Kansas City Confidential (1952) Classic Movie Review 278

Today on Classic Movie Review, we are taking on Film Noir Kansas City Confidential (1952).

Thank you to Barry, Robert, Marian, Chris, David, and Margaret for your words. I love to hear from you guys. Keep sending it in. It is greatly appreciated.

This movie has a fairly low 7.3[1] on iMDB.com. On Rottentomatoes.com, the film has an 80 percent on the Tomatometer and 76 [2] percent audience approval. New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther didn’t like the film and said in a November 29, 1952 review:

“An uncommon lot of face slapping, stomach punching and kicking in the groin, the standard manifestations of the virulence of mobsters and criminals on the screen, is the only perceptible distinction of the new Edward Small crime film, “Kansas City Confidential. “… And the fact that most of the violence is committed by the hero, an ex-con who is out to clear himself of suspicion of being involved in a big bank robbery, executed by a quartet of masked hoodlums, doesn’t mitigate its ugliness one whit. What’s more, the practice of brutality in this unenlightening dossier on crime is not confined to the lawless and shady personalities that almost exclusively people it. There is an obvious and sickening implication that the Kansas City police are not only rough when they capture a suspect, but they exercise a wicked “third degree.” There is one character in this little run-down, supposedly a plainclothes cop, who is as nasty and sadistic in behavior as the hero or any of the thugs. This, of course, does not lend a climate of hope or moral uplift to the film. Nor does it do any more than add to the viciousness of an exercise that appears designed — not too adroitly—just to stimulate the curious and the cruel. 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. 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.”[3]

Crabby Bosley Crowthers didn’t like this film, but the ratings, especially on Rottentomatoes, belie another story. John Payne is great playing a tough guy that has had some hard breaks, as he does in this movie and in others like 99 River Street (1953). Payne is a good guy you want to root for. This movie had a great ensemble of bad guys, Neville Brand, Lee Van Cleef, and Jack Elam. I certainly would want to go up against any of these guys. Coleen Gray was as lovely as ever in the relatively short amount of screen time she received.

Actors – Kansas City Confidential (1952)

Returning

John Payne played Joe Rolfe, an ex-con who is set up to take the fall for the robbery of an armored car. Payne was covered in another tight little Film Noir, 99 River Street (1953).

Neville Brand played a cop-killing criminal, Boyd Kane. Brand was first covered in the excellent prison movie Birdman of Alcatraz (1962).

Lee Van Cleef was cast as Tony Romano, a womanizing wheelman. Van Cleef was first covered in the great Western The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (1962).

Coleen Gray held down the relatively minor role of Ex-cop Tim Foster’s (Preston Foster) law student daughter Helen Foster. Gray was first covered in one of the really great Film Noirs Nightmare Alley (1947). I will consider it her best role until I find something she has done better.

Carleton Young had a pretty small role as detective Martin where he authorized the beating and torture of the prisoner. Young was first covered in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (1962), where he delivered the line, “…print the legend.”

New

Preston Foster oddly played a character named Tim Foster. Foster was born in New Jersey in 1900. Foster spent some time as a professional wrestler. During the 1930s and 1940s, he was regularly cast as a heavy or a tough guy.

Foster worked on Broadway from 1928 through 1932. That was a tough year to get into the acting business, but he did. Foster was also a songwriter and author. Some of his better know films include Two Seconds (1932), Doctor X (1932), I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932), The Last Days of Pompeii (1935), Guadalcanal Diary (1943), I Shot Jesse James (1949), and Kansas City Confidential (1952).

Foster’s last film role was in 1968. When he retired from film, he became the executive director of the El Camino Playhouse located in California. This move allowed him to act, write, and direct stage productions. Due to the luck of the draw, Foster became the first person to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Foster died in 1970.

Jack Elam played a career criminal named Pete Harris, who was obsessed with gambling. Elam himself was an avid gambler and was very good at it. Elam was born in Arizona in 1920. Erroneous dates of 1916 and 1918 have been reported.

