Ronald Reagan's Top 10 Movie Roles
The Killers, 1964
Ensconced as the host of TV's General Electric Theater and Death Valley Days, Reagan made his last film appearance as an out-and-out villain. It's a bit of a cheap thrill to watch Reagan play a crime heavy — the liberal notion of a corrupt businessman who sums up his ethical code by saying, "I approve of larceny; homicide is against my principles." His character progresses from running a small hijacking gang to becoming a Southern California real estate magnate; he kills two men, then gets plugged in the gut and dies. Reagan also has a scene in which he has to strike Angie Dickinson. Most actors would consider such a role a gift — purring rotters like this are a great excuse for hamming it up — but Reagan gives no evidence of pleasure. This was 1964, the year he delivered the keynote address at the Republican National Convention, which instantly defined for the party a powerful, electable conservatism and signified the man who could carry it to the White House. Renouncing acting, Reagan eventually found the role he played to perfection: President of the United States.