Kansas City Confidential (1952)

I decided to review this film noir today because it is opening at the Film Noir festival in San Francisco. I own a copy and usually watch it once a year. I have watched it seven (7) times over the last ten years.Phil Karlson directs and utilized a variety of actors who are recognizable in the film noir genre. These include: John Payne, Coleen Gray, Preston Foster, Neville Brand, Jack Elam and Lee Van Cleef. The plot gets complicated in Mexico because Foster's daughter (i.e Coleen Grey) falls for the anti-hero Joe Rolfe (John Payne).The plot is multi-layered and involves all the major actors. Justice prevails after a number of plot twists in a sleepy, isolated resort in Mexico.

A good crime noir from the 1950s. Solid acting, nice cinematography and an interesting story with a couple of twists and quite a few intense moments to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat in suspense. Joe Rolfe is a man getting his life straightened out. He's set up to take the rap of helping with a bank robbery while the big boss and his 3 new members of the masked gang take off to Mexico. Joe gets some help to get to Mexico and a little bit of information as to who might have set him up to take the robbery fall. When Joe gets to Mexico he finds Pete Harris who ends up being shot down by the police and Joe then takes Pete's identity to find out more about why and who set him up. The movie is worth watching if you like the older crime films - sometimes there's quite a bit of action on the screen to keep it "spicy" and a couple of twists to keep it interesting. 8/10

An extravagant armored car heist is carried out and Joe Rolfe(John Payne), who knows the law, but finds himself on the wrong side of it, is arrested on circumstantial evidence. He is manhandled and tortured by the cops; but is released finally for lack of evidence. The disgruntled Rolfe, wants to know the who and why he was set up to take the fall. He sets out to find the answers and scours the underworld on a trail that leads him to Mexico. The real thieves are among a blend of killers, felons at-large and even corrupt cops. Director Phil Karlson gives some interesting looks at the underbelly and avenues of crime. The cast is power packed and features: Coleen Gray, Neville Brand, Lee Van Cleef, Preston Foster and Jack Elam.

Favorite Movie Quote: "Hey, Tony - I know a sure-fire cure for a bloody nose - An ice-cold knife, right in the back!" Brutal. Hard-edged. Unflinching.1952's Kansas City Confidential (KCC, for short) is Film Noir at its absolute best. Like a keg of TNT going off, KCC's story features plenty of bare-knuckle violence that's sure to please any fan of the genre.In this super-tough Action/Drama, actor John Payne is perfectly cast as ex-con, Joe Rolf.Trying to go straight, Rolf soon finds himself set up as a patsy after an armoured car robbery of 1.2 million dollars takes place in broad daylight by 4 masked thugs who make their get-away, quick and clean.Picked up on suspicion by Kansas City police, Rolf is grilled mercilessly for a confession and even beaten till he can hardly stand on his own two feet. But Rolf is too tough to crack, especially since he had no part in the crime.Released from jail and soon on the lam, Rolf, taking on the identity of a dead hood named Pete Harris, heads down to Mexico on a lead, in hopes of tracking down the true villains who set him up and, thus, prove his own innocence.KCC is great entertainment. This is the very film that inspired director Quentin Tarantino for his picture Reservoir Dogs.Even though Roger Moore is credited as being part of KCC's cast, I can't recall seeing him in the film. And I've watched this movie, now, 4 times.