History Film / KissMeDeadly

A terrified young woman wearing only a trenchcoat is running down a highway at night. She stops a car driven by private divorce detective Mike Hammer. He picks her up, from then on becoming embroiled in a plot involving murder, missing scientists and a mysterious box...

* AdaptationalVillainy: This film did not do Mike Hammer any favors. Whereas in the books Hammer was merely a standard Private Eye ({{Jerkass}} at times, but otherwise good), this movie made him a goddamn {{sadist}}! He's honestly not much better than the people he's up against. Its one of the reasons that Mickey Spillane didn't like the film was because it made the anti-heroic but otherwise moral Mike Hammer into an amoral, {{narcissist}}ic dick.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Director Robert Aldrich and screenwriter A.I. Bezzerides deconstruct the HardboiledDetective character, depicting him as a vicious, amoral {{narcissist}}.

* GenreSavvy: Mike figures out there's not one, but two bombs planted in a car delivered to him.

* HeManWomanHater: Hammer. He's worse in the novel.

* RatedMForManly

* WhamShot: After a good while of appearing to just be a standard issue film noir, Mike opens the case and finds it's a brightly glowing ''something'' that makes an ungodly screech, bringing the story into science fiction or even fantasy out of nowhere.

* FriendOnTheForce: Lt. Pat Murphy, who tries to get Hammer to step aside. Towards the end a scornful Murphy notes that Hammer's selfishness has endangered Velma.

1955 FilmNoir adaptation of the CrimeFiction novel by Mickey Spillane, directed by Creator/RobertAldrich (''Film/TheDirtyDozen'', ''Film/WhateverHappenedToBabyJane'') and starring Ralph Meeker as UsefulNotes/LosAngeles PrivateDetective Literature/MikeHammer.

* GenreSavvy: Mike figures out there's not one but two bombs planted in a car delivered to him.

Spillane didn't much care for the film, as it actually deconstructed his macho, tough guy creation and differed from the original story by involving UsefulNotes/ColdWar espionage and a nuclear MacGuffin. Originally unsuccessful upon its theatrical release, it is now considered one of the classic examples of FilmNoir and was later cited as influential among directors of the FrenchNewWave and also Creator/QuentinTarantino when he made ''Film/PulpFiction''.

1955 FilmNoir adaptation of the CrimeFiction novel by Mickey Spillane, directed by Robert Aldrich (''Film/TheDirtyDozen'', ''Film/WhateverHappenedToBabyJane'') and starring Ralph Meeker as UsefulNotes/LosAngeles PrivateDetective Literature/MikeHammer.

* AntiHero: One of the reasons that Mickey Spillane didn't like the film was because it made the anti-heroic but otherwise moral Mike Hammer into an amoral, narcissistic dick.

* TookALevelInJerkass: This film did not do Mike Hammer any favors. Whereas in the books Hammer was merely a standard Private Eye (JerkAss at points but otherwise good), this movie made him a goddamn {{sadist}}! He's honestly not much better than the people he's up against.

* AdaptationalVillainy: This film did not do Mike Hammer any favors. Whereas in the books Hammer was merely a standard Private Eye (JerkAss at points but otherwise good), this movie made him a goddamn {{sadist}}! He's honestly not much better than the people he's up against.

* AntiHero: One of the reasons that Mickey Spillane didn't like the film was because it made the anti-heroic but otherwise moral Mike Hammer into an amoral, narcissistic bully.

* TheCoroner: Mike tries to bribe one to get a key from him. When the coroner tries to more money from him Mike slams his fingers in his desk drawer until he gives it to him.

* AdaptationalVillainy: This film did not do Mike Hammer any favors. Whereas in the books Hammer was merely a standard Private Eye (JerkAss at points but otherwise good), this movie made him a goddamn [[TheSadist sadist]]! He's honestly not much better than the people he's up against.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Director Aldrich and the screenwriter deconstructs the HardboiledDetective character, depicting him as an amoral, vicious narcissist.

* KungFoley: Some earthshattering blows when Hammer fights two mooks on the beach.

