Murder by Contract (1958) in Color — Starring Vince Edwards & Phillip Pine

Murder by Contract (1958) — Buy This Classic in Color

Murder by Contract (1958) is a taut, minimalist crime thriller starring Vince Edwards as a cold-blooded hitman whose methodical approach to killing unravels on a difficult assignment, with Phillip Pine and Herschel Bernardi. Directed by Irving Lerner, this professionally colorized version brings this influential noir gem to gripping new life. Buy your colorized copy today for €15.00 and own this razor-sharp classic movie in color.

Plot Summary

Claude (Vince Edwards) is a calculating, intelligent young man who decides with cold logic that contract killing is the fastest and most efficient path to the money he needs to buy a house on the Ohio River — his single, obsessive dream. Approaching murder as purely a business proposition with no more emotional weight than any other trade, he methodically completes several jobs with chilling efficiency, earning a reputation among the criminal underworld as a reliable, dispassionate professional who never panics and never leaves loose ends.

His handlers then assign him the most lucrative contract yet — traveling to Los Angeles to eliminate a woman who is the key prosecution witness in a federal case against a powerful crime boss. Claude arrives in sun-drenched L.A. accompanied by two anxious minders, George (Herschel Bernardi) and Marc (Phillip Pine), who are responsible for ensuring the job gets done on schedule. But immediately the assignment goes sideways. Claude refuses to rush, inexplicably spending days lounging at the beach, playing his guitar, doing calisthenics, and philosophizing about life, death, and the nature of work while his increasingly desperate minders beg him to act before their employers lose patience. When Claude finally begins planning the hit, each elaborate attempt fails in unexpected ways, and he discovers that killing a woman presents unforeseen psychological complications that shake his carefully constructed professional detachment to its very core. His cool, mechanical approach to murder begins to crack, revealing the human weakness beneath the calculating surface. This classic movie builds tension through restraint and character study rather than action, creating an atmosphere of mounting dread from the quietest of moments.

Cast & Crew

Director: Irving Lerner

Stars: Vince Edwards, Phillip Pine, Herschel Bernardi, Caprice Toriel, Michael Granger, Kathie Browne, Joseph Mell, Steven Ritch, Don Garrett, Frances Osborne

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

This colorized version of Murder by Contract reveals the Los Angeles locations, the sun-drenched beaches, and the stark contrast between beauty and violence with compelling new visual depth. The original black and white cinematography captured the film’s stripped-down aesthetic brilliantly, but the professionally colorized restoration brings out the golden California sunshine, the blue Pacific Ocean where Claude lounges between assignments, the palm-lined streets of 1950s Los Angeles, and the dark, claustrophobic interiors where the tension builds with frame-by-frame precision. The striking visual contrast between the bright, carefree beach scenes and the noir-shadowed moments of violence becomes even more powerful and unsettling in color. Watch this restored classic film in atmospheric color. Now also available in colour.

Buy Murder by Contract in color today for just €15.00. Your DRM-free MP4 download is available for instant access.

Historical Significance

Murder by Contract is one of the most influential B-movies ever made, punching far above its tiny budget in terms of artistic impact and lasting legacy. Martin Scorsese has repeatedly and enthusiastically cited it as a major influence on his own filmmaking, calling it one of the films that inspired him to become a director. Its lean, character-driven approach to the hitman genre — focusing on the killer’s psychology rather than action spectacle — anticipated decades of similar films from Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samouraï to Jim Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog. Made for a minuscule budget by editor-turned-director Irving Lerner, the film overcame its financial limitations through ingenious direction and Perry Botkin’s hauntingly spare guitar score, which became a character in itself and influenced countless crime film soundtracks. Vince Edwards’ performance as the eerily calm Claude launched his career, leading directly to his starring role in the hit television series Ben Casey. The colorization brings new visual life to this essential piece of independent American cinema.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD restored
• Colorized: Professionally colorized from original black and white
• Audio: Original mono restored
• Runtime: Approximately 81 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Why is this film considered influential?
A: Murder by Contract is praised by directors like Martin Scorsese for its minimalist approach to the hitman genre. Its lean style and character-driven suspense influenced generations of crime filmmakers and anticipated the European art-house crime films of the 1960s.

Q: Is this a film noir?
A: Murder by Contract is considered a late-period film noir with a distinctly modern sensibility. Its existential character study of a professional killer, combined with its stripped-down visual style and unconventional guitar score, bridges the gap between classic noir and the crime films of the New Hollywood era.

Q: Is this the complete version?
A: Yes, this is the full 1958 theatrical release starring Vince Edwards, presented in its colorized version.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: DRM-free MP4, compatible with virtually any device or media player.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: €15.00 for instant download. The colorization process ensures every scene looks stunning in color.

Q: Can I watch on multiple devices?
A: Absolutely. The file is DRM-free, so you can watch on your TV, tablet, phone, or computer.

Related Colorized Classics

• Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood (1942)
• No Way Out (1950)
• This Gun for Hire (1942)
• Golden Salamander (1950)
• Fly By Night (1942)