MovieChat Forums > The Killers (1946) Discussion > uncredited role

uncredited role

posted 20 years ago by HevyChevy
16 replies | jump to latest

Just finished watching the last half of this movie, as I ran across an airing of it on tv.

While this isn't listed under "full cast and crew" at this site, does anyone know if the other "gangster" seen with William Conrad is Kirk Douglas?

Around the point of the movie (towards the end) where O'Brian has an arranged meeting with Gardner in front of the club (not "The Green Cat". She approaches O'Brian from behind and asks him for a light so she can see if he's wearing a polka-dot bow tie), two men follow after they leave in the taxi.
Once he turns around to face the camera, it's clearly evident the gangster in the light coloured suit is a young Robert Conrad (later, "Cannon" on tv).
The other gangster with him (in the darker suit) sure looks like a young Kirk Douglas, especially once he also turns and faces the camera.
As I stated above, Douglas is not credited with this movie here, thus my question.

gundorps

[–] plum618 20 years ago

The other killer is Charles McGraw, not Kirk Douglas....

[–] jasonbourneagain 19 years ago

I didn't see much resemblance to Kirk Douglas except for the dimpled chin, but it wasn't as pronounced as Kirk's.

Put Dirty Harry in the IMDB top 250!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066999/ratings

[–] Tony43 19 years ago

No, as noted by another poster, the gangster is played by Charles McGraw, a veteran character actor in his day. He normally played thugs, although he stared as the cop in the original version of "Narrow Margin."

And the short, stubby killer was William Conrad, who played Cannon on TV. Robert Conrad was also a TV actor who was best known for "The Wild, Wild West."
William Conrad was always much better suited to the bad guy roles than he ever was to playing the hero.

[–] trz1951 19 years ago

McGraw was also the head gladiator in Spartacus.

[–] den_quixote 19 years ago

william conrad was actually best known as matt dillon on radio and some might say that robert conrad was best known for the battery commercial where he challenges anyone to knock the battery from his shoulder lol.

[–] arode 19 years ago

I noticed that the credits listed for this film are incomplete and inaccurate.

Phil Brown played the diner customer and Harry Hayden was the diner counterman who were intimidated and tied up by William Conrad and Charlie McGraw

[–] jls8972 11 years ago

well thanks, arode, been looking for the "bright boy"'s name for 30 minutes, Harry Hayden... nine years later!

[–] HevyChevy 17 years ago

OOPS! Sorry about the "Conrad" mix-up, Tony.
You're absolutely correct. My mistake.

Thanks to everyone else for filling me in on Charles McGraw.
I'll have to watch that movie again and look for Kirk smoking the cigarette. I actually didn't catch that, so YOU'RE the one with the good eye, liberte!
___________________
Good Shootin', Tex!

[–] charlesstewart1 18 years ago

Hi! I just signed up and read your email regarding the other "killer" in the movie the "The Killers". Either you are a Kirk Douglas fan or you recognize good taste when you see it. The actor's name is Charles McGraw who was one of film noirs best bad guys. He performed in radio, television, and movies from the 40's to the late 70's. I am glad you noticed him, you see, Mr. McGraw is my absolute favorite actor!!!! Speaking of Kirk Douglas, I think the very best acting job he has ever performed was in "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers". He is excellent in this role.

[–] jmkeupp-1 10 years ago

How could anyone watch this movie and think that the other killer was Kirk Douglas? The actor is credited with his name and bears only a passing resemblance to Douglas.

[–] liberte 18 years ago

Hello:

Just watched this film on TCM. Ur Right that Kirk Douglas was in that scene. However, he was merely sitting down at the bar having a smoke as the two hitmen went pass him and approached O'brian in order to kill him. He Absolutely was not one of the hitmen. I do have to say, however, that u have a sharp eye, as Douglas only appeared on screen for a few seconds or less !
God bless !

[–] jmkeupp-1 13 years ago

That is not Kirk Douglas! It is Charles McGraw who resembles Douglas. Please read some of the earlier posts. The two killers enter the restaurant. The one who resembles Kirk Douglas goes over and leans on the bar while the other (William Conrad) stands more in the room. The camera pans down the bar and the killer is standing there still leaning on the bar. He later turns and he and Conrad have the gun fight with Edmund O'Brien. If you thought he was Douglas when in the bar then why not when he was in the diner? It it is the same man. Watch the movie more closely and you will see.

[–] wtl471629 18 years ago

Great find gun! I never noticed it either but that is Kirk Douglas at the bar smoking a cigareet (spelling?) right after the two killers walk into the restaurant and walk down the bar and pass him. I verified it with my wife who is very good at these type of observations. This now makes 8 movies that Burt Landcaster and Kirk Douglas appeared in together even though not always in the same scenes. The other seven are 1. I Walk Alone (1948) 2. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) 3. The Devil's Disciple (1959) which also starred the great Lawrence Olivier) 4. The List of Adrian Messenger (1963)- a great cameo by Burt Landcaster which fooled me the first time I saw it. 5. Seven Days in May (1964) 6. Victory at Entebbe (1976) - I am not sure if you can count this but they were both in this made for tv movie. 7. Tough Guys in 1986 - I have heard they were going to have a sequel but when Burt Landcaster passed away it ended these plans.

Kirk Douglas was not known in 1946 so he was really an extra in The Killers and not a cameo like Burt Lancaster was in The List of Adrian Messenger.

Once again a great find gun and good work! Thank you for sharing!

[–] jquirk-1 17 years ago

Kirk Douglas is not in this scene. The two killers walk into the bar and one of them, Charles McGraw, sits at the bar for a few seconds smoking a cigarette. Then the both of them attempt to shoot O'Brien.

McGraw resembles Douglas slightly, particularly when he sits at the bar and takes a puff on the cigarette. But Douglas is definitely not in this scene.

[–] steveintucson 16 years ago

Right on jquirk THAT WAS NOT KIRK DOUGLAS. The two hit men walk into the bar together (to the notes of the later used Dragnet theme) and Charles McGraw almost sprints ahead to take a seat at the bar and is smoking his cigarette as William Conrad walks up behind him. I will grant you that he could be mistaken for Kirk Douglas if you didn't have rewind but if you go back you'll see THAT WAS NOT KIRK DOUGLAS.

[–] bradford-1 11 years ago

Just five years later! Mr. Douglas was most likely at Paramount filming THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS at roughly the same time KILLERS was being shot. The films were released within a few weeks of each other.

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