What is "kiss of death"

n. 1 A kiss on the cheek that signifies the death of the receiver, as delivered by a mob boss or one with such influence. 2 (context informal idiomatic English) Something that may seem good and favourable but that actually brings ruin to hopes, plans, etc.

n. something that is ruinous; "if this were known it would be the kiss of death for my political career"

Kiss of Death may refer to:

• Kiss of Judas, Judas's betrayal of Jesus with a kiss identifying him to his executioners
• Kiss of death (mafia), a Mafia signal that someone has been marked for execution

Kiss of Death is a 1995 crime American thriller film starring David Caruso, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicolas Cage, Helen Hunt, Ving Rhames, and Stanley Tucci, directed by Barbet Schroeder.

The film is a very loosely based remake of the 1947 film noir classic of the same name that starred Victor Mature, Brian Donlevy, and Richard Widmark. It was screened out of competition at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival. Like the original Kiss of Death, the film was released by 20th Century Fox.

Kiss of Death is a 1947 film noir movie directed by Henry Hathaway and written by Ben Hecht and Charles Lederer from a story by Eleazar Lipsky. The story revolves around an ex-con played by Victor Mature and his former partner-in-crime, Tommy Udo ( Richard Widmark in his first film). The movie also starred Brian Donlevy and introduced Coleen Gray in her first billed role. The film has received critical praise since its release, with two Academy Award nominations.

Kiss of Death is considered a significant example of film noir, and is also notable for giving Widmark a breakout role in his screen debut.

Kiss of Death is the second album by American rapper Jadakiss. It is the follow-up to his 2001 Platinum-RIAA selling debut album Kiss tha Game Goodbye. The album was released in the US on the June 22, 2004 and reached #1 on both the Billboard 200 and the Rap Albums charts with 246,000 copies sold in its first week. In the UK it peaked at #65. The album features the singles "Time's Up" (with Nate Dogg), followed by the political and world issue crossover hit " Why" (with Anthony Hamilton), and " U Make Me Wanna" (with Mariah Carey). The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.

1. redirect Kiss of Death (Motörhead album)

The Kiss of Death is a 1977 BBC TV film.

Mike Leigh directed 'this whimsical, made-for-television tale about Trevor, ( David Threlfall), an unusually bashful mortician's assistant', whose moods and personality really make up the subject of the film. A natural landscape for Leigh's offbeat and bleakly humorous worldview. Leigh has often said the film is one of his favourites, not least because Trevor contains certain autobiographical elements.

Trevor and his friend Ronnie form a foursome with Linda and Sandra. A brake on Trevor's joy in life 'is the factual premonition of everyday death', and the central incident of a cot death affects him profoundly.

The kiss of death or lipstick pistol was a pistol used by the KGB during the Cold War. It was a single shot 4.5 mm pistol hidden inside a lipstick holder.

An example found in West Berlin at an American checkpoint is now held by the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., USA. One is used throughout Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater by EVA.

Kiss of Death (previously titled "Breathless" and "Blood Rush") is a BBC crime investigation drama, written by Barbara Machin, author of the British television crime drama series Waking the Dead (2000–2011).

Kiss of Death is a 1916 Swedish silent drama film directed by Victor Sjöström. Approximately 30 minutes of the film survives in the Cinémathèque Française film archive.

Kiss of Death is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.

The kiss of death ( Italian: Il bacio della morte) is the sign given by a mafioso boss or capo that signifies that a member of the crime family has been marked for death, usually as a result of some perceived betrayal. However much is based on fact and however much on the imagination of authors, it remains a cultural meme and appears in literature and films. Illustrative is the scene in the film The Valachi Papers when Vito Genovese ( Lino Ventura) gives the kiss of death to Joe Valachi ( Charles Bronson) to inform him that his betrayal of "the family" is known, and that he will be executed.

The "kiss" has also been used as a terror tactic to aid in extortion or debt collection by reducing victims to a state of panic where they will commit to anything to save their lives.