Sterling Hayden’s Four-Pocket Sport Jackets in The Killing

Sterling Hayden in The Killing (1956) Vitals Sterling Hayden as Johnny Clay, professional armed robber and ex-convict Los Angeles, Fall 1955 Film: The Killing Release Date: May 19, 1956 Director: Stanley Kubrick Wardrobe Credit: Jack Masters WARNING! Spoilers ahead! Background Stanley Kubrick’s third directorial feature The Killing arrived in select theaters 70 years ago today on May 19, 1956. The limited release hurt its box office, though it was well-received by critics and even received a BAFTA nomination for Best Film. In addition to establishing Kubrick as a more mainstream talent, it remains a quintessential example of heist film noir, influencing filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino who described his own debut Reservoir Dogs as his own take on The Killing. Kubrick collaborated with pulp novelist Jim Thompson on the hard-boiled screenplay, adapted from Lionel White’s novel Clean Break. The action centers around recently paroled Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden), who is already planning…