* SwallowTheKey: Christine leaves Mike a note which leads to him fgurig out that she swallowed something to hide it from the bad guys. Sure enough, he retrieves a key from the coronoer.

->'''Christina Bailey:''' You have only one real lasting love. \\
'''Literature/MikeHammer:''' Now who could that be? \\

* AdaptationalVillainy: This film did not do Mike Hammer any favors. Whereas in the books Hammer was merely a standard Private Eye (JerkAss at points but otherwise good), this movie made him a goddamn sadist! He's honestly not much better than the people he's up against.

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: [[spoiler:The "Great Whatsit" is clearly meant to contain unstable radioactive isotopes of a sort. But the way it behaves is more in the direction of GreenRocks than an actual nuclear reaction.]]

* CreativeClosingCredits: Opening credits, that is. They're shown in reverse order, descending from the top of the screen in a scroll. Meeker's credit appears like this:

* JerkAss: Mike, especially the scene where he breaks a valuable opera record of someone he's questioning.

1955 FilmNoir adaptation of the CrimeFiction novel by Mickey Spillane, directed by Robert Aldrich (''Film/TheDirtyDozen'', ''Film/WhateverHappenedToBabyJane'') and starring Ralph Meeker as Los Angeles PrivateDetective Literature/MikeHammer.

Spillane didn't much care for the film, as it actually deconstructed his macho, tough guy creation and differed from the original story by involving UsefulNotes/ColdWar espionage and a nuclear MacGuffin. Originally unsuccessful upon its, theatrical release it is now considered one of the classic examples of FilmNoir and was later cited as influential among directors of the FrenchNewWave and also Creator/QuentinTarantino when he made ''Film/PulpFiction''.

!!The film provides examples of:

Spillane didn't much care for the film, as it actually deconstructed his macho, tough guy creation and differed from the original story by involving UsefulNotes/ColdWar espionage and a nuclear MacGuffin. Originally unsuccessful upon it's theatrical release it is now considered one of the classic examples of FilmNoir and later cited as influential among directors of the FrenchNewWave and also Creator/QuentinTarantino when he made ''Film/PulpFiction''.

1955 FilmNoir adaptation of the CrimeFiction novel by Mickey Spillane, directed by Robert Aldrich (''Film/TheDirtyDozen'', ''Film/WhateverHappenedToBabyJane'') and starring Ralph Meeker as Los Angeles PrivateDetective Literature/MikeHammer. Spillane didn't like the film, as it actually deconstructed his macho, tough guy creation and differed from the original story by involving UsefulNotes/ColdWar espionage and a nuclear MacGuffin. Originally unsuccessful upon it's theatrical release it is now considered one of the classic examples of FilmNoir and later cited as influential among directors of the FrenchNewWave and also Creator/QuentinTarantino when he made ''Film/PulpFiction''.

[[quoteright:320:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ACH002831145_1308762021_580x580_9762.jpg]]

1955 FilmNoir adaptation of the CrimeFiction novel by Creator/MickeySpillane directed by Robert Aldrich (''Film/TheDirtyDozen'', ''Film/WhateverHappenedToBabyJane'') and starring Ralph Meeker as Los Angeles PrivateDetective Literature/MikeHammer. Spillane didn't like the film as it actually deconstructed his macho, tough guy creation and differed from the original story by involving UsefulNotes/ColdWar espionage and a nuclear MacGuffin. Originally unsuccessful upon it's theatrical release it is now considered one of the classic examples of FilmNoir and later cited as influential among directors of the FrenchNewWave and also Creator/QuentinTarantino when he made ''Film/PulpFiction''.

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: [[spoiler:The "Great Whatsit" is clearly meant to contain unstable radioactive isotopes of a sort. But its behavior has very little in common with actual nuclear reactions.]]

* ForbiddenFruit: Soberin repeatedly warns Gabrielle against opening the box containing the "Great Whatsit", telling her that it contains something that is both extremely dangerous and way out of her comprehension. It eventually drives Gabrielle to double-cross him just so she can have a look inside it.