In Cold Blood (1967)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Richard Brooks

Writers:

Truman Capote (novel)
Richard Brooks (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 December 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | History

Plot:

After a botched robbery results in the brutal murder of a rural family, two drifters elude police, in the end coming to terms with their own mortality and the repercussions of their vile atrocity.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Execution | Police | Trial | Kansas

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Robert Blake	...	Perry Smith
Scott Wilson	...	Richard 'Dick' Hickock
John Forsythe	...	Alvin Dewey
Paul Stewart	...	Jensen
Gerald S. O'Loughlin	...	Harold Nye
Jeff Corey	...	Mr. Hickock
John Gallaudet	...	Roy Church
James Flavin	...	Clarence Duntz
Charles McGraw	...	Tex Smith
Will Geer	...	Prosecutor
John McLiam	...	Herbert Clutter
Ruth Storey	...	Bonnie Clutter
Brenda Currin	...	Nancy Clutter (as Brenda C. Currin)
Paul Hough	...	Kenyon Clutter
Vaughn Taylor	...	Good Samaritan

Also Known As:

Truman Capote's In Cold Blood (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

134 min | Poland:129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (release prints) | 3 Channel Stereo (original mix)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | France:-16 | West Germany:16 (re-rating) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | UK:15 | UK:X (original rating) | South Korea:15 (2006) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (Suggested for Mature Audiences) (original rating) | USA:R (re-rating) (1970)

Filming Locations:

Colorado, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

During the scene where Perry Smith (Robert Blake) is summing up his life, the rain on the window is reflected on Blake's face so that it looks like he's shedding tears, and the effect was lauded by many reviewers. That effect wasn't planned - the set was hot that day and a fan was being used near the simulated rain; it accidentally blew the water against the window, resulting in the shadows of the falling "rain" passing over Blake's face.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Perry Smith is sent through the gallows trap at the end of the film, it is apparent that the rope is connected to the stand-in mannequin's middle back, rather than around its neck.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Little girl on bus: 'Scuse me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Rebel Set (#5.19)" (1992)

A Master Piece of Film-Making

I just saw this film again and it's still a masterpiece after almost 40 years.

Robert Blake and Scott Wilson in their greatest on-screen performances as two cold-blooded killers who slaughtered a family of 4 for a mere 40 dollars. Shot in black and white, the film is brutal, disturbing, and raw in it's portrayal of such a violent and senseless act. There are no heroics or wild police chases, just a realistic look at the crime, the capture, and the executions which inspired the award winning novel by Truman Capote, In Cold Blood.

The murders of the family are the most brutal in film-history, yet avoids the blood-bath so common in today's pictures. It's the senselessness of the whole thing that is so disturbing. Outstand performances by the entire cast. In Cold Blood is a masterpiece.