The film was released in the united kingdom as the secret four. This absorbing crime drama is also one of the most wellcrafted movies of its genre. He blackmails three wanted criminals into becoming part a meticulously planned armored car robbery. Staring neville brand, preston foster, jack elam and john payne. It was directed by phil karlson at his peak just after scandal sheet and right before 99 river street. Director phil karlson genres crime, drama, thriller, film noir rating 7.
Kansas city confidential 1952, the first of three collaborations between phil karlson, a director who graduated from bmovies with a strong storytelling punch and a tough, twofisted sensibility, and john payne, a former light romantic lead and bland songanddance man of fox musicals, was a career changer for both of them. Kansas city confidential 1952 crime drama film noir thriller. Spacepirates rating of the film kansas city confidential spacepirate starts out incredible, with one of the best openings in all of noir, but it quickly loses steam once the setting changes to mexico and a subplot with a love interest takes away from the main reason we are watching. This amazing little film has never before been released on video, and in fact, neither has most of the rest of director phil karlsons work except his later. Kansas city confidential 1952 hd john payne, coleen gray. Payne was already reinventing himself as a hard, taciturn lead in. Kansas city confidential 1952 john payne, coleen gray, lee.
Kansas city confidential 1952 t im foster preston foster is a bitter excop forced into early retirement for mysterious reasons. Joes not too happy about the confusion, and goes looking for the perpetrators down in mexico. The four men, having worn masks during the crime, are complete strangers and are anonymous to one another, but plan to meet. With john payne, coleen gray, preston foster, neville brand. Kansas city confidential is a 1952 film noir crime film directed by phil karlson and starring john payne, coleen gray, preston foster, neville. Karlson achieves a very paranoid atmosphere throughout the film, the. Phil karlsons low budget, bgrade film noir, opens on a kansas city armoredcar robbery perpetrated by cynical, corrupt expoliceman timothy foster. Following the aftermath of a gangs armoredtruck heist, the film has received attention as a possible influence on reservoir dogs. Karlson and payne teamed up a year later for another blackandwhite film, this time a noir, titled 99 river street, followed by a 1955 color film, hells island. It tells its story with few frills, but with plenty of interesting details and a welltimed pace. Kansas city confidential 1952 john payne, coleen gray, preston foster feature drama, crime film gorillas. What starts as a typical heist film becomes a story of duplicity between good guys and bad about the lies we tell ourselves and the lies we tell to spare others. As an impressionable lad kansas city confidential left no enduring mark on my psyche.
You can watch the complete 1952 noir crime picture, now in the public domain, and decide for yourself. With john payne, coleen gray, lee van cleef, jack elam. Kansas city confidential free on kanopy stream on demand. Karlson was among the toughminded hollywood directors whose noirthemed work film programmer steve brown introduced to club 57 audiences. Another crime boss, another dangerously eccentric gang of gunmen, some corrupt policing, and a complicated. But it is the purpose of this picture to expose the amazing operations of a man who conceived and executed a perfect crime, the true solution of which is not entered in any case history, and could well be entitled kansas city confidential.
Joe rolfe john payne, the man they framed to take the heat, gets his charges dropped, and the police offer him a reward if he can help recover the cash. Kansas city confidential on dvd 014381145021 from image ent directed by phil karlson. Get info about the original print of kansas city confidential, 1952, directed by phil karlson, with john payne, coleen gray, preston foster. Criminals boyd kane neville brand, tony romano lee van cleef and pete harris jack elam are cogs in the scheme but they never meet each other facetoface. Kansas city confidential is a 1952 american film noir crime film directed by phil karlson and starring john payne, coleen gray, preston foster, neville brand, lee van cleef and jack elam. Public domain theater presents another great public domain film from. Kansas city confidential is a 1952 film noir crime film directed by phil karlson and starring john payne actor, coleen.
Karlson and payne teamed a year later for 99 river street, another film noir, followed by hells island, a film noir in color. According to wikipedia the plot was inspiration for quentin tarantinos reservoir dogs. Tightly plotted and perfectly cast, kansas city confidential is film noir at its finest. Kansas city confidential 1952 was another effective noir, with john payne well cast as an exconvict seeking retribution after nearly being framed for an armed robbery.
Kansas city confidential is a low budget bgrade film noir that holds up quite well 60 years after its theatrical release. The authorities mistakenly nab excon joe rolfe payne, however, since his delivery truck is identical to the one used in the job. Kansas city confidential is a film directed by phil karlson with john payne, preston foster, lee van cleef, coleen gray, year. Karlson and payne teamed a year later for 99 river street, another film noir, followed by hells island, a film. Kansas city confidential the film detective restored version bluray. Kansas city confidential 1952 kansas city confidential isnt the slickest show in the film noir canon but it has plenty of malice crammed into the close ups of its prolific baddies sweaty, greedy faces.
