Dressed to Kill
original film poster
Directed by	Brian de Palma
Produced by	George Litto
Written by	Brian de Palma
Starring	Michael Caine Angie Dickinson Nancy Allen
Music by	Pino Donaggio
Cinematography	Ralf D. Bode
Editing by	Gerard B. Greenberg
Distributed by	Filmways
Release date(s)	June 23, 1980
Running time	105 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$6,500,000 (estimated)
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Dressed to Kill is a 1980 horror film written and directed by Brian de Palma. It starred Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson and Nancy Allen. The original music score is composed by Pino Donaggio. The film is marketed with the tagline "Brian de Palma, master of the macabre, invites you to a showing of the latest fashion... in murder." Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Brian De Palma (born James Giacinto DePalma on September 11, 1940 in Newark, New Jersey) is a prolific, and controversial American film director. ... George Litto is an American film producer. ... Brian De Palma (born James Giacinto DePalma on September 11, 1940 in Newark, New Jersey) is a prolific, and controversial American film director. ... Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite CBE (born March 14, 1933), known professionally as Michael Caine, is a two-time Academy Award-winning British film actor. ... Angie Dickinson (born September 30, 1931) is a famous American television and film actress who is probably best-known for her Golden Globe-winning role as sultry Sgt. ... Liz Blake in Dressed to Kill Nancy Allen (born June 24, 1950 in New York City) is an American film actress. ... Pino Donaggio (Composer Born 24 October 1941, Burano, Italy. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... June 23 is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 191 days remaining. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... // Events April 30 - The Roger Daltrey film, McVicar, opens in London. ... DVD cover showing horror characters as depicted by Universal Studios. ... Brian De Palma (born James Giacinto DePalma on September 11, 1940 in Newark, New Jersey) is a prolific, and controversial American film director. ... Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite CBE (born March 14, 1933), known professionally as Michael Caine, is a two-time Academy Award-winning British film actor. ... Angie Dickinson (born September 30, 1931) is a famous American television and film actress who is probably best-known for her Golden Globe-winning role as sultry Sgt. ... Liz Blake in Dressed to Kill Nancy Allen (born June 24, 1950 in New York City) is an American film actress. ... Pino Donaggio (Composer Born 24 October 1941, Burano, Italy. ...

Plot summary

The movie makes several overt references to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, and the plot contains many striking similarities. Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (August 13, 1899 – April 29, 1980) was a highly influential film director and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres. ... Psycho is a 1960 suspense/horror film directed by auteur Alfred Hitchcock from the screenplay by Joseph Stefano. ...

Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson) is a sexually frustrated housewife and mother who is in therapy with New York City psychiatrist Dr. Robert Elliott (Michael Caine). During an appointment with Dr. Elliott, Kate attempts to seduce him, at which point Elliott rejects her advances. Later that day, Kate goes to an art gallery and has an unexpected flirtation with a mysterious stranger. Kate and the stranger "stalk" each other through the museum until they finally wind up outside, where Kate joins him in a taxi cab. They immediately begin to have sex right there in the cab, and their experience continues at his apartment. Angie Dickinson (born September 30, 1931) is a famous American television and film actress who is probably best-known for her Golden Globe-winning role as sultry Sgt. ... Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite CBE (born March 14, 1933), known professionally as Michael Caine, is a two-time Academy Award-winning British film actor. ...

Later, Kate awakens and discreetly leaves while the man is asleep, but not before she rifles through some of his papers and discovers that he has a venereal disease. Mortified, Kate leaves the apartment and gets in the elevator, but on the way down she realizes that she's left her wedding ring on the stranger's nightstand. She rides back up to retrieve it, but the elevator doors open on the figure of a large, imposing blonde woman in dark sunglasses wielding a straight razor. She violently slashes Kate to death in the elevator.

Blonde prostitute Liz Blake (Nancy Allen) happens upon the body and catches a glimpse of the blonde killer, therefore becoming both the prime suspect and the killer's next target. Dr. Elliott receives a bizarre answering machine message from "Bobbi", a transsexual that he is treating. Bobbi taunts Dr. Elliott for breaking off their therapy sessions, apparently because Dr. Elliott refuses to sign the necessary papers for Bobbi to get her sex change operation and physically become a woman. Elliott eventually becomes desperate, visiting Bobbi's new psychiatrist and trying to convince him that Bobbi is a danger to herself and others. Liz Blake in Dressed to Kill Nancy Allen (born June 24, 1950 in New York City) is an American film actress. ...

Meanwhile, the police are less than willing to believe Liz's story, and she joins forces with Kate's son Peter to expose the psychopath themselves. Peter (Keith Gordon) is an inventor, and he uses a series of homemade listening devices and time-lapse cameras to track patients from Elliott's office. They catch Bobbi on camera leaving Elliott's office, but Liz is being stalked by a tall blonde figure in a wig and sunglasses. Bobbi makes several attempts on her life, one of them being thwarted by Peter, who rescues Liz in the nick of time by spraying Bobbi with some homemade mace. Keith Gordon (born February 3, 1961 in New York City) is an American actor and film director. ...

