Kansas City Confidential (1952)

Director:

Phil Karlson

Writers:

George Bruce (screenplay) and
Harry Essex (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

11 November 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery

Tagline:

Exploding! Like a gun in your face!

Plot:

An ex-con trying to go straight is framed for a million dollar armored car robbery and must go to Mexico in order to unmask the real culprits.

Plot Keywords:

Armored Car | Armored Car Robbery | Florist | Heist | Fishing Trip

Cast

John Payne	...	Joe Rolfe
Coleen Gray	...	Helen Foster
Preston Foster	...	Tim Foster
Neville Brand	...	Boyd Kane
Lee Van Cleef	...	Tony Romano
Jack Elam	...	Pete Harris
Dona Drake	...	Teresa
Mario Siletti	...	Tomaso
Howard Negley	...	Andrews
Carleton Young	...	Martin
Don Orlando	...	Diaz
Ted Ryan	...	Morelli

Also Known As:

The Secret Four (UK)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated | Canada:PG (Ontario) | West Germany:18 (nf) | Finland:(Banned) (1953) | Finland:K-16 (cut: 1955) | Finland:K-18 (DVD rating: 2008) | Sweden:15

Company:

Associated Players & Producers

Trivia:

Veteran actor Preston Foster plays a character whose last name is also Foster.

Quotes:

Joe Rolfe: I thought I'd take a walk through the village before I turn in.
Tony Romano: Don't walk too fast - you'll be out of town without really seein' it!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "M*A*S*H: The Gun (#4.13)" (1975)

Exceptional Noir--a must-see for fans of the genre

This is an exceptional Film Noir movie that almost merits a score of 9--it's THAT good. Like good Noir, it features some of the ugliest and scariest actors and I applaud the producers for finding such a motley group! Jack Elam, Lee Van Cleef and Neville Brand are definitely the ugliest and toughest looking heavies of the age and here they all work together on a heist. The movie also stars John Payne and Preston Foster. While these two guys weren't as hideous as the other three, they were both well past their handsome prime--hence they were great Noir characters! In addition, the film is bloody and violent--definite pluses for Noir. While this may sound like Noir films are super-violent, they were compared to the average picture of the day but pale in comparison to more recent films. I like them because they are so gritty and realistic in their blunt portrayal of crime. In this case, watching John Payne slap the snot out of Van Cleef is an amazing scene. As for the plot, it's amazingly complex and interesting. So good, in fact, that I don't want to talk about the heist--lest if ruin the suspense. Suffice to say, it's well worth seeing with great writing, acting and all the elements you are looking for in Noir. A must-see for lovers of Noir.