So it is with director phil karlsons kansas city confidential. Kansas city confidential 1952 touch to expand thumbnails from archive. How has this film gained the reputation of being ed woods magnum opus the worst film ever made. Joe rolfe payne, a downonhisluck flower delivery truck driver is accused of being involved and is roughly interrogated by local police.
Kansas city confidentials bmovie roots are abundantly clear, but that doesnt keep it from being an effective little excursion into the world of film noir. Viewing it many years later left me stunned that such a great b film could be made in 1952, looking so fresh and new, especially when compared against the current videogame action crap that were forced to digest. Kansas city confidential, phil karlsons low low budget, bgrade film noir, opens on a kansas city armoredcar robbery perpetrated by cynical, corrupt expoliceman timothy foster preston s. This film has been enhanced using a video enhancement program that reduces noise and enhances video quality. A mysterious fellow preston foster contacts a trio of criminals jack elam, neville brand, lee van cleef to help with a bank heist.
Kansas city confidential is a 1952 american film noir and crime film directed by phil karlson starring john payne and coleen gray. The film was marketed with the tagline exploding like a gun in your face. Other articles where kansas city confidential is discussed. Kansas city confidential 1952, usa john payne, coleen. Kansas city confidential 1952 john payne, coleen gray, lee van cleef, preston foster. Karlson also directed 5 against the house 1955, the phenix city.
Kansas city confidential 1952 regional educational. Kansas city confidential 1952 free streaming video tubi. It is the only way to download torrents fully anonymous by encrypting all traffic with zero logs. Other karlson movies that transcended their bmovie constraints include the phenix city story 1955 and walking tall 1973. Kansas city confidential 1952 combustible celluloid. Corrupt excop timothy foster foster recruits three heavies for an armoredcar robbery that goes off without a hitch.
Download kansas city diy city guide and travel journal. The four wear masks and remain strangers to each other, planning to reunite in mexico to divvy up the loot. Kansas city confidential film by karlson 1952 britannica. In this noirthriller, three convicts are contracted by a mysterious benefactor to pull a bank heist. Karlson and payne teamed up a year later for 99 river street, another noir, followed by a 1955 color film noir, hells island. Kansas city confidential is a 1952 film noir crime film directed by phil karlson and starring john payne.
Kansas city confidential 1952 3 12 stars out of 4 tweet city tricksters. Not rated 1h 39min crime, drama, filmnoir 11 november 1952 usa. Kansas city confidential is a 1952 american film noir and crime film directed by phil karlson starring john payne, coleen gray and lee van cleef. Read famous quotes from kansas city confidential, 1952, directed by phil karlson, with john payne, coleen gray, preston foster. In kansas city confidential, preston foster plays tim foster, an embittered excop forced to retire over some unspecified incident, who blackmails three hoods into helping him to commit an armed robbery. Kansas city confidential the secret four 1952 rotten. Like a gun in your face four robbers hold up an armored truck getting away with over a million dollars in cash. Kc confidential is still the best, always a treat to watch. The film was known particularly for its brutality, and it later developed a cult following. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. John payne stars in kansas city confidential, a 1952 noir also starring preston foster, colleen gray, jack elam, neville brand and lee van cleef. Kc confidential is a 5 star example as to what makes a good crime story. Kansas city confidential 1952 tt0044789 a downonhisluck exgi finds himself framed for an armored car robbery.
Payne is joe rolfe, a ww ii vet who delivers flowers for a living. Watch kansas city confidential online stream full movie. Kansas city confidential 1952, with lee van cleef full movie. A rough and tough little film noir, kansas city confidential is brimming with slapping, punching and shooting along its eventful course. Kansas city confidential 1952 journeys in classic film. Siskoid behind its lackluster title, kansas city confidential hides a fun. Kansas city confidential is a 1952 film noir about an excon 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 directed by phil karlson. Indeed, in some strange way, its cheapness adds to its effectiveness. Kansas city confidential is a 1952 blackandwhite crime film directed by phil karlson and starring john payne. An excon trying to go straight is framed for a million dollar armored car robbery and must go to mexico in order to unmask the real culprits. Kansas city confidential, an essential film noir from 1952. Director phil karlson is remembered fondly for this and other hardhitting noir exercises that would follow, two of which featured payne.