Finally Liz and Peter scheme to get into Elliott's office to look at his appointment book and get Bobbi's name. Liz baits Dr. Elliott by coming on to him sexually, and distracts him long enough to make a brief exit and rifle through his appointment book. When she returns, she is confronted by Bobbi instead of Elliott; they are the same person. Elliott/Bobbi is shot and wounded by the female police officer who has been trailing Liz, and Liz recognizes her as the tall blonde figure who was tracking her all along. Elliott is arrested by the police and placed in a mental asylum. In the film's final sequence, Dr. Elliott escapes from the asylum and slashes Liz in the throat in a bloody act of vengeance, and she wakes up screaming, realizing that Elliot's attack was just a dream.

Main cast

• Michael Caine: Dr. Robert Elliott
• Angie Dickinson: Kate Miller
• Nancy Allen: Liz Blake
• Keith Gordon: Peter Miller
• Dennis Franz: Detective Marino
• David Margulies: Dr. Levy
• Ken Baker: Warren Lockman
• Susanna Clemm: Betty Luce
• Brandon Maggart: Cleveland Sam
• Norman Evans: Ted
• Bill Randolph: Chase cabby
• Fred Weber: Mike Miller

Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite CBE (born March 14, 1933), known professionally as Michael Caine, is a two-time Academy Award-winning British film actor. ... Angie Dickinson (born September 30, 1931) is a famous American television and film actress who is probably best-known for her Golden Globe-winning role as sultry Sgt. ... Liz Blake in Dressed to Kill Nancy Allen (born June 24, 1950 in New York City) is an American film actress. ... Keith Gordon (born February 3, 1961 in New York City) is an American actor and film director. ... Dennis Franz (born Dennis Franz Schlacta, October 28, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois) is a German-American actor best known for his roles as Andy Sipowicz, a gritty police detective in the television series NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues and Beverly Hills Buntz. ... David Margulies (born February 19, 1937) is an American actor. ... Brandon Maggart (born 12 December 1933 in Carthage, Tennessee) is an American actor. ... Norman Evans (1901-1962) was a variety and radio artiste, born in Rochdale, Lancashire, who developed an act as a toothless hatchet faced woman gossiping over a fence, an act copied by Les Dawson. ... Bill Randolph (b. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Technical data

• Title: Dressed to Kill
• Director: Brian De Palma
• Scenarist: Brian De Palma
• Music: Pino Donaggio
• Release date: July 25, 1980
• American movie
• Specifications: Panavision, 35 mm, 2:35.1 (Technicolor, Dolby digital)
• Genre: Horror, Mystery, Suspense
• Running time: 105 minutes
• Rated: R

Brian De Palma (born James Giacinto DePalma on September 11, 1940 in Newark, New Jersey) is a prolific, and controversial American film director. ... Brian De Palma (born James Giacinto DePalma on September 11, 1940 in Newark, New Jersey) is a prolific, and controversial American film director. ... Pino Donaggio (Composer Born 24 October 1941, Burano, Italy. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Dolby Laboratories, Incorporated (Dolby Labs) is a company specializing in audio compression and reproduction. ...

Awards and nominations

• Saturn Awards

Won: Best Actress (Angie Dickinson)

Nominated: Best Director (Brian De Palma)

Nominated: Best Horror Film

Nominated: Best Music (Pino Donaggio)

• Golden Globe Award

Nominated: New Star of the Year (Nancy Allen)

• Golden Raspberry Awards

Nominated: Worst Actor (Michael Caine)

Nominated: Worst Actress (Nancy Allen)

Nominated: Worst Director (Brian De Palma)

The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. ... Angie Dickinson (born September 30, 1931) is a famous American television and film actress who is probably best-known for her Golden Globe-winning role as sultry Sgt. ... Brian De Palma (born James Giacinto DePalma on September 11, 1940 in Newark, New Jersey) is a prolific, and controversial American film director. ... Pino Donaggio (Composer Born 24 October 1941, Burano, Italy. ... The Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... Liz Blake in Dressed to Kill Nancy Allen (born June 24, 1950 in New York City) is an American film actress. ... Razzie Award The Golden Raspberry Awards or Razzies, first awarded in 1981, were created by John Wilson in 1980, intended to complement the Academy Awards by dishonoring the worst acting, screenwriting, songwriting, directing, and films that the film industry had to offer. ... The Razzie Award for Worst Actor was an honor given out at the Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst actor of the previous year. ... Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite CBE (born March 14, 1933), known professionally as Michael Caine, is a two-time Academy Award-winning British film actor. ... Liz Blake in Dressed to Kill Nancy Allen (born June 24, 1950 in New York City) is an American film actress. ... Brian De Palma (born James Giacinto DePalma on September 11, 1940 in Newark, New Jersey) is a prolific, and controversial American film director. ...

Trivia

The film was the target of mild controversy when it became known that the nude body in the opening scene, taking place in a shower, was not that of Angie Dickinson but of a Playboy model. This controversy stemmed mostly from Dickinson's status at the time as being a mature, still-slender and shapely, sex symbol; the provocative shower scene - and the film - originally seemed to cash in on the idea that this nude body was that of its star. However, this revelation of a body-double (a theme later explored by director DePalma in his 1984 release, Body Double) seemed to do no harm to its box office performance. Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ... Body Double is a 1984 film by directed Brian De Palma. ...

External links

• Dressed to Kill (1980) at the Internet Movie Database
• Dressed to Kill (1980) at All Movie Guide
• Dressed to Kill (1980) at Rotten Tomatoes
• Movie stills