A Kiss Before Dying

100%

Tomatometer

11 Reviews

47%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

Amoral Bud Corliss (Robert Wagner) pursues young heiress Dorie Kingship (Joanne Woodward) in the hopes of getting his hands on the fortune amassed by her father (George Macready). But after Dorie succumbs to Bud's charms and becomes pregnant as a result, he fears she'll be cut off by the family and murders her in a fashion that makes it look as if the poor girl committed suicide. When Bud tries to cozy up with Dorie's grieving sister, Ellen (Virginia Leith), she begins to suspect his intentions.

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Critics Reviews

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A Kiss Before Dying | Rotten Tomatoes (1)

Variety Staff

Variety

This multiple-murder story is an offbeat sort of film, with Robert Wagner portraying a calculating youth who intends to allow nothing to stand in his way to money... Gerd Oswald's restrained direction suits the mood.

Mar 26, 2009

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A Kiss Before Dying | Rotten Tomatoes (2)

Paul Taylor

Time Out

Wagner is perfect as the college kid psycho coolly removing the pregnant Woodward from his life.

Jun 24, 2006

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A Kiss Before Dying | Rotten Tomatoes (3)

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Its very much a product of its time, handsome and smoothly directed in Technicolor and CinemaScope by Gerd Oswald with a modest style that anticipates the romantic thrillers of the 1960s...

Mar 20, 2022

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A Kiss Before Dying | Rotten Tomatoes (4)

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A silky-smooth adaptation of Ira Levin's first novel.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 19, 2020

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A Kiss Before Dying | Rotten Tomatoes (5)

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Based on Ira Levin's (admittedly superior) novel...

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 14, 2020

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A Kiss Before Dying | Rotten Tomatoes (6)

Adrian Turner

Radio Times

This is a fine adaptation of Rosemary's Baby author Ira Levin's dark tale about a social climber who kills his wealthy girlfriend when her pregnancy threatens her inheritance.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 30, 2015

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Audience Reviews

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Steve D Dark, depressing but well made. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/03/23 Full Review Audience Member A very interesting film with up coming stars at the time, good cinematography Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Robert Wagner's character might be one of cinema's worst serial killers, but the film is a good study of a psychopath. It is also cool to see the young Wagner and Joanne Woodward (her second film) working together. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Really enjoyed this colour film noir and it has Jeffrey Hunter from Star Trek Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member A classic. The scenes of the University of Arizona, downtown Tucson, and the desert in the 1950s are breathtaking to see. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member Robert Wagner basically played himself in this movie. Chilling to see him throw his rich girlfriend off a tall building the way he threw his rich wife Natalie Wood off a boat then staged it to look like "an accident" Life certainly imitates art, a must see! Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Read all reviews

A Kiss Before Dying

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Cast & Crew

Gerd Oswald Director Robert Wagner Bud Corliss Virginia Leith Ellen Kingship Joanne Woodward Dorothy "Dorie" Kingship Jeffrey Hunter Gordon Grant Mary Astor Mrs. Corliss

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A Kiss Before Dying

A Kiss Before Dying: Official Clip - A Simple Matter of Chemistry