As a child, Elam worked as a cotton picker. Around the age of 12, Elam was stabbed in the eye by a pencil while attending a Boy Scout activity. As a result of this event, Elam had a left eye that pointed to the side and didn’t work. His eyes were heavily bulged, giving him one of the most distinctive looks of any actor.

Elam attended Santa Monica Junior College before becoming a successful accountant. He managed the Bel Air Hotel, Samuel Goldwyn Studios, and Hopalong Cassidy production for a time. Eventually, doctors informed Elam that the eye strain resulting from detailed accounting work might cause him to lose his good eye.

Elam made a deal with a director friend to obtain financing for a film in exchange for roles in three pictures. Prior to this, Elam appeared in a short in 1944 and in films in 1947 and 1949. One of the deal films was The Sundowners (1950), starring Robert Preston. In 1950, Elam had nine primarily uncredited roles in films.

Elam was prolific in film and television roles, with 209 total credits. Some of his better know films include American Guerrilla in the Philippines (1950), Ouicksand (1950), One Way Street (1950), Rawhide (1951), High Noon (1952), Rancho Notorious (1952), Kiss Me Deadly (1955), the super gritty Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), and Rio Lobo (1970). Elam made a lot of comedies that included Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969), the Civil War camel comedy Hamps (1976), The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979), and The Cannonball Run (1981) as Doctor Nikolas Van Helsing. I wonder where they found that name.

Elma’s last credits were in 1995, and he died in 2003.

Story – Kansas City Confidential (1952)

The movie begins with a crawl that tells the story is set in Kansas City, and a criminal who is pulling off the perfect crime, giving the film its title.

A man, we can call Mr. Big, watched from a window as a line formed of people waiting for the bank to open. Joe Rolfe (John Payne) parks nearby in his flower delivery truck. He goes into another store with boxes of flowers as an armored car pulls up in front of the bank.

Mr. Big writes down which vehicles have come and gone. He has been keeping track for an entire week. The armored car drivers exit the bank with no problems.

The man goes through his phone number list and calls Pete Harris (Jack Elam). Harris is a gambler that is wanted on a murder rap. Mr. Big convinces Pete that he wants to meet him about a job where he can make $300,000 and get out of the country. He tells Pete a hotel room number where they can meet that night.

After dark, Pete heads to the hotel room. Mr. Big is waiting in the room. He puts on a mask and hat. Pete is very squirrelly and pulls a gun. Mr. Big easily disarms and beats the bigger man. Pete decides to go along. Mr. Big says that everyone will wear a mask.

Next, he contacts Tony Romano (Lee Van Cleef). Tony is a wheelman and has a problem womanizing. Mr. Big does the same mask bit, and Tony decides to throw in with him for the crime.

The last member of the gang is Boyd Kane (Neville Brand). Kane has killed a cop and is very hot. After a sales pitch, Kane agrees to be one of the robbers. This all sounds a bit like Reservoir Dogs (1992), doesn’t it?

On the robbery day, Joe makes his flower delivery right on the mark. The armored car pulls into the bank for the money pickup. Joe leaves the area in his flower truck. An identical flower truck pulls in with the four masked robbers. They hit the guards with blackjacks. They snatch the money and get away cleanly.

The police put out a bulletin that describes the robbers as using a flower truck. The robbers drive the car into the back of a moving van allowing them to get past the police. However, Joe is pulled over by a swarm of cops. The cops are a little rough on Joe, but he only has flowers in his truck.

In the van, Mr. Big hands out a set of kings from a deck of cards. He gives each man a torn king card. He says if he can’t make the payoff, the cards will identify each man to whoever comes with the money. The three hired criminals want their money immediately, but Mr. Big pulls a gun and forces them to stick to the plan, mask and all. Mr. Big gives them some clean money and tickets to different countries. He then has each of the men jump from the truck.

Martin (Carleton Young) is the main cop grilling Joe. Joe is an ex-con, having already spent a year in jail. Capt. McBride (Jeff York), who arrested Joe on the first rap, is in the room also. Joe says he doesn’t know anything about the robbery. The insurance man Andrews (Howard Negley), offers 25 percent if he tells them where to find the money. Joe had a good war record. His boss fires him in the interrogation room.

