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John Payne, Coleen Gray, Preston S. Foster, Lee Van Cleef, Neville Brand ... see more see more... , Jack Elam , Howard Negley , Mario Siletti , Dona Drake , Helen Kleeb , Vivi Janiss , Ted Ryan , George Wallace I , Don Orlando , Rubén Orlando Beltrán , Ray Bennett , Barry Brooks , Charles Cane , Thomas P. Dillon , Paul Dubov , Paul Fierro , Eddie Foster , Tom Greenway , William Haade , Al Hill , Harry Hines , House Peters Jr. , Lee Phelps , Sam Pierce , Ric Roman , Frank J. Scannell , Sam Scar , Charles Sherlock , Charles Sullivan , Phil Tead , Archie Twitchell , Carleton Young , Jack Shea , Joe Ray , George Dockstader , Michael Lally , James Brick Sullivan , Don House , Carlos Rivero , Kay Wiley , Tom Dillon

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)... read more read more.... Foster devises an outrageous scheme: he will recruit three of the most vicious and unrelenting criminals he can find (screen heavies Lee Van Cleef, Jack Elam and Neville Brand) to undertake a robbery, blackmailing them into the heist with incriminating evidence from other "jobs." As an eccentric and clever conceit, Foster forces each of the perpetrators to wear masks, thus concealing their identities from one another and preventing the old pitfall of the men squealing and backstabbing. The heist comes off without a scratch, but a complication arises when the ignorant cops pick up an unrelated fellow, Joe Rolfe (John Payne) for his ownership of a van similar to the one used in the caper. In time, Rolfe is cleared, but he grows irate over the accusations and sets off to find Foster and co. and teach them a lesson. He finally happens upon one of the perpetrators in Mexico, beats him nearly to death, and assumes the victim's identity - and that's when things really get complicated. Though produced under the Hays Code censorship regulations, Kansas City Confidential constituted one of the most brutal and violent crime pictures made up through that time; as such, it retains historical significance. It also claims a strong cult following. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Flixster Users

71% liked it

621 ratings

Critics

80% liked it

10 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: Phil Karlson

Release Date: November 11, 1952

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DVD Release Date: June 4, 2002

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Stats: 73 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (73)

  • brooklynspo
    September 7, 2008
    brooklynspo
    Decent "B" caper flick w/ some noir touches.
  • jjnxn
    September 19, 2010
    jjnxn
    Good but not great noir has a decent story and fine acting but could have been a little more tightly directed. Still if you're a fan of the genre this is an entry to watch.
  • flixsterman
    June 19, 2010
    flixsterman
    In spite of it's faults (campy dialog, boneheaded criminals, cheesy ending, etc.) Kansas City Confidential is still a keystone in the evolution of the classic heist film. Essential viewing for fans of the genre.
  • mjgildea
    November 8, 2008
    mjgildea
    Kansas City Confidential is more of a heist movie as opposed to a film noir flick. And a pretty decent one at that. The title's pretty misleading as most of the action takes place in Mexico. The action and most of what innovation this movie has takes place mostly in the first act... read more but it ends pretty well. A good supporting cast includes the ever-shifty Lee Van Cleef and the crazy eyed Jack Elam. My biggest gripe is that this movie didn't entirely hold my attention throughout but I was pretty surprised as I was expecting a 50s version of CSI. So it's got that going for it. Which is nice...
  • rubystevens
    August 10, 2008
    rubystevens
    tough talkin' heist flick with some interesting twists
  • hypathio7
    February 1, 2011
    hypathio7
    May have inspired Affleck's The Town a bit. Also a bit similar to The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (the original at least). A bank heist is masterminded. The big man in charge wears a mask when he hires Pete Harris (Jack Elam), Tony Romano (a young Lee Van Cleef), and Boyd K... read moreane (Neville Brand). They are to wear masks when they pull off the crime so they won't know each other. They each are given a ripped in half playing card as their calling card for divvying up the take later in Mexico. We know that they each have their recognizable characteristics. We know that the mastermind is Tim Foster (Preston Foster) and later find out he is an ex-cop. Joe Rolfe (John Payne) works for a flower delivery service and drives a truck identical to the one the bank robbers use for their get away. After being roughed up by the cops and then released when his innocent story checks out, he goes after the real criminals. He wants in on the four way split of the cash. At a resort in Mexico the mugs start gathering to claim their share and it is obvious they won't have too hard of a time identifying each other. But will they figure out who the mastermind is? Foster strangely doesn't seem to be aware that something is amiss when Rolfe claims the name Harris, even though he knows the men he hired. It turns out there is more to his plan. Foster's daughter is a wild card in the mix. She arrives to visit her dad on his regular fishing trip as a surprise and starts a relationship with Harris/Rolfe. There is a lot of shuffling of who will come out on top. Much of the dialog and action is hard-bitten and enjoyable. Compared to Detour though, another entry in the Film Noir Collector's Edition DVD's, there are moments like the end when it lightens and becomes more melodramatic.
  • gator681
    November 7, 2009
    gator681
    "Kansas City Confidential" starts with Foster(Preston Foster) planning the perfect crime and recruiting three criminals, Pete Harris(Jack Elam), Tony Romano(Lee Van Cleef) and Boyd Kane(Neville Brand), to his cause. The robbery goes off without a hitch, even netting them a patsy... read more, Joe Rolfe(John Payne), an ex-con who was driving a florist's van similar to the robbers'. Rolfe is eventually cleared of charges but three weeks later cannot find work. Then, he gets word that Pete Harris is hiding out in Tijuana and goes there to clear his name...

