Blast of Silence (1961)

82% of critics liked it
(11 reviews)
84% of users liked it
(680 ratings)

A few days in the life of a murderer go under the microscope in this offbeat and intense low-budget film noir, the first feature from director Allen Baron. Frankie Bono (Baron) is a hired killer from Cleveland who travels to New York City a few days before Christmas on an assignment. Bono, a bitter… More A few days in the life of a murderer go under the microscope in this offbeat and intense low-budget film noir, the first feature from director Allen Baron. Frankie Bono (Baron) is a hired killer from Cleveland who travels to New York City a few days before Christmas on an assignment. Bono, a bitter loner who has few friends and little use for relationships with others, has been brought to the Big Apple to rub out Troiano (Peter Clume), a second-rate mobster. After a less than pleasant encounter with Big Ralph (Larry Tucker), a rotund underground gun dealer, Bono begins casing out Troiano and discovers his target is out of town for a few days, giving him some time to kill. Bono bumps into a childhood friend who thinks he could use a friend and introduces Frankie to Lorrie (Molly McCarthy), but when she invites him to her flat for dinner, the evening doesn't go well and Bono feels more alienated than ever. While keeping tabs on Troiano, Bono runs into Big Ralph again, with consequences that put the hit man and his career in great danger. Blast of Silence features a distinctive and highly dramatic second-person narration read by Lionel Stander (whose name does not appear in the credits); the narration was written by the then-blacklisted Waldo Salt under the name Mel Davenport. Director Allen Baron originally cast Peter Falk as Frankie Bono, but ended up playing the lead after Falk dropped out to take a better paying role in the crime drama Murder Inc. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 17 min.
Directed By: Allen Baron
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: Apr 1, 1961 Wide
On DVD: Apr 15, 2008

Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
With its finger-popping jazz score and beat-inspired interior monologue (in second person, no less), this might seem comical if it weren't so rooted in existential dread.
Eugene Archer, New York Times
Over-eager, unsuccessful, but worth watching.
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
You'd have to wait until The Killing of a Chinese Bookie for a deeper autopsy of the gangland macho ethos
Craig Phillips, GreenCine
The lost noir classic starts off a bit dubiously... but the increasingly sleazy, realistic atmosphere begins to take hold of you, until you're fairly well rapt.
Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
pure bliss for lovers of cigarettes, fedoras, and big black sedans
Louis Proyect, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Absolutely eye-popping film noir about an alienated hit-man. Not without a certain musty charm, especially the scene at the Village Gate where a "beatnik" jazz musician sings "Dressed in Black".
Sean Axmaker, MSN.com
The film plays like an unholy marriage between the realist films noir of the '40s like The Naked City and the early independent dramas of John Cassavetes...
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine
The neglected standing of Blast of Silence is the film's own best proof of its uniquely wallflowerish take on film noir tropes.
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine
The tension doesn't so much revolve around the antihero's job, redemption, or ultimate fate but rather the disconnect between its mundane milieu and the grandiose flourishes they're meant to convey.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
There's lots to recommend this shoestring picture, not the least of which is Baron's acting ability.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Tells you everything you wanted to know about how a cautious professional hit man thinks and acts.

Read all 11 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Pierluigi P

A hired killer takes us for a stroll through Manhattan's wet pavement, along with his misanthropic thoughts, and especially directed feelings of utter disgust and hatred for his new target; like he was some kind of a grown up Holden Caulfield. The film, like everybody points… More
A hired killer takes us for a stroll through Manhattan's wet pavement, along with his misanthropic thoughts, and especially directed feelings of utter disgust and hatred for his new target; like he was some kind of a grown up Holden Caulfield. The film, like everybody points out, lacks storytelling expertise. The voice over narration is unnecesary and takes away the emotional impact the images for themselves could have had. Perhaps this only inconvenience is what keeps it away from being a real contender when compared to others. But having stark realism and nihilism all over it, makes Allen Baron's obscure opera prima what film noir is all about, the complex character study of a man trapped on a hellish existence.
Stella D

tough film to rate. some of the acting is poor and the voiceover is mostly annoying and unnecessary. also the 'music' in the jazz club scene is like comic relief. still i'm not sorry i watched it. it's nicely shot and kind of existential. worth seeing for fans… More
tough film to rate. some of the acting is poor and the voiceover is mostly annoying and unnecessary. also the 'music' in the jazz club scene is like comic relief. still i'm not sorry i watched it. it's nicely shot and kind of existential. worth seeing for fans of film noir and pulp
Tim S

Even Criterion is lowering thier standards. The movie looks great and some of the sequences are cool, but overall I was bored. I kept thinking of this as a 60's version of one of those Goodfellas knockoffs starring Frank Vincent and the kid from A Bronx Tale (see Federal Hill,… More
Even Criterion is lowering thier standards. The movie looks great and some of the sequences are cool, but overall I was bored. I kept thinking of this as a 60's version of one of those Goodfellas knockoffs starring Frank Vincent and the kid from A Bronx Tale (see Federal Hill, Amongst Friends). The entire cast is alughable, but it didn't bother me as much as the narration which was, at times, annoying. I just kept wishing for this guy to either kill his mark or kill himself.
Michael G

Admittedly Blast of Silence has some embarrassing aspects to it. The jazz club scene alone should've send this movie into obscurity. Throw the poorly delivered and mostly nonsensical narration and theoretically you've got a recipe for some grade-A crap. But Allen… More
Admittedly Blast of Silence has some embarrassing aspects to it. The jazz club scene alone should've send this movie into obscurity. Throw the poorly delivered and mostly nonsensical narration and theoretically you've got a recipe for some grade-A crap. But Allen Baron's direction and eye for the grittiness that steals the show is as brilliant as it is incredible. Yeah, the acting is weak (even though Baron himself is great when he doesn't speak) and the story kind of fizzles out at the end, that scene with Ralph toward the beginning was creepy and amazing. And Scorsese had to be thinking of this when he made Taxi Driver. Film noir dies here.
Eric B

Well-photographed/directed little hitman film, in chilly B&W. About as good as it possibly could be, considering the limited resources and star power. The rat-loving gun dealer "Big Ralph" is a great character, and I almost wished the film was about him instead. My one… More
Well-photographed/directed little hitman film, in chilly B&W. About as good as it possibly could be, considering the limited resources and star power. The rat-loving gun dealer "Big Ralph" is a great character, and I almost wished the film was about him instead. My one strong complaint is about the overused narration, which dominates the action during some moments where an edgy quiet could be more powerful. And the text (by gravel-voiced character actor Lionel Stander) had so many references to the killer's body going hot, sweaty and/or cold that I was chuckling before the film was through.
cody f

A good film with great on location filming in New York City. It's a good story with great narration and highly inventive shots. The only problem with the film is the acting and tacked on love story. There is one exception with the acting and that's Larry Tucker,his character… More
A good film with great on location filming in New York City. It's a good story with great narration and highly inventive shots. The only problem with the film is the acting and tacked on love story. There is one exception with the acting and that's Larry Tucker,his character Big Ralph is unconventional and really shines.
Grifty G

Great early 60's low budget hitman movie. The lead actor isn't the strongest, but the direction makes up for it and the on-location New York photography is great. Nice Jazz score and fantastic hard-boiled narration.