McBride tries to beat the truth out of Joe. They keep working him over as the news reports that the ex-con is guilty. Martin stops the beatings because the police have found the robbery car inside a moving van. They say sorry and throw the beaten Joe out of jail.

Joe is still being blamed in the news for the crime. Joe goes to a restaurant where he has friends. Joe is trying to clear his name. His friend Eddie (Paul Dubov) tells him to come back around closing time. That night Eddie’s older brother is there. The connected brother says that locals did not set up Joe, but Pete Harris has recently gone to Tijuana.

Eddie gives Joe some money before Joe heads out. Afterward, Eddie’s brother asks if Joe was the guy that saved his life on Iwo Jima.

Mr. Big sends some money and tickets to the men hiding in different countries.

Joe makes it to Tijuana and asks to be taken to an illegal gambling joint. They check a few joints before they find Harris because of his crazy eyes. Joe bets against Harris and rattles the killer. Harris pulls a gun on Joe in the alley. Joe is calm and walks away from the killer. He doubles back and follows Harris.

Harris gets the letter in his hotel room and is ready to move to the new location. Joe beats Harris and begins searching for the money. Harris pulls a knife, and Joe takes it away just like he did with the gun. Joe also finds the mask and the torn card. Finally, Joe says he will turn Harris over to the cops if he doesn’t tell the truth. Harris wants to use his ticket to fly to Borados, Mexico, a resort town. Harris gives all the information on the crime that he has. Joe says he is going with Harris, and it will be a five-way split.

Joe and Harris go to the airport for the trip to Borados. Harris is buying cigarettes when some detective, cops, and a prisoner they are escorting walk in. The detectives recognize Harris and begin to move toward him. The prisoner shouts out a warning, and Harris goes for his gun. However, Joe had taken it away earlier. The cops shoot and kill Harris, making Joe’s deception easier to pull off. Harris tries to confess, but he dies before he can.

Joe flies to Borados.

In Borados, Kane and Romano are hanging around waiting for their money. Romano is struck by the lovely doe-eyed Teresa (Dona Drake). Kane doesn’t know Romano. A man, Timothy Foster (Preston S. Foster), comes into the lobby. Foster is Mr. Big. Foster leaves to go fishing. The other men have no idea that he is Mr. Big.

On the boat, Andrews visits Foster. During their conversation, we find out that Foster’s daughter is studying for the bar exam, and it has been over two years since he was fired from being a cop. Foster has summoned Andrews about the robbery. Foster says he can deliver the gang, and they may be responsible for the robbery. Andrews is told to wait for the word to take down the criminals.

Joe and Foster’s daughter Helen Foster (Coleen Gray) arrive at the resort by taxi from the airport. They have made casual conversation on the ride. Romano reads the register and sees that Joe has signed in as Pete Harris.

Foster is surprised when he finds that Helen has arrived. Helen has been working on getting her father reinstated as a policeman. Foster is shocked when his daughter tells him that she likes the man she met on the way in, Pete Harris.

Joe shows up at a card game where Foster, Romano, and others play poker. Kane is shooting pool. Romano quizzes Joe about his background. Joe drops the torn king on the table to make contact. The three criminals all recognize the card.

Joe returns to his room, hiding the mask and plane ticket. He watches from outside as Romano searches the room. Joe attacks Romano and pulls a gun on him. Romano shows his torn king to Joe. Romano thinks they are on the same team. He says Kane is the other guy. The payoff is planned for two days in the future. Joe says Kane might be Mr. Big. Romano leaves as Foster tries to figure out the setup.

Joe runs into Helen in the lobby. They do a little light flirting and agree to meet the next day.

In the morning, Foster sees his daughter and Joe at the pool. Foster gets a telegram saying that Pete Harris was killed in Tijuana. Romano signals Joe to follow him. Joe accidentally drops his gun, and Helen finds it. Foster tries to warn Joe away from his daughter, knowing he is a fake and an ex-con.

