They waylay Rolfe and discover he's going to the boat. He gets a lead on a possible participant and tracks him down to Mexico. When interviewing them, he wears a mask so they cannot identify him. Kansas City Confidential, Phil Karlson's low (low) budget, B-grade film noir, opens on a Kansas City armored-car robbery perpetrated by cynical, corrupt ex-policeman Timothy Foster (Preston S. Foster). Kansas City Confidential is a 1952 film noir about an ex-con trying to go straight who is framed for a million dollar armored car robbery and must go to Mexico in order to unmask the real culprits.. Watch the Trailer for Kansas City Confidential (1952) on The Film Detective. In Harris’ luggage, he finds the mask and the torn playing card. View production, box office, & company info. And this is the very essence of Film Noir. 1952 Directed by Phil Karlson. At the same time, Helen tells her father she knows Rolfe is in trouble. One is an armored car routinely picking up bags containing much money from a bank. Two fishermen pick up a psychotic escaped convict who tells them that he intends to murder them when the ride is over. The plot served as inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. 'Kansas City Confidential' (1952) Directed by Phil Karlson. Should Phil Karlson’s Kansas City Confidential also make it in? Big and his gang subdue the armored car guards in four minutes, grab bags containing $1.2 million and flee, knowing that Rolfe's distinctive getaway truck will be mistaken for his. Later, Rolfe asks investigator Scott how she's taking it. A down-on-his-luck ex-G.I. I can’t recall ever seeing Jack Elam young; much like Walter Brennan he tended to play older men. "[14] Dave Kehr of The New York Times gave MGM Home Entertainment's 2007 DVD release of the film an extensive review. Synopsis. Arriving in Barados as Harris, Rolfe meets Kane, whom he identifies as one of the robbers because he chews gum constantly, and Romano, who Rolfe decides is a gang member because he has arrived almost simultaneously at the same time as Kane. She tells her father that, like a courtroom argument, she has presented his case of premature retirement to Kansas City's mayor and the mayor has agreed to reconsider putting Foster back on the force. Use the HTML below. When he's finally released for lack of evidence--after having been beaten up and tortured by the police--he sets out to discover who set him up, and why. When the gang members object, Big tells them, intensely, "You can't even rat on each other because you've never seen each other without those masks. Written by A nameless, ruthless man (Preston Foster) who identifies himself as Mr. Big is timing to the minute the arrival of two trucks. A down-on-his-luck ex-GI finds himself framed for an armored car robbery. That night, in a poker game, Rolfe sits in and deliberately drops the torn king card, sarcastically saying, "My good luck piece. Kansas City Confidential (1952) In Phil Karlson's hard-edged, tough, low-budget, film-noir bank heist tale set in Kansas City Missouri: the film's scrolling prologue: "In the police annals of Kansas City are written lurid chapters concerning the exploits of criminals apprehended and brought to … Karlson and Payne teamed a year later for 99 River Street, another film noir, followed by Hell's Island, a film noir in color. Chance events trap hitchhiking nightclub pianist Al Roberts in a tightening net of death, deception and blackmail. The Title: Kansas City Confidential was originally titled Kansas City 117 after the police precinct where Joe is interrogated, but that was changed before the movie's release.The film was a big hit, which led to a string of B movies with "Confidential" in the title like New York Confidential and Chicago Confidential. Kansas City Confidential is one of my favorite noir films and films of John Payne. Neville Brand, Jack Elam and Preston Foster do not shine in other roles, except as drab exponents of the violence that suffuses and corrupts this measly film. The conversation reveals that he was a 20-year police captain who was forced to retire prematurely by political opponents. I've got everything covered, but in case something does go wrong, and I can't make the payoff myself, the cards will identify you to whoever I send with the money." The robbery and pursuit go just as Mr. Big has planned. Certificate: Passed You'll be wearing them at the payoff." Part of his plan involves making an innocent patsy out of the floral truck driver and ex-con Joe Rolfe (John Payne), a look-alike getaway truck that the police will pursue instead of Mr. Big's truck, to buy time to successfully escape the country. Believing Harris must be one of the robbers, Rolfe pursues him to Tijuana and looks for him in illegal gambling joints. After three weeks of unemployment and the prime suspect on the pages of every newspaper, he is at the end of his rope. He selects three men for the gang—the addictive gambler Peter Harris (Jack Elam) wanted for murder, gum-chewing thug Boyd Kane (Neville Brand) and the womanizing Tony Romano (Lee Van Cleef). Kansas City Confidential. Three masked robbers use the same kind of truck to pull off an armored car heist and Payne is suspected of complicity. Romano, greedy, kills Kane and is ready to take all the money and kill Rolfe, but Foster, trying to save his unraveling plan, intervenes. She then shocks him by telling that she's met Peter Harris and likes him. The suspense lies whether Payne can put it all together. He then goes after Brown's girlfriend who despises him, for information instead. Kansas Citians United includes many