
- Max Allan Collins
- Guest Co-Hosts
- Kevin Heffernan, Andrew Nette
Show notes
Based on the 1952 Mickey Spillane novel, Robert Aldrich's Kiss Me Deadly (1955) stars Ralph Meeker as Mike Hammer, a hard-boiled gumshoe who gets dragged into a mystery involving a glowing case, duplicitous dames, and two-fisted violence.
Max Allan Collins (opens in a new tab), director of Mike Hammer's Mickey Spillane, talks about his career and working on Mickey Spillane's posthumous work.
Writer Andrew Nette (opens in a new tab) and Professor Kevin Heffernan (opens in a new tab) join Mike to discuss paranoia, the cold war, and much more.
Max Allan Collins (opens in a new tab), director of Mike Hammer's Mickey Spillane, talks about his career and working on Mickey Spillane's posthumous work.
Writer Andrew Nette (opens in a new tab) and Professor Kevin Heffernan (opens in a new tab) join Mike to discuss paranoia, the cold war, and much more.
Labels: Andrew Nette Film Noir Jack Elam Kevin Heffernan Ralph Meeker Robert Aldrich
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Music credits
- "Kiss Me Deadly" - Generation X
- "Kiss Me Deadly" - Thee Jenerators
Links & resources
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Comments (3)
Max Allan Collins The women in Spillane's novels are strong and generally well-characterized, and Velda is a particularly strong woman, his partner in the agency with a P.I.'s license. In the novels, Hammer does not do divorce work, but he does send Velda undercover (not under covers) to do investigative work.Max Allan Collins Bond was essentially a Mike Hammer imitation (a very good one, obviously). Fleming was sold both here and overseas (UK included) as "the British Mickey Spillane." During the period when Spillane wasn't writing Hammer (1952 -1961), the Spillane/Fleming similarity was often pointed out in reviews and marketing. Spillane's paperback publisher, NAL, used Fleming as what they viewed as a temporary replacement, even using the same cover artist who'd been doing Mickey's paperbacks. The moment in the film DR. NO where Bond casually, cruelly shoots a man who is out of bullets ("You've had your six") was pure Hammer, killing the bad guy without a twinge. The abrupt ending of CASINO ROYALE is Spillane technique, as is the sadistic violence, and as late as the film THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, the ending is lifted from I, THE JURY.Mike White This is all great stuff. Thank you. Was so good to talk with you.