Kansas City (1996)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers (WGA):

Robert Altman (written by) &
Frank Barhydt (written by)

Release Date:

16 August 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Music | Thriller

Tagline:

Kansas City, 1934. Anything could happen here. One night it did.

Plot:

Robert Altman's jazz-scored film explores themes of love, crime, race, and politics in 1930's Kansas City...

Plot Keywords:

1930s | Jazz | Irish American | Mafia | Independent Film

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Blondie O'Hara
Miranda Richardson	...	Carolyn Stilton
Harry Belafonte	...	Seldom Seen
Michael Murphy	...	Henry Stilton
Dermot Mulroney	...	Johnny O'Hara
Steve Buscemi	...	Johnny Flynn
Brooke Smith	...	Babe Flynn
Jane Adams	...	Nettie Bolt
Jeff Feringa	...	Addie Parker
A.C. Tony Smith	...	Sheepshan Red (as A.C. Smith)
Martin Martin	...	'Blue' Green
Albert J. Burnes	...	Charlie Parker
Ajia Mignon Johnson	...	Pearl Cummings
Tim Snay	...	Rally Speaker
Tawanna Benbow	...	Rose

MPAA:

Rated R for language, and for some violence and drug use.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | France:Unrated | Australia:M | Finland:K-14 | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Kansas City, Kansas, USA

Company:

CiBy 2000

Trivia:

Robert Altman gathered together some of the greatest living jazz musicians, put them on a set representing the Hey Hey Club and asked them to play period material in the style of the Kansas City jazz giants like Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. He filmed this separately after he had done the fictional plotline, and then intercut it with the narrative.

Goofs:

Plot holes: After his wife is kidnapped by a robber's wife, Stilton uses a phone to enlist the aid of the governor to free the robber, who is being held by some Kansas City jazz club characters he ripped off. And the governor complies, even though Stilton never identifies the robber by name, the name of the people who were robbed or even the name of the club were the robber is being held captive.

Quotes:

Carolyn Stilton: [after being forced to reveal the pet names she and her husband use] What a terrible invasion of privacy!
Blondie O'Hara: Yeah, ain't it?

Movie Connections:

References Grand Hotel (1932)

I found the movie very interesting

The movie was obviously a musical satire of the political and social conditions in Americain that era (and to some degree today. Even if Altman did experience it first hand, he it he obviously did research and wrote as well as directed a movie that was right on the money. I found everyone's performance to be excellent and if you could not understand some of Belafontes lines it didn't detract from his role, nor did the performances of the rest of the cast as the movie was meant to make you think............as well as be entertained. As for a story line..........unless you know nothing of the past........it was right in your face.