city-wide organizations such as CCO, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Freedom, Inc., Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, so I’m not sure why the focus is on only one district when there are 14 partly or entirely within Kansas City. Small bought the title Kansas City Confidential from John Gait and Lee Montgomery. Gallery of 19 movie poster and cover images for Kansas City Confidential (1952). Directed by Phil Karlson.Written by George Bruce and Harry Essex. In a 1975 episode of the television series M*A*S*H, titled "The Gun", the showing of this film is announced over the intercom in the operating room, although the film had already been shown numerous times in the camp. Married insurance adjuster John Forbes falls for femme fatale Mona Stevens while her boyfriend is in jail and all suffer serious consequences as a result. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. The husband stays in hiding, and lets his wife be charged with conspiracy. [3][4] It was the first of a 13-movie deal Small signed with United Artists in 1952, with ten to be made in the first year. The trail leads him into Mexico and a web of hired killers and corrupt cops. In the meantime, Rolfe has met Helen and likes her. Later, Rolfe meets Foster and tells him he can't join the poker game because he's taking Helen to dinner. He was planning to spring a trap on them—as though he had solved the robbery himself—and so reclaim his job with the Kansas City police. When he’s finally released for lack of evidence—after having been beaten up and tortured by the police—he sets out to discover who set him up, and why. Kansas City Confidential (170) 7.4 1 h 39 min 1952 7+ An ex GI is framed for an armed robbery, put into jail and tortured. Kansas City Confidential is useful in defining the difference between a caper thriller or a straight crime story, and one that is inflected with the noir style. A police lt. is ordered to stop investigating deadly crime boss Mr. Brown, because he hasn't been able to get any hard evidence against him. (1952). [11] Time magazine said the film "combines a 'perfect crime' plot with some fair-to-middling moviemaking ... Obviously, the 'confidential' of the title does not refer to the picture's plot, which is a very model of transparency. comment. The trail leads him into Mexico and a web of hired thugs and a corrupt cop. 'Kansas City Confidential' has little to do with the Midwestern city in its title (most of the movie takes place in Mexico), but that's where its twisted plot commences. Keep those masks. "[12] Bosley Crowther of The New York Times was not a fan, writing that Kansas City Confidential "appears designed—not too adroitly—just to stimulate the curious and the cruel. Kansas City Confidential was director Karlson's second crime film; he also directed Scandal Sheet, also released in 1952, which proved to be a modest commercial success. Overview of Kansas City Confidential, 1952, directed by Phil Karlson, with John Payne, Coleen Gray, Preston Foster, at Turner Classic Movies The screen play by George Bruce and Harry Essex is an illogical fable of crime, the direction by Phil Karlson is routine and the leading role is bluntly acted by John Payne. This FAQ is empty. Synopsis: A down-on-his-luck ex-GI finds himself framed for an armored car robbery. Kansas City Confidential. He tells them, "Hang on to those cards. 71 of 78 people found this review helpful. As he says to one of them, he's flying blind in this one. [10], Variety wrote "With exception of the denouement, director Phil Karlson reins his cast in a grim atmosphere that develops momentum through succeeding reels. As Foster is dying, he tells Rolfe his one wish is that Helen doesn't find out his duplicity. You can watch the complete 1952 noir crime picture, now in the public domain, and decide for yourself. Unknown to Rolfe, Mr. Big is there, too. Review: "El Paso" (1949) Starring John Payne; Kino Lorber Blu-ray Release. Rolfe shows him where the money is. The editor of an exploitation newspaper commits a murder and assigns his protégé to investigate hoping to divert attention away from himself. "Kansas City Confidential" is a low budget B-grade film noir that holds up quite well 60 years after it's theatrical release. Rolfe and Helen comfort each other after her father's death. “Mr. Kansas City Confidential Synopsis: A down-on-his-luck ex-GI finds himself framed for an armored car robbery. Whereas some directors of film noir preferred the deterministic pessimism of Out of the Past and Raw Deal, Karlson tempered the surface cynicism of his films with an underlying sense of hope. plus-circle Add Review. Kansas City Confidential is a classic 1950s film noir, full of hard-boiled characters, sharp dialogue, suspense and enough twists and turns in the plot to keep you guessing till the end. As the film opens, a mysterious man (Preston Foster) masterminds what he believes to be the perfect crime. Like a keg of TNT going off, KCC's story features plenty of … Scott gestures at Helen and says meaningfully to Rolfe, "Why don’t you ask her?" He is casing the armored car. 28 Confidential jobs available in Kansas City, MO on Indeed.com. Kansas City Confidential was the only film made by Edward Small's short-lived Associated Players and Producers, a company formed by Small, Sol Lesser and Sam Briskin. As he's released, Rolfe, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart-earning former soldier accustomed to hardship, sees that he's lost his job; he's broke and everything he's worked for since he got out of prison is ruined. As Mr. Big has