Ronald Reagan had such an eventful presidency that everyone seems to forget he was once an actor. In fact, Reagan had a longer career in Hollywood (1937-1966) than in politics (1967-1988). The former president’s journey in the entertainment industry began at WHO Radiowhere he served as the announcer for Chicago Cubs games. He then moved to California, where he signed a multi-film contract with Warner Bros. that allowed him to make a whopping 30 films before being signed in 1942.

After the war, Reagan’s popularity grew, allowing him to do business with Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures and RKO Pictures. His new reputation in Hollywood also enabled him to be elected president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

For most of his career, Ronald Reagan focused on producing Westerns. However, he decided to end his Hollywood career with a gangster film before running for governor of California. The film was from 1964 The murderersa blunt one, Terrifying film from Don Siegel that gets to the bottom of the desperate, stubborn souls of the underground: those hardened, fearless criminals who will stop at nothing to get a few more dollars.

Reagan gave a performance that must have followed the audience long after the theater lights turned on, and then he said goodbye to the cinephiles. Unlike Schwarzenegger, he never came back. He remained loyal to politics until the end of his life.

Ronald Reagan is a ruthless crime boss in The Killers.

Based on the 1927 short story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. The murderers is about two hitmen, Charlie (Lee Marvin) and Lee (Clu Culager), who become curious after taking down a mysterious target named Johnny. Since they paid above market price, they assume the dead man was someone important, so they do some research.

The killers discover that Johnny is a former race car driver who used to date Sheila (Angie Dickinson), the lover of Jack Browning (Ronald Reagan), a relentless crime boss with a burning desire for malevolence.

Browning came up with the idea of ​​stealing a million dollars from a US mail van, and Sheila suggested her secret lover as the getaway driver. However, Johnny took drastic measures and took advantage of his only chance at wealth by deciding to run away with the money. Being the clever mafia boss that he is, Browning tracked him down and shot him, aiming to leave him for dead, but only succeeded in injuring his leg. Fearing that Johnny would seek revenge, Browning hired Charlie and Lee to kill him. Charlie and Lee therefore pay Browning a visit.

“The Killers” has all the necessary ingredients for the genre

Don Siegel layers gorgeous color photographs that enchant the lush California suburbs The murderers with a touch of nostalgia and opulence that makes it even more impressive. The filmmaker made many other films with straightforward effectiveness and clinical connection, but this one gave him a clear idea of ​​what he wanted to focus on in the future.

Surprisingly, the film is rarely mentioned when discussing the greatest gangster films. Despite it, It has all the hallmarks of a classic production of the genre.

Take the common “gangster with the unfortunate wife/girlfriend” storyline as an example. The trope is present in The Godfather (Michael constantly argues with Kay), Scarface (Tony and Elviria’s marriage quickly falls apart), Goodfellas (Karen even points a gun at Henry), casino (ginger is ungovernable) and The sopranos (Carmela gets revenge on Tony) among many other great offers.

The theme of loyalty is also used frequently. Here, Everyone except Johnny and Sheila is a backstabber. Added to this are the juicy quotes that add a hypocritical note to the prevailing mood of hopelessness.

“I support theft; Murder goes against my principles.”

Reagan’s character says the words above, but there is a lot of blood splattered in them The murderers.Today, his DNA can be traced throughout Hollywood. The film’s “everyone shoots everyone” ending was borrowed by Tarantino several times and is now even considered his trademark. The best examples of a similar scene can be seen in Reservoir dogs And The hateful eight. Additionally, The two killers have the same curiosity and drive as Jules and Vince pulp Fiction.

…but Reagan hated it

As good as The murderer That is, Ronald Reagan saw this as a blemish on his resume. It was the most unusual performance of his illustrious career and a far cry from his humble cowboy career.

During his time in Hollywood He had only played heroes and considered himself one. Therefore, playing a villain bothered him, especially when his enemies brought up the role during the campaign to suggest that he had no morals. Originally intended as an NBC television film, The gangster film was so violent and sexy that the network rejected it, prompting Universal Pictures to release it in theaters.

Reagan’s motivations for starring in the film are unclear, but you can bet on his desire to get back to the top. He had previously gone six years without a major film role, a stark contrast to his early acting days when he averaged about three films a year. The actor had gotten a few guest roles on television, but that wasn’t something he could be proud of. So when Don Siegel made an offer, he couldn’t say no.

When I looked at it, Genre fans will feel like the former president had nothing to be ashamed of.The murderers is a classic, a gripping mob saga that should be revered forever. The film has no shortage of twisted, shocking moments of unfathomable horror or gratuitous bloodshed, and Siegel does it all so cleverly and with such conviction that you find yourself drawn into this little abyss of crime. Don’t let it pass you by in silence.