BY DOUG OSWALD

Robert Wagner is a college student trying to end the relationship with his pregnant girlfriend in “A Kiss Before Dying,” recently released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber. Joanne Woodward is Dorothy “Dorie” Kingship, the girlfriend who falls in love with handsome Bud Corliss (Wagner). Bud is a local guy attending college on the GI Bill while living at home with his doting widowed mother played by Mary Astor. Dorie is deeply in love with Bud, believing they will get married and live happily ever after. However, Bud has a more sinister view of the relationship as he is more interested in Dorie’s inheritance than her love. His greed graduates to a plot to murder Dorie when he realizes Dorie’s father will disinherit her upon learning of her pregnancy.

Bud’s first attempt to murder Dorie by poisoning her with chemicals he steals from the college chemistry department is a failure. He researches the proper chemicals in the college library and, like a bank robber, cases the locked room where the chemicals are stored. He also writes a fake suicide note and tells Dorie the pills are vitamins for the baby and she must take them that night. She agrees and says goodnight to Bud, who mails the suicide note. The next day Bud seats himself at his usual desk in class expecting to hear news about Dorie when she walks in.

The shocked Bud scrambles unsuccessfully to retrieve the suicide note, but immediately comes up with a new plan. He tells her they are going to get married at city hall which is everything Dorie wants to hear. Arriving early, they head for the observation area on the roof where the film’s most dramatic sequence is set in motion.

There’s a foreshadowing of “Psycho” with the relationship between Bud and his mother as well as the involvement of the intended victim’s sister. Mrs. Corliss is oblivious to Bud’s true nature and he resents her intrusiveness. Jeffrey Hunter is Gordon Grant, a college professor who knows Bud and Dorie and takes an interest in mysterious matters concerning Dorie.He connects with Dorie’s sister Ellen Kingship (Virginia Leith of “The Brain that Wouldn’t Die” fame), who is suspicious events that transpire- and Bud in particular. I’ll not reveal the climax, the movie comes to an entertaining and satisfying conclusion.

Directed by Gerd Oswald and released by United Artists in 1956, the screenplay by Lawrence Roman is based on the novel by Ira Levin. The movie is beautifully photographed in Cinemascope by Lucien Ballard (“The Killing” and “The Wild Bunch”) giving the film a dream-like- look and feel which is aided by the on-location filming. The movie was made in and around Tucson, Arizona including a copper mine south of town where the climax takes place.

Wagner is terrific as the psychopathic killer because, initially, we want to like him and hope he will do the right thing. Jeffrey Hunter appears in the movie too briefly, but is a welcome addition to the cast. Joanne Woodward gives a sincere performance as the cursed Dorie with Virginia Leith, Mary Astor and George Macready rounding out the impressive supporting cast. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray looks beautiful and sounds great with a running time of 94 minutes. The original trailer is the only extra on the disc. This entertaining thriller is highly recommended for fans looking for an engaging psychological thriller.

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