planned, the police, brutal, corrupt and somewhat stupid, run down Rolfe and, wrongly concluding that since he's an ex-con he must have been one of the robbers, submit him to third-degree grilling, but he maintains his innocence. Foster, seeing his plan threatened, tells Helen he doesn't want to return, but will consider her proposal. Watch trailers, read customer and critic reviews, and buy Kansas City Confidential directed by Phil Karlson for $7.99. After all the men don't even know each other or Mr. Big. Kane and Romano are not finished with Rolfe. When he's finally released for lack of evidence, after having been worked-over by the police, he sets out to discover who set him up, and why. Phil Karlson’s Kansas City Confidential falls into that rarefied early-‘50s cycle of noir, which benefited from B directors who had learned how to quickly dispense with the genre conventions and deliver brutal action and lurid innuendos. "Kansas City Confidential" is a 1952 film noir crime film directed by Phil Karlson and starring John Payne. Romano, gun in hand, confronts him. A down-on-his-luck ex-G.I. Helen smiles in emotional release, and they kiss. Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of films in the public domain in the United States, "Film review: Kansas City Confidential (UK: The Secret Four)", "Film/DVD review: Phil Karlson's Kansas City Confidential", "Kansas City Confidential (1952) Blu-ray comparison", "Kansas City Confidential (1952) DVD comparison", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kansas_City_Confidential&oldid=1007496067, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention from March 2018, All Wikipedia articles with plot summary needing attention, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 18 February 2021, at 12:43. The story is tightly scripted, the crew of actors - well chosen, & in the hands of a very capable director, results in a winning combination. Tightly plotted and perfectly cast, Kansas City Confidential is film noir at its finest. Finding Harris, Rolfe follows him to his hotel room and, finding the mask Harris wore, beats him into revealing the Mexican resort of Barados as the gang's meeting place. Crime. When he's finally released for lack of evidence--after having been beaten up and tortured by the police--he sets out to discover who set him up, and why. All three are driven there by Foster, who they still don't know is Mr. Big. Apply to Senior Application Developer, Vice President of Marketing, Real Estate Manager and more! I've made you cop-proof and stoolpigeon-proof and it's going to stay that way. Kansas City Confidential, DVD, Manufactured on Demand, Suspense-Film Noir, 889290005212 We'll cut up the money when I think it's had time enough to cool off. They tease each other, with Helen threatening to cross-examine him because he will not tell her much about himself. They are about to take Rolfe into the jungle to torture and possibly kill him when Helen knocks on the door and saves him. 1952's Kansas City Confidential (KCC, for short) is Film Noir at one of its finest moments. Rolfe, not sure what to do next, realizes he can impersonate Harris when the airport clerk hands him Harris’ claim checks. A down-on-his-luck ex-GI finds himself framed for an armored car robbery. [15] However, these too only have fair to average quality transfers and are still superseded by the US DVD from MGM, holders of the only high quality, original vault materials on the film.[16]. Kansas City Confidential Payne delivers an impressive portrayal of an unrelenting outsider who cracks the ring. He writes individual notes to Rolfe, Kane, and Romano to meet him on his boat, the Mañana, where the three will all coincidentally be, ripe for pickup by the police. He called the release an "immeasurable improvement over what had been available":[4], As the film in is the public domain, there are innumerable releases with poor quality transfers from worn theatrical prints. Kansas City Confidential is similar to these films: 99 River Street, Scandal Sheet (1952 film), Models Inc. (1952 film) and more. But he slips and reveals he is Mr. Big. City Confidential is a documentary television series where a different city is featured in a high-profile criminal case. finds himself framed for an armored car robbery. Frank Johnson becomes an eyewitness to a murder. Karlson was "a gifted filmmaker who had recently graduated from the Poverty Row studio Monogram"; the film starred John Payne, a "popular singer of the 1940s who some say was working his way down from Technicolor musicals at 20th Century Fox"[4] but after his Fox contract expired produced several of his own films. Kansas City Confidential (1952) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. She meets Rolfe while registering for a bungalow and takes a liking to him. Add the first question. They will fit perfectly into Mr. Big's complex plan, which appears to be an ordinary robbery but is much more. Kansas City Confidential is an American film directed by Phil Karlson, released in 1952. Film noir is a … Joe Rolfe is a sour individual, a hero of Iwo Jima on the outs because of a couple of bad breaks as a gambler. , is n't series of swashbucklers his plan threatened, tells Helen he does n't to! Distinct streak of optimism trap hitchhiking nightclub pianist Al Roberts in a tightening net of death, deception and.! Hitchhiking nightclub pianist Al Roberts in a cabinet film Detective car heist and Payne is suspected of complicity an... Gang to help him rob it but not before Romano shoots him to! 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