In 1927, Ernest Hemingway wrote a story for Scribner’s Magazine 
entitled, The Killers. It’s a seven page story which involves two criminals who enter a small town restaurant seeking to kill a former boxer named Ole Anderson who is hiding for unknown reasons. The two men tie up the cook and a frequent Hemingway character, Nick Adams, and wait for Anderson to show. When Anderson doesn’t show up at the restaurant, the two men leave. Nick goes to the boarding house Anderson is staying at to warn him. Anderson doesn’t react to the news, telling Nick not to do anything because nothing can be done. At this point, Nick decides to leave town.
That’s the story. Three thousand words and seven pages. It is a forgettable story except it has a possible historical connection to murdered boxer, Andre Anderson. The entire story is here at the Houston Community College. Be warned that the story is liberally sprinkled with the N-word in reference to the cook, which was something I found unnecessary and off-putting.
The Killers (1946 movie)
In 
1946, Burt Lancaster made his movie debut as boxer Ole Anderson in the Robert Siodmak directed feature, The Killers. John Huston and Richard Brooks wrote the screenplay (which was credited to Anthony Veiller) that took the seven page story and turned it into a 103 minute film by asking the simple questions: “Why was Anderson resigned to his fate? Why didn’t he run when he knew he was about to be assassinated?” By using flashbacks and an insurance investigator as the protagonist, we learn the reason Ole Anderson met his end so stoically. And in standard film noir fashion, it involves a femme fatale and betrayal.
The entire original seven page story is told in the first 20 minutes of the film. The rest of the film is original material, but it is this “new” material that pulls the film together and makes it a classic. I would be remiss if I didn’t call your attention to one other actor making his credited screen debut in this movie. William Conrad gives a powerful performance in his debut as one of the killers, Max. Conrad would later create the role of Marshal Matt Dillion for the radio series Gunsmoke. With his booming voice, he narrated the TV series, The Fugitive and the TV cartoon, Rocky and Bullwinkle. He would also star in the TV series Cannon, Nero Wolfe and Jake and the Fatman.
The 1946 movie is remarkable for how it takes Hemingway’s short story and turns it into something worth getting invested in. It is available on Amazon.
The Killers (1964 movie)
The 
1964 remake of The Killers is notable because it is not a remake of Hemingway’s story, but rather a remake of the 1946 screenplay minus the actual Hemingway story. Instead of a boxer named Anderson, John Cassavetes plays a race car driver named Johnny North. Angie Dickinson is the femme fatale. The killers are Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager and they are the ones who asks the question: “Why didn’t their victim run when he knew he was about to be murdered?” Using flashbacks, we find the answer is the same as the 1946 film.
This movie plays more like a made-for TV special than a theatrical release. But there are some high points associated with this film. It has former President Ronald Reagan in his last film appearance (he would be elected Governor of California two years later). The screenplay was written by Gene L. Coon. Coon would later gain fame as a producer and writer of the original Star Trek series.
Finally, I would add that watching this movie will make you long for Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. Lee Marvin (Charlie) and Clu Gulager (Lee) will remind you of killers Vincent (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) in their mannerism and approach to their victim. Other than that, this film is not worth the investment in time.
