ThiefHott Too much of everything

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

JohnHowardReid Wonderful! One of Lugosi's best films, but not oddly enough because of either his presence or his performance. True, he handles his role capably and exudes a fair amount of charisma, but his part is not all that large and most of his thunder is stolen by other players, particularly Alexander Carr as the penny-pinching, would-be Romeo of a studio head, Harold Minjir as his put-upon yet uppity assistant, John Wray as an argumentative detective, and last, but by no means last, David Manners as a charmingly resourceful buttinsky who is only too happy to help our siren of a heroine, Adrienne Ames, avert any and all pitfalls. For a while there it looks like even Jimmy Donlin is going to garner more attention than Bela, but his role fades away as the film progresses.Mind you, for silent movie fans, The Death Kiss is something of a windfall. Barbara Bedford, our lovely heroine of Tumbleweeds and The Notorious Lady, can be spotted early on as a script girl (she has no dialog, alas), while her director, King Baggot, has a sizable scene as a helpful electrician. Frank O'Connor, the director of Devil's Island and The Block Signal, can be spotted in a number of sequences as a uniformed policeman, while Neely Edwards who had an extensive silent career (over 140 films) enjoys a key scene with David Manners. Atmospherically directed in an admirably fluid style by Edwin L. Marin (in his directorial debut), The Death Kiss emerges as a fascinatingly true-to-life, ingeniously suspenseful murder mystery. Not the least of its attractions, of course, are the many behind-the-scenes glimpses of long-vanished Tiffany Studios. (I always thought it was a hole-in-the-wall outfit. I was dead wrong. It's huge!)

Leofwine_draca THE DEATH KISS is an acceptable murder mystery from the early days of sound cinema. The whole movie takes place on a movie set, which makes for quite a fun and atypical viewing experience, and the opening sequence is a cracker: a character is murdered by a mystery assassin in film, only for the cast to discover that the actor has been killed for real. Which of them did it? This film has a short running time like many of its ilk, which means that it runs through the various police procedural bits at speed. The comic relief is quite laboured but I enjoyed it, especially the efforts of the bumbling security guard. Horror fans will enjoy seeing Bela Lugosi in support, as he's given something a little different to do here, and there's even a role for Edward Van Sloan, teaming up with Lugosi again after Dracula. THE DEATH KISS isn't an amazing film or anything, but it's an effective time-waster and I particularly enjoyed the reveal at the climax.

wes-connors "When an actor in a mystery film called 'The Death Kiss' ends up killed during a drive-by shooting scene, the film's screenwriter Franklyn Drew (David Manners) takes it upon himself to investigate. Among the suspects are an actress named Marcia Lane (Adrienne Ames), who is not only the dead actor's widow but also the screenwriter's lover, and Joseph Steiner, an arrogant studio executive played by Bela Lugosi," according to the Alpha Video DVD sleeve description. Future releases, if there are any, should correct the credit "Directed by Phil Rosen". And, always look for a version that includes the restored colorized sequences.This minor classic is smoothly orchestrated by director Edwin L. Martin and entertainingly managed by the cast and crew."The Death Kiss" is one of those old public domain films sold by vendors capitalizing on the title and Lugosi's appearance in the cast to suggest horror. Although it reunites three horrific "Dracula" (1931) actors, this is strictly a mystery. The story wasn't original, but seemed fresh in the new talking pictures medium. The aforementioned stars are joined by Edward Van Sloan as the director who unknowingly scolds his star murder victim for hamming up his demise. For a retake, the director advises expiring actor Edmund Burns (as Myles Brent), "When you die this time, let's have less gymnastics, and don't spin like a top when you fall." ****** The Death Kiss (12/5/32) Edwin L. Marin ~ David Manners, Adrienne Ames, Bela Lugosi, Edward Van Sloan

bensonmum2 It's a plot device that's been used many times since, but The Death Kiss may have been the first time an actor was killed on set when someone fired a real bullet instead of blanks (at least it's the first I know of). Studio writer Franklyn Drew (David Manners) takes it upon himself to "help" the police find the killer – whether they actually want him snooping around or not. It seems that Drew has a thing for the film's leading lady, Marcia Lane (Adrienne Ames), a prime suspect because of her past relationship with the dead man. With lots of clues, red herrings, and no shortage of suspects, Drew's got his work cut out for him.The Death Kiss is far from being a great movie, but for a low budget poverty row thriller/mystery, it's not half bad. One of the more interesting aspects of the film is the reuniting of Dracula alums Manners, Bela Lugosi, and Edward Van Sloan. Unlike Dracula, however, this is Manners' film with his scenes and importance far out-stripping his better known co-stars. In fact Lugosi is given very little to actually do other than stare suspiciously and mysteriously at anyone who gets within his gaze. Another positive aspect is the relationship between Manners and Ames. They work well together and make a very believable couple. First time director Edwin L. Marin does a more than adequate job with this early talkie. He seems to have an understanding of the medium and how to use it. The plot includes plenty of twists and turns to keep the viewer's interest. And the final outcome and reveal, though dependent upon coincidence and a bit of dumb luck, is more than satisfactory.