    "Kansas City Confidential" is a deftly plotted and violent caper flick with a couple of neat twists. No crime is perfect but it is surprising how close this one comes. With any crime, there are unintended consequences, and this movie, made at the height of the McCarthy Era, is pleasantly surprising in its not wanting to rush to judgment and attacking the theory of guilt by association in the public's perception. And there are a couple of other nice touches that make this movie far ahead of its time.
  • fb208103125
    March 26, 2012
    fb208103125
    "Kansas City Confidential" is a low budget B-grade film noir that holds up quite well 60 years after it's theatrical release. This is certainly a film that fans of film noir will appreciate and should enjoy. While this isn't at the level of some of the genre's greats, it is a f... read moreun and entertaining look into a heist that is pulled off but filled with several twists and crosses. The acting is a little over the top at times and too staged, but overall holds together to not make the film unintentionally humorous. At the time of it's release, "Kansas City Confidential" was one of the most brutal and violent crime films to ever be committed to film.
  • Dallenjohn
    February 20, 2009
    Dallenjohn
    A B-noir so intricately and smoothly assembled that it rises above its origins, Kansas City Confidential sparingly uses to noir angles or lighting. Instead, it drapes itself in the ambiguity, the gray themes of the genre in a wonderfully convoluted story of a man wrongly accused... read more of a heist. Wonderful performances across the cast make this a great, unadorned feature.

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Critic Reviews

Phil Hall
March 29, 2011
Phil Hall, Film Snobbery

If Kansas City Confidential was a meal, it would consist of a plate full of spice - but no meat. Full Review

Sean Axmaker
February 20, 2011
Sean Axmaker, Parallax View

Terse and tough, Kansas City Confidential is one of the great lean, mean B crime thrillers... Full Review

Michael E. Grost
August 9, 2007
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television

Great heist tale, with good visual style. Full Review

Sean Howe
July 23, 2007
Sean Howe, Slant Magazine

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. Full Review

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
May 16, 2006
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies

It's a decent film, but its payoff just isn't up to the level of its buildup. Full Review

Eric Henderson
May 1, 2006
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine

Phil Karlson's rote heist-revenge flick aims to be stone cold, but can't seem to get any frost to grow around its warm, mushy heart. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
September 27, 2002
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

An amazing little film. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
September 4, 2001
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

An action-packed film noir directed by Phil Karlson. Full Review

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Bosley Crowther
March 25, 2006
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

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