24 Feb Fashion in Classic Film Noir: The Killers (1946)

The Killers is one of the most remembered film noirs today, largely thanks to Ava Gardner as the ultimate femme fatale in a now iconic slinky black satin dress and long black gloves. The film, which shot both its lead actors to stardom, is based on an Ernest Hemingway short story, which begins with two hitmen who enter a small town restaurant and terrorize the people inside, claiming they’re looking to kill a man called ‘the Swede’ (Burt Lancaster), who is awaiting his fate in his lodgings, below.

After the deed is done, the story oscillates between the present and the past through the lens of insurance investigator Jim Reardon (Edmond O’Brien) and the people he interviews who knew the Swede in order to uncover the mystery behind the murder.

I thought it was rather interesting to see a “working man’s” outfit in a film noir, especially on a main character (I’m so used to seeing detectives and lawyers, I suppose). Here’s the Swede in grease-stained chinos and shirt (peep the tiny clip-on bowtie). At this point we haven’t seen his life before this, but this outfit represents the final stage in his character arc. It’s very humbling; the grease stains represent the stains on his character.

Going way back into the past, the Swede, who we now know as Ole Andreson, a former boxer, arrives at the life-altering party in a typical ’40s business suit. His girlfriend, Lily (Virginia Christie) wears a conservative black skirt suit with a striped collar and cuffs and a soft black hat.

Contrasting Lily is Kitty Collins (Ava Gardner), above, in that black satin gown I mentioned earlier. Sooo stunning. This is the turning point for the Swede, as he’s completely entranced by Kitty, forgetting all about Lily, below.

Below, Kitty’s outfit is almost comically elaborate with her pancake hat and low-cut dress. Take note of the stolen spider broach on her left breast, which she tries to hide in her soup when police Lieutenant Sam Lubinsky (Sam Levene)—also the Swede’s old friend—enters the Green Cat café and spots it on her. The spider is a commonly used motif for the femme fatale, hinting at the black widow hidden underneath the sweet and beautiful exterior.

Kitty’s outfits as a whole aren’t typically femme fatale, per se, as evidenced by the following outfits:

The simple sweater and skirt gives Kitty an innocent look, one the Swede adores and believes, but when he’s not looking, she’s fixates him with this stare like he’s her prey, below. (Again, that black widow idea.)

Below is yet another simple outfit: a shirt with the sleeves rolled up tucked into a black midi skirt. Kitty doesn’t really need a lot; the simplicity of her understated wardrobe does enough to mask her true intentions. Meanwhile, the goons involved in the heist wear striped shirts and suspenders associated with shady film noir characters. This helps us understand that the Swede, who’s dressed much cleaner, stands out as essentially a good guy who falls in with the wrong crowd of people, and, thanks to his naivety, is manipulated into their schemes.

Below, the Swede and Kitty are dressed almost identically in the scene that see’s the Swede’s fall from grace, which will lead him to become how we first saw him at the beginning of the film. Arc complete!

Sources:

• Classic Hollywood Style by Caroline Young