Product Description

It's outrageous good fun! Writer Mickey Spillane stars as his hard-boiled private detective Mike Hammer in this action-packed murder mystery. After seven years on a drunken binge over the disappearance of Velda, his former secretary, Hammer is picked up out of the gutter by the police and dropped smack-dab in the middle of a political bombshell where every lead seems to end in murder. After being told his beloved Velda is still alive, but being held by the Dragon, an infamous international assassin and leader of a spy ring, Hammer sets out to find her. With only guts and attitude to get him by, Hammer gets deeper and deeper into a conspiracy that surrounds him on all sides, threatening his and Velda's lives.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #110055 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-03-14
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Black & White, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 97 minutes

Amazon.com
Mickey Spillane plays his own creation, street-thug-turned-PI Mike Hammer, in this 1963 adaptation of his novel. The film opens with Hammer on the downside of a years-long bender, scooped out of the gutter by a bitter cop intent on prying information from a dying man. Inspired to clean up his act by the secrets he hears, Hammer hits the streets on a personal crusade to find the love of his life. Future Bond girl Shirley Earton costars as a glamorous society widow who goes slumming with Hammer. Spillane, who brings the grace of a trained monkey and the sex appeal of a Bronx cheer to the role, is less a stoic, tarnished street knight than a street bum at a cocktail party, but it works for the working-class pug. The low-budget production is a rare black-and-white CinemaScope picture, rough and messy but lacking the raw edge and gritty look of more accomplished crime pictures. B-movie veteran Roy Rowland directs with a lazy pace and a prosaic style that drags until he takes his camera to streets of New York City. The definitive Hammer remains Ralph Meeker in Robert Aldrich's Kiss Me Deadly, but Spillane makes a respectable runner-up. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews

Good, gritty Mike Hammer B-movie
"The Girl Hunters" is considered to be by many the second best screen adaptation of a Mike Hammer detective novel ("Kiss Me Deadly" being the first). In this one the author, Mickey Spillane, plays the role of Hammer. He's somewhat wooden in the part and his voice does not lend itself to film acting (it's raspy), but he is passable as Hammer. The film itself is B-grade but it is a good, gritty one. Shirley Eaton, from "Goldfinger", plays the female lead quite well.

The story moves at a quick pace and several scenes stick in the mind. One takes place in a bar where Hammer convinces a bad guy that it in his best interest to swallow a bullet. A second is an ultra-violent confrontation between Hammer and the villian that is better than the fight between Connery and Shaw in "From Russia with Love" (Hammer finds a unique method for getting the defeated villian to stay put for the police that is extrememly violent for the time the film was produced). Also, Hammer's advice on how to properly care for shotgun lingers at the film's fade-out.

The widescreen version is very well done. The black and white print is crisp.

Mickey Spillane IS Mike Hammer
Having watched a number of Mike Hammer t.v. shows, I was looking forward to seeing what the author (Mickey Spillane) could bring to his creation. I was not disappointed. I was, in fact, suprised by how well he played Mike Hammer, and I would definitely recommend this film to fans of all ages. The only thing that bothered me about the film is the often annoying soundtrack. Note: the movie is in widescreen format

The girl Hunters
Although Mickey Spillane's acting is terrible, the film has a certain reality about it. After all to actually see Spillane portraying his famous character is great. The film is shot in a very realistic home movie fashion. Clearly not an oscar candidate, yet it has a rare quality. I think it is the honest nature of this film that is captivating to watch. It is truely a must for any Mike Hammer/Spillane fan. I never tire of seeing it!