Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    Banner
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • Shows by Decade
        • 1950s Television
        • 1960s Television
        • 1970s Television
        • 1980s Television
        • 1990s Television
      • Shows by Genre
        • Comedy
        • Drama
        • Kids TV
        • Variety
        • News & Sport
        • Advertisements
      • Shows by Country
        • UK TV
        • USA TV
        • Australia & NZ TV
        • Canada TV
        • Europe TV
        • Japan TV
      • Shows A to K
        • Shows A
        • Shows B
        • Shows C
        • Shows D
        • Shows E
        • Shows F
        • Shows G
        • Shows H
        • Shows I
        • Shows J
        • Shows K
      • Shows L to Z
        • Shows L
        • Shows M
        • Shows N
        • Shows O
        • Shows P
        • Shows Q
        • Shows R
        • Shows S
        • Shows T
        • Shows U
        • Shows V
        • Shows W
        • Shows X
        • Shows Y
        • Shows Z
      • Shows 0 to 9
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • 1950s Music
        • 1960s Music
        • 1970s Music
        • 1980s Music
        • 1990s Music
      • Music A to K
        • Music A
        • Music B
        • Music C
        • Music D
        • Music E
        • Music F
        • Music G
        • Music H
        • Music I
        • Music J
        • Music K
      • Music L to Z
        • Music L
        • Music M
        • Music N
        • Music O
        • Music P
        • Music Q
        • Music R
        • Music S
        • Music T
        • Music U
        • Music V
        • Music W
        • Music X
        • Music Y
        • Music Z
      • Music 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • 1950s Movies
          • Movies 1950
          • Movies 1951
          • Movies 1952
          • Movies 1953
          • Movies 1954
          • Movies 1955
          • Movies 1956
          • Movies 1957
          • Movies 1958
          • Movies 1959
        • 1960s Movies
          • Movies 1960
          • Movies 1961
          • Movies 1962
          • Movies 1963
          • Movies 1964
          • Movies 1965
          • Movies 1966
          • Movies 1967
          • Movies 1968
          • Movies 1969
        • 1970s Movies
          • Movies 1970
          • Movies 1971
          • Movies 1972
          • Movies 1973
          • Movies 1974
          • Movies 1975
          • Movies 1976
          • Movies 1977
          • Movies 1978
          • Movies 1979
        • 1980s Movies
          • Movies 1980
          • Movies 1981
          • Movies 1982
          • Movies 1983
          • Movies 1984
          • Movies 1985
          • Movies 1986
          • Movies 1987
          • Movies 1988
          • Movies 1989
        • 1990s Movies
          • Movies 1990
          • Movies 1991
          • Movies 1992
          • Movies 1993
          • Movies 1994
          • Movies 1995
          • Movies 1996
          • Movies 1997
          • Movies 1998
          • Movies 1999
      • Movies A to K
        • Movies A
        • Movies B
        • Movies C
        • Movies D
        • Movies E
        • Movies F
        • Movies G
        • Movies H
        • Movies I
        • Movies J
        • Movies K
      • Movies L to Z
        • Movies L
        • Movies M
        • Movies N
        • Movies O
        • Movies P
        • Movies Q
        • Movies R
        • Movies S
        • Movies T
        • Movies U
        • Movies V
        • Movies W
        • Movies X
        • Movies Y
        • Movies Z
      • Movies 0 to 9
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Radio
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»1950s Movies»Movies 1955
    Movies 1955 Movies B 2 Mins Read

    Big Knife, The (1955)

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    An intelligent, haunting film full of wonderful performances, particularly from Jack Palance (never better) and Rod Steiger as, respectively, the successful movie star Charlie Castle, coming apart at the seams, and Stanley Hoff, the portly white-haired studio boss who wants to cover up the paranoia at any price and harries poor Charlie to death.

    Charlie is a weakling. He is also a hit and run killer whose crime has been covered up by the studio and for which another (innocent) man has spent six years in prison. When Charlie balks at signing another long contract (in order to save his marriage) the studio pulls out “the big knife”.

