Crime

Kansas City Confidential

- The Crime That Shocked The Nation!

An ex-convict sets out to uncover who framed him for an armored car robbery.

Release Date : 1952-11-11

Language :EnglishSpanish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Associated Players & ProducersEdward Small Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : The Secret Four

Cast

Character Name : Joe Rolfe

Original Name : John Payne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Helen Foster

Original Name : Coleen Gray

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tim Foster

Original Name : Preston Foster

Gender : Male

Character Name : Boyd Kane

Original Name : Neville Brand

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tony Romano

Original Name : Lee Van Cleef

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pete Harris

Original Name : Jack Elam

Gender : Male

Character Name : Teresa

Original Name : Dona Drake

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tomaso

Original Name : Mario Siletti

Gender : Male

Character Name : Andrews

Original Name : Howard Negley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Martin

Original Name : Carleton Young

Gender : Male

Character Name : Diaz

Original Name : Don Orlando

Gender : Male

Character Name : Morelli

Original Name : Ted Ryan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Porter (uncredited)

Original Name : Orlando Beltran

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prisoner (uncredited)

Original Name : Ray Bennett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Robbery Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Chet Brandenburg

Gender : Male

Character Name : Player (uncredited)

Original Name : Barry Brooks

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective Barney (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Cane

Gender : Male

Character Name : Airline Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Edward Coch

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man at Craps Table (uncredited)

Original Name : James Conaty

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Tom Dillon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : George Dockstader

Gender : Male

Character Name : Eddie (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Dubov

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paul Garcia (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Fierro

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shooter (uncredited)

Original Name : Eddie Foster

Gender : Male

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Dick Gordon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Tom Greenway

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective Mullins (uncredited)

Original Name : William Haade

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stickman (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Hill

Gender : Male

Character Name : News Vendor (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Hines

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bouncer (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Hogan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Don House

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Rogers (uncredited)

Original Name : Vivi Janiss

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mrs. Crane (uncredited)

Original Name : Helen Kleeb

Gender : Female

Character Name : Tough Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Kruger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stickman (uncredited)

Original Name : Mike Lally

Gender : Male

Character Name : News Vendor's Customer (uncredited)

Original Name : Roger Moore

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : House Peters Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jailer (uncredited)

Original Name : Lee Phelps

Gender : Male

Character Name : Workman (uncredited)

Original Name : Sam Pierce

Gender : Male

Character Name : Casino Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Ravel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Houseman (uncredited)

Original Name : Joey Ray

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shooter (uncredited)

Original Name : Carlos Rivero

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rick (uncredited)

Original Name : Ric Roman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stickman (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank J. Scannell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Player (uncredited)

Original Name : Sam Scar

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Shea

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stickman (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Sherlock

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Brick Sullivan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Player (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Sullivan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Collins (uncredited)

Original Name : Phil Tead

Gender : Male

Character Name : Police Dispatcher (uncredited)

Original Name : Archie Twitchell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Olson (uncredited)

Original Name : George D. Wallace

Gender : Male

Character Name : Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Kay Wiley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Capt. McBride (uncredited)

Original Name : Jeff York

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Unlucky Joe And The Torn In Half Kings. Kansas City Confidential (AKA: The Secret Four) is directed by Phil Karlson and written by George Bruce and Harry Essex. It stars John Payne, Preston Foster, Coleen Gray, Neville Brand, Jack Elam and Lee Van Cleef. Music is by Paul Sawtell and cinematography by George E. Diskant. Plot sees four robbers hold up an armoured truck and get away with over a million dollars. Sadly for everyday and ordinary Joe Rolfe (Payne), he's set up and accused of being involved in the robbery. But he wont go down without a fight, and promptly calls upon his dark half to seek out the actual culprits himself. "In the police annals of Kansas City are written lurid chapters concerning the exploits of criminals apprehended and brought to punishment. 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". Produced by Edward Small, Kansas City Confidential is believed to be the only film released out of Small's own Associated Players and Producers studio. Still, if you are going to only have one film on your studio résumé, you have to be thankful that it's a little cracker. More "B" movie grit than film noir flecked nastiness, Karlson's movie is lean, mean and structured with knowing skill by the director. From the tremendous tension fuelled opening of the heist planning and execution, through to the deadly payoff at the finale, film is awash with knuckle slappings, shifting identities and the turning of the protagonist's psychological make up. Were it not for one of "those" endings, and the telegraphing of optimism slightly shunting the pessimistic atmosphere out of the headlights, this would undoubtedly be far more revered and better known in film noir/crime movie circles. First thing to note of worth is the cast assembled for the picture. Payne was already leaving behind his formative acting years in family fare like Miracle On 34th Street and Footlight Serenade, reinventing himself as a dramatic actor in films such as The Crooked Way. He's a perfect fit for Joe Rolfe, an ex-con war veteran down on his luck, he has his every man qualities pummelled out of him by the police, so much so he has to turn bad to prove that he's good. The change is believable in Payne's hands, his face that of normality in the beginning, but latterly icy cold and untrustworthy. A trio of "B" movie stalwarts make up the thugs gallery, Jack Elam is sweaty and worm like, Lee Van Cleef is snake faced and pulsing bad attitude, while Neville Brand exudes borderline psychotic menace. Unfortunately Preston Foster as the "boss" man is not altogether convincing, but in a film where characters are not always what they seem, this doesn't hurt the film. Coleen Gray shows a nice pair of legs for the boys, but with Karlson not bothered about fleshing out the romantic and flirting aspects of her relationship with Payne, she exists only as a secondary cog between Payne and Foster's characters. This is no femme fatale character, sadly, no sir. Music is standard fare and Diskant's photography only fleetingly shows some noir flourishes. However, with two fists full of grit from which to punch, and some boldness in the narrative involving police brutality, Kansas City Confidential comes out as one of the better "B" ranked crime movies of the 50's. 8/10

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-09-11

This is quite a clever, well paced crime-noir with a really rather good performance from John Payne as "Joe", a former soldier/ex-con who, whilst on his routine flower-delivery rounds - ends up getting framed for a massive armed robbery. Luckily for him, the police can't press charges - all the robbers wore masks - and so he decides to track down the thugs and claim a share of the cash for himself. You get where this is going early on, but when you see Jack Elam and Lee Van Cleef on the cast list, you know that you are in for a bumpy ride. There are plenty of crosses and double-crosses as he and the gang (none of whom know the identity of their criminal mastermind) try to get to Mexico and to the loot. It's a good end-to-end action adventure, with a taut, eery score from Paul Sawtell adding much to the sinister lighting effects that give this film a much better than average sense of suspense.