MURDER BY CONTRACT
US, 1958, 81 minutes, Black-and-white.
Vince Edwards, Philip Pine, Herschel Bernardi, Caprice Toriel, Kathie Browne, Joseph Mell.
Directed by Irving Lerner.
Murder by Contract is a surprisingly interesting film. It was directed by Irving Lerner who made a number of small budget thrillers, City of Fear with Vince Edwards, Studs Lonigan and the bigger budget The Royal Hunt of the Sun. He also worked as an editor and died while working on Martin Scorsese’s New York, New York. This is also an early film for Vince Edwards was seen to make an impact on television as Ben Casey.
Here Edwards portrays a young man, Claude, who plans to be a hitman, making contact and being kept waiting, then will patiently biding his time, a very orderly man, very detached. In fact, the film is an interesting study of him and his principles, complete detachment, no emotions, planning his killings and executing them with finesse and his not being able to be detected.
The bulk of the film concerns a hit in California where he enjoys looking at the scenery and fishing, puts the identity of the target on hold, then does some planning only to be somewhat jinxed by discovering that the target is a woman, the former mistress of his boss who is to testify in court.
All the time he is accompanied by two thugs, one, Philip Pine, always impatient and unable to understand how Claude ticks. The other, played by Herschel Bernardi, seems to be fascinated by Claude in his attitudes and behaviour.
The film builds up to a climax, the attempted assassination of the target, the mistake made, Claude trying to rectify it but, surprisingly to himself, unable finally to kill the target. To his own detriment, of course.
1. An effective gangster thriller? Psychological study?
2. America in the 1950s, apartments, gang bosses, organised hits, at the barbers, in hospitals…? The deaths not explicitly seen? The transition to California, touristic aspects, the target and her house, the plans for her murder?
3. The significant musical score, light touch, guitar?
4. The focus on Claude, his age, the story of his background, education, experience, skills? Preparing himself to be a hitman? The opening, getting up and getting dressed, the visit to the contact, his shrewd answers, waiting for the fortnight, at home alone, the food being brought in, the phone call? His immediately going, his respect for the contact, willing to undertake any murder?
5. Claude and his philosophy of life, no emotions, killing as a business, wanting his house and getting the money, huge income from hits? His detachment, his studying of situations, his expertise in execution?
6. Being sent to California? George and Marc and then meeting him, their personalities, Marc and his continued impatience as the days went on, George and his being intrigued by Claude’s personality? The tensions with Claude not asking about the target, the sites, going swimming, deep sea fishing?
7. Scouting out the house, his discovery that the target was a woman and its effect on him? His attitude towards women? Wanting more money? A jinx?
8. The woman, her relationship with Claude’s boss, testifying in court, the time limits to kill her? Her personality, energy, in the house, watching television, playing the piano, the range of police? Her wanting a female officer? The woman coming to the house, trying on the negligee? The consequences?
9. Claude working at a theory, getting George to practice archery, Marc and his bewilderment and impatience? Claude scouting out all the guns? The plan, firing the fiery arrow into the grass, causing a disturbance, Claude waiting with the gun? The irony of the policewoman coming to the door being killed?
10. Claude, his manner, his humiliation of Harry and the dirty cup at the hotel, yet giving him a tip? The conversation about guns at the shop? The conversation with the official and the explanation of the house plans and pipes?
11. His failure, George and Marc, planning to kill him, going to the studio, feigning dizziness, tricking Marc and killing him, George inside and the sound of his death?
12. Claude and his booking Mary, at her work, the escort service, coming to the room, Claude and his reaction, her giving the news about the cover-up and the death? Claude ousting her?
13. Claude determined to do the killing, the plans, the pipes, his going through the connections, knocking out the policeman, talking with the victim, her playing the piano, his not being
able to strangle her? In the pipe, his shooting back, the police shooting him, the target surviving – and his hand shown at the pipe?
14. Interesting study of a sociopath/psychopath?
