Kansas City Confidential (Spec)

Starring:John Payne, Coleen Gray, Preston Foster, Neville Brand, Lee Van Cleef, Jack Elam, Dona Drake, Mario Siletti, Howard Negley, Carleton Young, Don Orlando, Ted Ryan, Brick Sullivan, Carlos Rivero, Paul Fierro, Barry Brooks, Paul Hogan (II), Ray Bennett, Mike Lally, Charles Cane
Director: Phil Karlson
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Customer Reviews:

Finally - The Official MGM DVD Release! Great Film Noir!.......2007-06-03

For years Kansas City Confidential has languished in the Public Domain Hell. Released in a woefully substandard version from Alpha (watch the video wiggle at the bottom of the screen every 10 seconds), and a much better, but still flawed version from Image (the picure is just a bit too dark and has some minor print damage), along with several "dollar" DVD versions that were even more flawed than the Alpha and Image releases, Kansas City Confidential was a movie that most Film Noir fans thought would never see an "official" DVD release by MGM (owner of the master print, and - presumably - the negatives).

But here it is - MGM is actually releasing (or has released, depending on when you read this) the "official" DVD for this fantastic Film Noir. Based on their track record of releasing official versions of movies previously relegated to public domain releases (see He Walked By Night as an example - MGM's DVD is flawless!), this should see a drastic improvement in both image and sound quality over all of the previous versions released to date.

The movie itself is a tightly written, well acted (John Payne is fantastic, and the supporting cast of Preson Foster, Lee Van Cleef, Neville Brand, Jack Elam, and Coleen Gray are all near perfect in their roles), and extremely well directed by Phil Karlson. The cinematography by George E. Diskant should also get special mention, as Kansas City Confidential has the classic look of Film Noir.

This is a classic crime/wrong man framed and sets out for revenge movie. For fans of Film Noir this is truly a, "Must Have," DVD.

Excellent cops and robbers movie.!!.......2007-04-29

Stars John Payne as a flower deliveryman who is set up as a fall guy for a robbery planned by disgruntled cop Preston Foster. Released from police custody for lack of evidence, Payne follows leads to Mexico where he uncovers the real criminals. Very good performances all round and a classic "cops & robbers" movie. Excellent!!

A good example of what second-feature B movies were all about: Not too bad, not too good........2006-11-26

Is Kansas City Confidential a noir? Some critics think so. Some have even gone so far as to praise the movie. For me, the film is just one more B-level programmer, churned out in the thousands during the Forties and early Fifties to fill out double bills. The one thing it has going for it is a clever plot idea that combines a crime caper with a resentful Mr. Big who disliked being placed on forced retirement. Is that enough to take the premise seriously? I don't think so, but the way the payback for the retirement is planned and carried out isn't bad.

The movie turns on two plot pivots. First is a bank heist. Three tough guys are recruited by Mr. Big, who wears a mask. He makes the others wear masks, too. Only Mr. Big knows who everyone is. Their getaway leaves behind an innocent patsy, Joe Rolfe (John Payne), a war hero who once got in trouble with the law. After the Kansas City police try to beat a confession out of him, they realize they have the wrong man and let him go. Joe gets mad and decides to track the robbers down.

The second pivot centers on a small Mexican resort village where Mr. Big and the three accomplices have gathered, months later, to split the loot. Joe has taken the identity of one of them, Pete Harris. Joe had tracked Harris down and was forcing him to go together to the resort. By coincidence, Harris was gunned down by police at the Tijuana airport while Joe was at the ticket counter. Complicating things is Tim Foster (Preston Foster), a retired police captain from Kansas City who likes to fish, and his daughter, Helen (Coleen Gray). Helen, soon to pass her bar exam, showed up unexpectedly to visit her father. We're often reminded that there is a substantial reward for whoever captures the crooks and finds the money. There are beatings, slappings, double crosses, cold-blooded murder, noble sacrifice and a promised happy ending for Joe and Helen. A lot goes on, but it's something of a slog to get to Joe's and Helen's big kiss.

