FItzMularkey Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Hi: I'm new to the message boards but noticed that A Kiss Before Dying (1956 version with Robert Wagner) is on today. I've never seen it but intrigued by the idea of Robert Wagner as a killer. Is it worth watching? FitzMularkey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Hi: I'm new to the message boards but noticed that A Kiss Before Dying (1956 version with Robert Wagner) is on today. I've never seen it but intrigued by the idea of Robert Wagner as a killer. Is it worth watching? FitzMularkey Absolutely. And welcome to the boards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavenderblue19 Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Hi: I'm new to the message boards but noticed that A Kiss Before Dying (1956 version with Robert Wagner) is on today. I've never seen it but intrigued by the idea of Robert Wagner as a killer. Is it worth watching? FitzMularkey Welcome to the Boards, and YES definitely worth watching Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misswonderly3 Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Hi: I'm new to the message boards but noticed that A Kiss Before Dying (1956 version with Robert Wagner) is on today. I've never seen it but intrigued by the idea of Robert Wagner as a killer. Is it worth watching? FitzMularkey Well, I didn't like it, but I'm glad I've seen it, Know what I mean? Sometimes you want to watch a film you've heard of, maybe heard a lot about it. But then when you finally do see it, you're disappointed. That's how I felt about A Kiss Before Dying. However, before I finally had a chance to watch it, I was dying to see it. Actually, I did make a point of viewing it one time when it was aired on TCM, because I think it's classified as a film noir, and I try to see every noir I can. Watch first, decide whether I liked it or not later. So, do watch it, and I hope you enjoy it. For me, the best thing about it was its title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FItzMularkey Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share Posted June 14, 2015 Wow. Thanks for the quick responses. Next question: Is there any suspense to Robert Wagner as the killer or does it become clear very early in the film that "He's the guy." A little suspense would be nice but I get the sense by reading the Article about the film that he is revealed very early on. Skipped the synopsis in the interest of having a few surprises. The title is great. Was this based on a book? FitzMularkey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Kimble Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 It's Wagner's best film role, even if it would work better in B&W and standard screen ratio. The killing scene itself is well done, and the plot twist (idiotically not used in the pointless '90s remake) is a classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavenderblue19 Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Wow. Thanks for the quick responses. Next question: Is there any suspense to Robert Wagner as the killer or does it become clear very early in the film that "He's the guy." A little suspense would be nice but I get the sense by reading the Article about the film that he is revealed very early on. Skipped the synopsis in the interest of having a few surprises. The title is great. Was this based on a book? FitzMularkey yes Ira Levin wrote the book and I remember reading it when it first hit the stands many years ago. Yes you know early on the Robert Wagner is the killer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
film lover 293 Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Mary Astor knocks it out of the park and Wagner is extremely good in a change-of-pace role. There is suspense. Welcome to the boards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopBilled Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 The title is great. Was this based on a book? FitzMularkey Based on a 1954 novel by Ira Levin. If you're a Mary Astor fan and if you watch the film on TCM today and you are impressed by her, she plays a similar role (smothering mother) in RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE a few years later. By the way, this film was remade with Sean Young and Matt Dillon in the early 90s. In the remake, Diane Ladd played the mother, hot off her Oscar nomination for David Lynch's WILD AT HEART. The 1991 version is a bit more graphic, because there was no production code to water down the elements of the original story. For more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Kiss_Before_Dying_(1991_film) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Kimble Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Wow. Thanks for the quick responses. Next question: Is there any suspense to Robert Wagner as the killer or does it become clear very early in the film that "He's the guy." A little suspense would be nice but I get the sense by reading the Article about the film that he is revealed very early on. Skipped the synopsis in the interest of having a few surprises. The title is great. Was this based on a book? It's based on Ira Levin's novel, which became celebrated among mystery buffs for the twist I mentioned earlier. Curiously, during this same period Levin had a big hit as a playwright with No Time For Sergeants, starring Andy Griffith. I guess that's what you call versatility. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Whom do we see about a tax-free merger of two threads? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yogiboo Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 This film is most mesmerizing if one has never seen it *and* if you want to see the young and beautiful RJ (Wagner) playing very much against type. He is so good and so is Joanne Woodward. Nice seeing her before her star making role in Three Faces of Eve. I do still enjoy it and will watch again today. Mos def a must see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Kimble Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Whom do we see about a tax-free merger of two threads? The other one will be retitled tomorrow Please be patient 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElCid Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I watched it years ago, but was disappointed. Maybe I expected too much. Have never watched it since. I would give it one star. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FItzMularkey Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share Posted June 14, 2015 Whom do we see about a tax-free merger of two threads? I'm so sorry about this. I didn't see another thread about the same film. Just call me a newbie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I'm so sorry about this. I didn't see another thread about the same film. Just call me a newbie. No problem Fitz, not your fault at all. Happens all the time. Enjoy your time here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Kimble Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I'm so sorry about this. I didn't see another thread about the same film. Don't worry. This thread is superior, if only because of my presence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lydecker Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I'm so sorry about this. I didn't see another thread about the same film. Just call me a newbie. Don't worry about it. No big deal. We are always glad to get new voices on the board. As for A Kiss Before Dying, it is definitely worth checking out. Not a great film but certainly fun to see "Wholesome Boy Wagner" play against type. Lydecker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogie56 Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Don't worry. This thread is superior, if only because of my presence. I'll bow to that. Joanne Woodward is pretty good in a supporting role in this one too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lavenderblue19 Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I'm so sorry about this. I didn't see another thread about the same film. Just call me a newbie. the other thread is just an old bumped up one, and not to worry. Great to see new posters on the bds. Hope you enjoy the film and the bds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinemafan Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I'll bow to that. Joanne Woodward is pretty good in a supporting role in this one too. Her role reminds me of the Shelley Winters role in A Place in the Sun - how he is desperate to get out of the situation he is in. There are some great Los Angeles and Arizona location scenes in this one. George Macready - he seems to be in every other film I've seen lately - a good thing for me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesJazGuitar Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Her role reminds me of the Shelley Winters role in A Place in the Sun - how he is desperate to get out of the situation he is in. There are some great Los Angeles and Arizona location scenes in this one. George Macready - he seems to be in every other film I've seen lately - a good thing for me. George Macready does get around. I saw him last night in Johnny Allegro. A film with George Raft and Nina Foch as well. (the type of George I'm used to verses A Kiss Before Dying). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lydecker Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Her role reminds me of the Shelley Winters role in A Place in the Sun - how he is desperate to get out of the situation he is in. Yep, her role is like Shelley Winters' in A Place In the Sun but, in the case of Joanne Woodward's character, you are actually sorry she gets killed! Lydecker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primosprimos Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 I watched it years ago, but was disappointed. Maybe I expected too much. Have never watched it since. I would give it one star. I agree. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoldenIsHere Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 There was an adaptation of A KISS BEFORE DYING starring Matt Dillon from the 1990s that I liked. That version also featured Max Von Sydow and Diane Ladd. Sean Young had the female lead. I admit I'm not much of a Robert Wagner fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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