Kansas City Confidential (The Secret Four) (1952)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  Decent "B" caper flick w/ some noir touches.

• jay n

  
  Good but not great noir has a decent story and fine acting but could have been a little more tightly directed. Still if you're a fan of the genre this is an entry to watch.

• Randy T

  
  In spite of it's faults (campy dialog, boneheaded criminals, cheesy ending, etc.) <i>Kansas City Confidential</i> is still a keystone in the evolution of the classic heist film. Essential viewing for fans of the genre.

• Michael G

  
  Kansas City Confidential is more of a heist movie as opposed to a film noir flick. And a pretty decent one at that. The title's pretty misleading as most of the action takes place in Mexico. The action and most of what innovation this movie has takes place mostly in the first act… More
  Kansas City Confidential is more of a heist movie as opposed to a film noir flick. And a pretty decent one at that. The title's pretty misleading as most of the action takes place in Mexico. The action and most of what innovation this movie has takes place mostly in the first act but it ends pretty well. A good supporting cast includes the ever-shifty Lee Van Cleef and the crazy eyed Jack Elam. My biggest gripe is that this movie didn't entirely hold my attention throughout but I was pretty surprised as I was expecting a 50s version of CSI. So it's got that going for it. Which is nice...

• Stella D

  
  tough talkin' heist flick with some interesting twists

• Byron B

  
  May have inspired Affleck's The Town a bit. Also a bit similar to The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (the original at least). A bank heist is masterminded. The big man in charge wears a mask when he hires Pete Harris (Jack Elam), Tony Romano (a young Lee Van Cleef), and Boyd… More
  May have inspired Affleck's The Town a bit. Also a bit similar to The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (the original at least). A bank heist is masterminded. The big man in charge wears a mask when he hires Pete Harris (Jack Elam), Tony Romano (a young Lee Van Cleef), and Boyd Kane (Neville Brand). They are to wear masks when they pull off the crime so they won't know each other. They each are given a ripped in half playing card as their calling card for divvying up the take later in Mexico. We know that they each have their recognizable characteristics. We know that the mastermind is Tim Foster (Preston Foster) and later find out he is an ex-cop. Joe Rolfe (John Payne) works for a flower delivery service and drives a truck identical to the one the bank robbers use for their get away. After being roughed up by the cops and then released when his innocent story checks out, he goes after the real criminals. He wants in on the four way split of the cash. At a resort in Mexico the mugs start gathering to claim their share and it is obvious they won't have too hard of a time identifying each other. But will they figure out who the mastermind is? Foster strangely doesn't seem to be aware that something is amiss when Rolfe claims the name Harris, even though he knows the men he hired. It turns out there is more to his plan. Foster's daughter is a wild card in the mix. She arrives to visit her dad on his regular fishing trip as a surprise and starts a relationship with Harris/Rolfe. There is a lot of shuffling of who will come out on top. Much of the dialog and action is hard-bitten and enjoyable. Compared to Detour though, another entry in the Film Noir Collector's Edition DVD's, there are moments like the end when it lightens and becomes more melodramatic.

• Walter M

  
  "Kansas City Confidential" starts with Foster(Preston Foster) planning the perfect crime and recruiting three criminals, Pete Harris(Jack Elam), Tony Romano(Lee Van Cleef) and Boyd Kane(Neville Brand), to his cause. The robbery goes off without a hitch, even netting them a… More
  "Kansas City Confidential" starts with Foster(Preston Foster) planning the perfect crime and recruiting three criminals, Pete Harris(Jack Elam), Tony Romano(Lee Van Cleef) and Boyd Kane(Neville Brand), to his cause. The robbery goes off without a hitch, even netting them a patsy, Joe Rolfe(John Payne), an ex-con who was driving a florist's van similar to the robbers'. Rolfe is eventually cleared of charges but three weeks later cannot find work. Then, he gets word that Pete Harris is hiding out in Tijuana and goes there to clear his name... "Kansas City Confidential" is a deftly plotted and violent caper flick with a couple of neat twists. No crime is perfect but it is surprising how close this one comes. With any crime, there are unintended consequences, and this movie, made at the height of the McCarthy Era, is pleasantly surprising in its not wanting to rush to judgment and attacking the theory of guilt by association in the public's perception. And there are a couple of other nice touches that make this movie far ahead of its time.

• Chris B

  
  "Kansas City Confidential" is a low budget B-grade film noir that holds up quite well 60 years after it's theatrical release. This is certainly a film that fans of film noir will appreciate and should enjoy. While this isn't at the level of some of the… More
  "Kansas City Confidential" is a low budget B-grade film noir that holds up quite well 60 years after it's theatrical release. This is certainly a film that fans of film noir will appreciate and should enjoy. While this isn't at the level of some of the genre's greats, it is a fun and entertaining look into a heist that is pulled off but filled with several twists and crosses. The acting is a little over the top at times and too staged, but overall holds together to not make the film unintentionally humorous. At the time of it's release, "Kansas City Confidential" was one of the most brutal and violent crime films to ever be committed to film.

Read all 8 featured audience ratings