Second bill programmers were most often noted for only adequate acting, workmanlike but often clunky scripts, music scores that telegraphed what we were supposed to be feeling and the barest budgets the studios could get away with. This didn't mean that the movies were bad, just that there needed to be something -- an occasional standout script, or a solid actor, or an unusual concept or mood -- to make the movie worth remembering. With Kansas City Confidential we have, to my way of thinking, just two things that stand out. First, is that clever plot idea. Second, are the actors who play the three goons recruited by Mr. Big. There's Neville Brand playing Boyd Kane. Kane is dumb and violent. Brand's tough features and rough voice make him believable. There's Lee Van Cleef as Tony Romano, smooth and sleazy...not a guy you'd want to leave your daughter alone with. And there's Jack Elam as Pete Harris, a sweaty chain smoker, a squirming coward unless he's holding the gun. With Harris, you can almost smell his cigarette breath and body odor. Elam really does a fine job. But then we have John Payne as the hero. Payne, in my opinion, was a handsome, colorless, reactive actor. He acts tough, but it's as phony as Robert Stack acting tough in House of Bamboo. While I doubt even Bogart or Cagney could do much with lines like this, "I know a sure cure for a nosebleed: a cold knife in the middle of the back," Payne just looks irritable when he says it. Coleen Gray doesn't help much; her job is to be perky and sympathetic, almost in spite of the dialogue: Says Joe Rolfe, "Look, you're a nice girl, but in case you're thinking of mothering me, forget it! I'm no stray dog you can pick up, and I like my neck without a collar. Now get lost!" Says Helen, "Now I'm supposed to be hurt. Maybe even cry. But I won't. I think you're in trouble, and I'm going to help you!"

My advice: Watch it and learn what programmers were about. You might find you like it well enough. The film is in the public domain. The Image version is so-so; too dark and with too much contrast. It's not as bad as some public domain releases are. There are a few extras, including a cream-puff interview with Coleen Gray by noir specialist Eddie Muller. He also provides liner notes for an insert in the DVD case.

I have to echo these other positive reviews.......2006-10-09

I have to throw my two cents in along with some of the other reviewers. Kansas City Confidential is one of the finest examples of gum shoe film noir I can think of. As a noir fan and collector, I have seen hundreds of films of this nature. Kansas City Confidential is one of the handful of films I watch over and over again. If you are a fan of film noir, and this fantastic film has not yet made it into your collection, BUY IT NOW !!! You won't regret it.

"You been giving me the fisheye all night.".......2006-04-29

Revenge fueled noir about a police chief forced into an early retirement who nearly gets away with the perfect crime. Using masks all the time to conceal their identities, even from each other, he recruits three tough guys (Neville Brand, Jack Elam and Lee Van Cleef!) to help him rob an armored car using a fake florist delivery van. That way the driver of the real florist van (John Payne) will initially get blamed for the robbery.

They go through with the plan and it goes off without a hitch, now they split up with the intention to meet up at a later date to divide the money, and at this later meeting the ex-cop will bust `em and get the $300,000 reward. Only problem is he didn't guess just how pissed off the fall guy would be. Once freed, but not before the cops clobber him all over the joint, he hunts down the bad guys and let `em have it. "Thanks - FOR NOTHING!"

Some of the scenes are a little cheesy with the tough guy stuff and the final scene is too soft, but those fight scenes were riveting. I especially enjoyed Van Cleef.

The DVD by Alpha Video has a rough looking picture and no extras, but hey is 8 bucks so what do you expect?

Average customer rating:

Finally - The Official MGM DVD Release! Great Film Noir!
Excellent cops and robbers movie.!!
A good example of what second-feature B movies were all about: Not too bad, not too good.
I have to echo these other positive reviews
"You been giving me the fisheye all night."

Kansas City Confidential (B&W)
Starring: John Payne , Coleen Gray , Preston Foster , Neville Brand , and Lee Van Cleef
Director: Phil Karlson
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Ace in the Hole - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B00006II5J
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Customer Reviews:

Finally - The Official MGM DVD Release! Great Film Noir!.......2007-06-03

Excellent cops and robbers movie.!!.......2007-04-29

A good example of what second-feature B movies were all about: Not too bad, not too good........2006-11-26

I have to echo these other positive reviews.......2006-10-09

"You been giving me the fisheye all night.".......2006-04-29

Film Noir Triple Feature Vol. 1 (Too Late For Tears/He Walked By Night/Kansas City Confidential)

Average customer rating:

Not the greatest.........