    Hoff pleads and fawns, flatters and intimidates. Using his dead-eyed hatchet man and “fixer”, Smiley (Wendell Corey) for the really dirty work, Hoff not only sickeningly humiliates the actor and his wife, but orders the murder of poor little contract player Dixie Evans (Shelly Winters) who was in the car with Charlie on the night of the accident and who has been drunkenly threatening to tell what she knows.

    Ida Lupino is Marion, Charlie’s long-suffering wife; Jean Hagen is she-wolf Connie; Wesley Addy is the quiet writer, Hank; and Ilka Chase is gimlet-minded gossip columnist Patty.

    Shot in 15 days and with limited studio or wardrobe changes, this is one of the more successful films that Hollywood has made about itself, blessed with a marvellously literate script from a play by Clifford Odets and able direction from Robert Aldrich.

    Charlie Castle
    Jack Palance
    Marion Castle
    Ida Lupino
    Dixie Evans
    Shelley Winters
    Smiley Coy
    Wendell Corey
    Connie Bliss
    Jean Hagen
    Stanley Hoff
    Rod Steiger
    Patty Benedict
    Ilka Chase
    Nat Danziger
    Everett Sloane
    Hank Teagle
    Wesley Addy
    Buddy Bliss
    Paul Langton
    Mickey Feeney
    Nick Dennis
    Russell
    Bill Walker
    Billy Castle
    Mike Winkelman

    Director
    Robert Aldrich

    Related Posts

    • Ballad of Josie, The (1967)
      Ballad of Josie, The (1967)
      Widow Josie Minick (Doris Day) takes up sheep farming in order to support herself and her son. Her new neighbours…
    • Barefoot Executive, The (1971)
      Barefoot Executive, The (1971)
      In Disney's The Barefoot Executive, a chimpanzee becomes head of programming at a TV station (insert your own joke here). A…
    • Border, The (1982)
      Border, The (1982)
      Jack Nicholson brings much richness to his stiff characterisation of Charlie Smith - a border patrol officer in El Paso…
    • Big Bad Mama (1974)
      Big Bad Mama (1974)
      This low-budget 1974 B-movie is a copy of Bonnie and Clyde (1967) featuring Angie (Police Woman) Dickinson as Wilma McClatchie,…
    • Body Double (1984)
      Body Double (1984)
      Craig Wasson plays Jake, a struggling actor in Hollywood who gets fired from his role as a vampire in a…
    • Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
      Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
      Kiss Me Deadly is the blackest of film noir movies - a masterpiece wrenched by director Robert Aldrich and screenwriter A I…
    • Tender Trap, The (1955)
      Tender Trap, The (1955)
      Charlie Reader (Frank Sinatra) is a successful theatre agent. He is also successful with young ladies. One day he is…
    • Oklahoma! (1955)
      Oklahoma! (1955)
      Curly McLain (Gordon MacRae) is a cowboy in the territory of Oklahoma (shortly to become a state). He is courtin'…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleKing Solomon’s Mines (1950)
    Next Article St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, The (1967)

    Comments are closed.

    NC Radio Player
    Search the site

    Nostalgia Central has been a labour of love since 1998. The site carries no advertising, and I rely on donations to help with running costs and to keep the site running for your entertainment and education.

    If you find the site informative or enjoyable, please consider a donation – no matter how small. 

    Thank you so much.
    Enjoy your trip in the time machine!

    You may also like

    • Border, The (1982)
      Border, The (1982)
      Jack Nicholson brings much richness to his stiff characterisation of Charlie Smith - a border patrol officer in El Paso…
    • Bird (1988)
      Bird (1988)
      If you only think of Clint Eastwood as two-fisted Dirty Harry, you have a major discovery in store for you .…
    • Tender Trap, The (1955)
      Tender Trap, The (1955)
      Charlie Reader (Frank Sinatra) is a successful theatre agent. He is also successful with young ladies. One day he is…
    • Oklahoma! (1955)
      Oklahoma! (1955)
      Curly McLain (Gordon MacRae) is a cowboy in the territory of Oklahoma (shortly to become a state). He is courtin'…


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central. Run by volunteers. Funded by donations.
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.