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A Kiss Before Dying

Play trailer Poster for A Kiss Before Dying 1956 1h 34m Mystery & Thriller Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 50% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Amoral Bud Corliss (Robert Wagner) pursues young heiress Dorie Kingship (Joanne Woodward) in the hopes of getting his hands on the fortune amassed by her father (George Macready). But after Dorie succumbs to Bud's charms and becomes pregnant as a result, he fears she'll be cut off by the family and murders her in a fashion that makes it look as if the poor girl committed suicide. When Bud tries to cozy up with Dorie's grieving sister, Ellen (Virginia Leith), she begins to suspect his intentions.
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A Kiss Before Dying

Critics Reviews

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Variety Staff Variety 03/26/2009
This multiple-murder story is an offbeat sort of film, with Robert Wagner portraying a calculating youth who intends to allow nothing to stand in his way to money... Gerd Oswald's restrained direction suits the mood. Go to Full Review
Paul Taylor Time Out 06/24/2006
Wagner is perfect as the college kid psycho coolly removing the pregnant Woodward from his life. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Mar 5
4/5
…a handsome widescreen production, this version of A Kiss Before Dying at least carries forwards a number of plot-points from the novel, even if it can't handle the big twist… this is an underrated film, well-worth catching on a rare streaming appearance… Go to Full Review
Diana Tuova Spotlight on Film 08/09/2024
3.5/5
This is...a decent thriller with delicious moments of suspense, which undoubtedly paved the way for other quality films to come that centre on male psychopathy. Go to Full Review
Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand 03/20/2022
Its very much a product of its time, handsome and smoothly directed in Technicolor and CinemaScope by Gerd Oswald with a modest style that anticipates the romantic thrillers of the 1960s... Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 11/19/2020
3/4
A silky-smooth adaptation of Ira Levin's first novel. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Blobbo X @Blobbo May 5 Of course, Wagner not good actor - has one expression, apparently carved out of wood - but everything else well done. See more RICHARD S 11/09/2024 An apparent attempt to create a Hitchcock-like suspense film, this film has excellent cinematography, beautiful color and other production values. But the script is unconvincing, even though acted by a few of Hollywood's best young actors of that era. Joanne Woodward's character is unconvincing in her passion for Wagner. Wagner's motivation is not well developed. His relationship with Woodward's sister is a weird plot move, and there are several illogical steps in his effort to successfully progress in his dilemmas. But you'll certainly enjoy watching Wagner, Woodward and Hunter making the best they can of a mediocre script. See more Steve D 07/03/2023 Dark, depressing but well made. See more 05/27/2023 A very interesting film with up coming stars at the time, good cinematography See more 06/01/2020 Robert Wagner's character might be one of cinema's worst serial killers, but the film is a good study of a psychopath. It is also cool to see the young Wagner and Joanne Woodward (her second film) working together. See more 02/25/2020 Really enjoyed this colour film noir and it has Jeffrey Hunter from Star Trek See more Read all reviews
A Kiss Before Dying

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A Kiss Before Dying

A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - A Simple Matter of Chemistry A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - A Simple Matter of Chemistry 2:16 A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - Please Forgive Me for Everything A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - Please Forgive Me for Everything 2:26 A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - Poison Pills A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - Poison Pills 2:12 A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - The Killer Is Still Free A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - The Killer Is Still Free 2:20 A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - A Murderer Revealed A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - A Murderer Revealed 3:11 A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - Death and Consequences A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - Death and Consequences 1:41 A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - Caught in the Alley A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - Caught in the Alley 1:25 A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - Something Borrowed, Something Blue A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - Something Borrowed, Something Blue 2:38 A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - Seeing a Ghost A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - Seeing a Ghost 1:12 A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - Love Conquers All A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - Love Conquers All 2:07 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Amoral Bud Corliss (Robert Wagner) pursues young heiress Dorie Kingship (Joanne Woodward) in the hopes of getting his hands on the fortune amassed by her father (George Macready). But after Dorie succumbs to Bud's charms and becomes pregnant as a result, he fears she'll be cut off by the family and murders her in a fashion that makes it look as if the poor girl committed suicide. When Bud tries to cozy up with Dorie's grieving sister, Ellen (Virginia Leith), she begins to suspect his intentions.
Director
Gerd Oswald
Producer
Robert L. Jacks
Screenwriter
Lawrence Roman
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Crown Productions
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 12, 1956, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Runtime
1h 34m
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