Film Noir Triple Feature Vol. 1 (Too Late For Tears/He Walked By Night/Kansas City Confidential)
Starring: Lizabeth Scott , Don DeFore , Dan Duryea , Arthur Kennedy , and Kristine Miller
Director: Byron Haskin , Anthony Mann , and Alfred L. Werker
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Black Angel (Universal Noir Collection)

ASIN: B00019G4KU
Release Date: 2004-03-30

Customer Reviews:

Not the greatest................2004-06-29

This disc is OK if you really don't care about quality. The prints they used show alot of wear. For "HE WALKED BY NIGHT", i would suggest you buy the disc put out by MGM. The print they used here for "TOO LATE FOR TEARS" looks like the same one that Image Entertainment used. It has several splices and scratches. TOO LATE FOR TEARS was also released under the title "KILLER BAIT" which is available in a better quality print in a 6 disc set called "5 Killer Film Noir Classics". As for "KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL", if i remember right the disc put out by Image is of better quality. (This review is for the "Film Noir Triple Feature Vol. 1" disc put out by Goodtimes Video")

Average customer rating:

Gripping story, good acting, solid film noir

Kansas City Confidential
Starring: John Payne; Lee Van Cleef
Director: Phil Karlson
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000299TGU
Release Date: 2002-02-02

Product Description

From back cover - When an armored car robbery succeeds, a decorated war veteran is wrongly accused and is beaten by the local police. Released due to lack of evidence, he looks for the men who set him up to exact revenge.

Customer Reviews:

Gripping story, good acting, solid film noir.......2004-09-12

The DVD version (Gemstone Entertainment 40315) I purchased of this film noir flick (which I've never seen before) caught my eye because it featured a large close-up of Lee Van Cleef's mug, giving the beady-eyed villian top-billing.

Well, it's a trick that generic companies use to lure customers -- it worked on me. Van Cleef actually has fifth billing, but nonetheless has a substantial supporting role as one of the heavies.

This movie actually stars John Payne, a B-actor of considerable talents, whom I've only seen in one other movie, "Miracle On 34th Street" (he played the lawyer defending Edmund Gwynn's Santa Claus).

Payne portrays Joe, an ex-con who inadvertently gets framed for a bank heist. The plot is more Hitchcock than film noir, as it revolves around Payne dashing off to Mexico to clear his name and nail the baddies.

The cast is very solid: Jack Elam plays Pete, the man Joe gets mistaken for. Yet, even though both men's destinies collide, Pete is the real patsy -- it is his weakness that leads to his death, while fall guy Joe plays it cool and ultimately triumphs.

Preston Foster, Van Cleef and Neville Brand round out the cast, and provide a good mix of personalities to play off Payne. The only bit of unfortunate casting (as well as scripting) is Coleen Gray as Payne's love interest, who tries to get him out of the jam. It's clear that her character was written purely as a foil, to move the plot along. This, too, is more Hitchcockian than film-noir, but I would have preferred a cool dame like Ruth Roman or Peggy Knudsen in that role.

I can't exactly say it's one of the movie's flaws, but there's no "femme fatale"; Payne draws nearer to his demise solely through the actions of evil men, not wicked temptresses.

For a B-movie, this flick has a lot of good production values: The cinematography, pacing, fight scenes and music are all excellent, though hardly quintessential of the genre. For the best examples of film noir, check out Jacques Tourneur's "Out of the Past," Billy Wilder's "Double Indemnity," Howard Hawks' "The Big Sleep," John Huston's "The Maltese Falcon," Orson Welles' "The Lady from Shanghai" and Raoul Walsh's "White Heat."

Nonetheless, this movie easily has earned its place alongside such noir classics as "Murder, My Sweet," "Johnny Stool Pidgeon," "Detour" and "One Lonely Night."

Average customer rating:

Finally - The Official MGM DVD Release! Great Film Noir!
Excellent cops and robbers movie.!!
A good example of what second-feature B movies were all about: Not too bad, not too good.
I have to echo these other positive reviews
"You been giving me the fisheye all night."