When Joe goes to his room, Kane and Romano are hiding there and start giving him a severe beatdown. Kane was in prison with Pete Harris and knew that Joe was a fake. They are going to take Joe for a one-way walk but are interrupted when Helen arrives and comes into the room. Helen knows they have been fighting, and she gives Joe his gun back. Kane and Romano leave. Helen leaves, not knowing what Joe is up to.

Foster drives out of the resort. He hits a bump, and the gas can in the back of the car spills. When he cleans it up, the robbery money is shown below. Foster transfers the money to his fishing boat. Foster sends letters to the other men with his half of the torn kings, telling them where to meet to receive their money.

That night the three men receive their letters. Joe is at dinner with Foster and Helen when he gets his letter. Romano and Foster give him the stink eye. Romano forces Joe to go meet Kane. Foster warns his daughter not to get involved with Joe.

Joe gets the jump on Romano and disarms him. Kane has a gun but drops it to save Romano’s life. With Kane and Romano disarmed, Joe says that Harris got killed, and he is taking his share because he was framed for the job. The only variable is how Mr. Big will act when Joe shows up instead of Harris.

Helen finds Joe outside, and she is somehow still interested in him and his backstory. Helen says she has been around cops and knows that he is in trouble. Helen tells that her father is a former cop. Joe is super mean to her and sends her away.

Foster calls Andrews and sets up the sting to arrest the three patsies. Foster goes to the boat, where he opens the locker so the money can be easily found. When he gets back to the room, Helen is waiting to talk. Helen says that Joe/Harris is in trouble, and she wants her father to help him. Foster tells his daughter that Joe is an ex-con. Foster tries to send Helen home.

In the morning, all of the men head for the rendezvous on the boat. Joe narrowly avoids an ambush by Kane and Romano. He gets the drop on the two. They fight, but Foster hits them with the car spotlight to stop the struggle. Foster pretends he is going fishing. He offers them a ride, and all three men get into the car. It is a very tense ride to the boat. Joe lights a cigarette and can see in the reflections that Romano in the back is holding a gun on him. Joe asks Foster about being a former cop.

At the dock, Joe is escorted out of the car by Kane and Romano. Foster uses the car spotlight to signal Andrews and the Mexican police. The other three men go onto the boat. Joe burns Romano’s hand with his cigarette and escapes below deck. Joe closes the locker with the money before Kane and Romano recapture him. Kane goes to see where Foster is located. Joe starts talking to Romano about the money. Joe proposes that they split the money two ways instead of four ways.

When Kane comes back, Romano fires three shots into his belly. Romano is about to kill Joe when Foster comes in with a gun drawn. He disarms Romano. Foster reveals to Joe that he knows who he is. Joe figures that the only one who would know Harris was in Tijuana was the man who sent him there. He also says that a cop would know you couldn’t spend stolen money because of the serial number, but the reward would clean it all up.

Joe shoves Romano into Foster. Romano draws his gun and shoots Foster. Joe and Romano begin fighting, and after a struggle, Joe shoots Romano. Foster is about to shoot Joe but decides against it. Foster asks Joe not to let Helen know he was involved in the crime. Andrews arrives, and Foster says that Joe provided the tip to catch the criminals. Foster sends Helen his love and dies. Joe is set to get the reward.

Andrews tells Helen he is sorry about the loss of her father. He also says that Joe is a fine man. She is happy that her father said for Joe to give her his love. Joe goes to Helen, and they kiss as the movie ends.

Conclusion – Kansas City Confidential (1952)

I am not sure if this is the first movie plot where a group of criminals was assembled without knowing each other. I have already mentioned that it was done for the Quenton Tarantino film Reservoir Dogs (1992). It was also done in The Anderson Tapes (1971) for a high-rise robbery and The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). Please leave a note in the comments if you know of any others.

World-Famous Short Summary – The best-laid plans of mice and men.

Beware the moors.

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[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044789/
[2] Kansas City Confidential – Rotten Tomatoes
[3] Kansas City Confidential, Starring John Payne and Coleen Gray, (nytimes.com)