The Killing(1956)

Submitted by Michael S

POOPER:
Most of the crooks kill each other in a stand-off, but George Peatty (Elisha Cook) and mastermind Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) survive.
Peatty, who has found out that his wife (Marie Windsor) is cheating on him, staggers home and kills her. Clay hides the money in a suitcase and flees for the airport. The suitcase breaks open on the runway, the money blows away, and Clay submits meekly to arrest.

LONGER VERSION:
The film follows Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden), an ex-convict who orchestrates a meticulously planned robbery at a racetrack. Clay recruits a team of individuals, each with specific roles: Marvin Unger (Jay C. Flippen), a middle-aged financier; George Peatty (Elisha Cook Jr.), a timid racetrack cashier; Mike O’Reilly (Joe Sawyer), a bartender needing funds for his ill wife; Randy Kennan (Ted de Corsia), a corrupt police officer with gambling debts; and Nikki Arcane (Timothy Carey), a sharpshooter hired to create a diversion. Clay’s girlfriend, Fay (Coleen Gray), supports his plan, while George’s manipulative wife, Sherry Peatty (Marie Windsor), secretly plots with her lover, Val Cannon (Vince Edwards), to double-cross the crew.

The non-linear narrative details the heist’s execution. Arcane shoots a racehorse to incite chaos, while Kennan distracts police and O’Reilly tampers with electrical systems. Clay, disguised as a baggage clerk, infiltrates the racetrack office, stealing $2 million. The plan initially succeeds, but Sherry’s betrayal unravels the operation. She informs Val, who ambushes the crew during a post-heist meeting at a warehouse, triggering a violent shootout that kills George, Kennan, O’Reilly, and Val. Sherry is later murdered by Val’s associate.

Clay escapes with Unger’s help, intending to flee with Fay. At the airport, a suitcase containing the money bursts open when a luggage cart swerves to avoid a loose dog, scattering cash. Clay is arrested, while Fay watches helplessly.