Kansas City Confidential (Spec)
Starring: John Payne , Coleen Gray , Preston Foster , Neville Brand , and Lee Van Cleef
Director: Phil Karlson
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006673U
Release Date: 2002-06-04

Description

An embittered ex-cop (Preston Foster) masterminds the perfect bank robbery; one in which none of the members of the masked gang ever see each other's faces. But the plan runs into serious trouble when the innocent man implicated in the heist (John Payne) turns out to be a tough-as-bullets WWII veteran who's already experienced the inside of a jail cell and is determined not to go back. Payne tracks down the gang, which includes hard-case legends Lee Van Cleef, Jack Elam, and Neville Brand, to extract his own harsh brand of justice. Along the way he finds romance, double-crosses, punches to the face, and bullets to the body in this explosive action-drama with a plot full of twists and turns.

Customer Reviews:

Finally - The Official MGM DVD Release! Great Film Noir!.......2007-06-03

Excellent cops and robbers movie.!!.......2007-04-29

A good example of what second-feature B movies were all about: Not too bad, not too good........2006-11-26

I have to echo these other positive reviews.......2006-10-09

"You been giving me the fisheye all night.".......2006-04-29

Average customer rating:

Finally - The Official MGM DVD Release! Great Film Noir!
Excellent cops and robbers movie.!!
A good example of what second-feature B movies were all about: Not too bad, not too good.
I have to echo these other positive reviews
"You been giving me the fisheye all night."

Kansas City Confidential
Starring: John Payne , Coleen Gray , Preston Foster , Neville Brand , and Lee Van Cleef
Director: Phil Karlson
Manufacturer: Greatest Sports Legends
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Ace in the Hole - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B00005M2EC
Release Date: 2001-06-07

Customer Reviews:

Finally - The Official MGM DVD Release! Great Film Noir!.......2007-06-03

Excellent cops and robbers movie.!!.......2007-04-29

A good example of what second-feature B movies were all about: Not too bad, not too good........2006-11-26

I have to echo these other positive reviews.......2006-10-09

"You been giving me the fisheye all night.".......2006-04-29

Average customer rating:

Finally - The Official MGM DVD Release! Great Film Noir!
Excellent cops and robbers movie.!!
A good example of what second-feature B movies were all about: Not too bad, not too good.
I have to echo these other positive reviews
"You been giving me the fisheye all night."

Kansas City Confidential [Region 2]
Starring: John Payne , Coleen Gray , Preston Foster , Neville Brand , and Lee Van Cleef
Director: Phil Karlson
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Film Noir | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( K ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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The Stranger (MGM Film Noir)
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Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 (Act of Violence / Mystery Street / Crime Wave / Decoy / Illegal / The Big Steal / They Live By Night / Side Street / Where Danger Lives / Tension)
Ace in the Hole - Criterion Collection

ASIN: B0000AZVHO

Customer Reviews:

Finally - The Official MGM DVD Release! Great Film Noir!.......2007-06-03

Excellent cops and robbers movie.!!.......2007-04-29

A good example of what second-feature B movies were all about: Not too bad, not too good........2006-11-26

I have to echo these other positive reviews.......2006-10-09

"You been giving me the fisheye all night.".......2006-04-29

Average customer rating:

The Squeeze / Kansas City Confidential
Starring: Squeeze , and Kansas City Confidential
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007Q7G8G
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Product Description

2 movies for the price of 1. Brand new, shrink wrapped. The Squeeze-Classic crime drama about a safecracker coming out of retirement to pull off one last caper. The Germans behind the theft are planning to steal $1,000,000. Unbeknownst to the safecracker, they are planning to kill him afterward. When he learns of their intent, he begins plotting his revenge. Original release 1978, color, 100 minutes. Kansas City Confidential-When an armored car robbery succeeds, a decorated war veteran is wrongly accused and is beaten by the local police. released due to the lack of evidence, he looks for the men who set him up to exact his revenge. Original release 1952, B&W,98 minutes.

Mystery Classics Volume 10: Murder with Pictures, The Stranger, Murder at Midnight, Kansas City Confidential

Average customer rating:

Mystery Classics Volume 10: Murder with Pictures, The Stranger, Murder at Midnight, Kansas City Confidential
Starring: Mystery Classics
Manufacturer: Mill Creek Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009W3088
Release Date: 2004-01-01

Average customer rating:

Kansas City Confidential

Manufacturer: Synergy Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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amazon.com

An armored truck is robbed of over a million dollars. Joe Rolfe, played by John Payne, is arrested by the police and is falsely accused of being involved in the robbery. Upon his release, Joe looks for the men who set him up and winds up at a Mexican resort.

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