happytrigger-64-390517 Phil Karlson teamed with John Payne in three Films Noirs, "Kansas City Confidential" being the first one. And what a hit, John Payne being caught in a revenge story fighting against bad men Neville Brand, Jack Elam, Lee Van Cleef, Preston Foster. What a hell, and shot in a so stunning photography. The second Karlson - Payne is as good, "99 River Street". The last one, "Hell's Island" is disappointing but still watchable. Karlson directs 3 more Films Noirs before sinking in the 60's. Phil Karlson would team at last with Joe Don Baker in two ultimate anti- corruption and revenge terrific thrillers, "Walking Tall" and "Framed". Will somebody one day write a book about that master of B tough movies, Phil Karlson?

milam_ogden 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.

Thomas Drufke I know a lot of people are against remakes of any sort, but I think Kansas City Confidential is one of the few classic films that are hard to argue against remaking. With an updated and star studded cast it can be a possible Oscar contender. Film Noir's just aren't really made anymore and I can totally see someone like Ben Foster or Michael Fassbender taking on these roles. But don't get me wrong, the film doesn't need to be remade. The original 1952 crime drama is fantastic. Not only is it utterly suspenseful but the performances across the board are flawless. The actors make the unlikable characters hard to root against and that's an extremely difficult thing to do, especially when you're dealing with murder and bank robberies. The film tells the story of a perfect bank robbery done by 4 troubled men, and then the framed man who wouldn't give up.I love the mysterious beginning. Sure, you know who is truly behind all of it from the get-go, but the film does a great job of creating cryptic characters and let the story unfold without interruption. At first I found the film to be hard to follow considering some of the main characters look similar in black and white, but after 20 minutes or so I was sucked in. When the tables start to turn for each character, the film elevates to a whole other level. One of the best scenes in the film is the poker match. It reminded me a lot of The Departed where each character thinks he is starting to understand exactly who everyone else is, only it's just the beginning. I had wondered throughout the entire film which one of these characters would come out on top. Or better yet, who would crack first and go to the cops.I think the only part of the film that fell short was the romance. I feel like Joe and Helena weren't developed enough as a couple for the relationship to blossom that fast. The film needed a few more female characters. I think if they ever do remake the film they could totally have one of the main bank robbers be a female. But I guess the time period just didn't have a lot of female roles to go around.+Performances +Utterly suspenseful +That poker match though...+Unpredictable -Lack of female presence 9.0/10

Scott LeBrun You have to feel bad for ex-con / flower delivery man / patsy Joe Rolfe (John Payne). He ends up being nabbed by the cops when a gang of hold-up men robs a bank - a gang driving in a van similar to his. Joe, who has little to live for and who is desperately trying to hold on to what he's got, gets righteously angry and tracks down the perpetrators of the crime, insinuating himself into their schemes and ultimately getting in over his head.Capably directed by Phil Karlson, "Kansas City Confidential" is a solid example of prime film noir, with a flawed but still basically likable protagonist. His quest to get back at those who wronged him is a familiar story but it's still a good one, and part of what makes this work so well are the twists and turns along the way; George Bruce and Harry Essex wrote the script (with some uncredited contributions by star Payne and director Karlson), based on a story by Harold Greene and Rowland Brown.Karlson takes a true no-nonsense, no frills approach to the gritty material, and the actors play it for everything that it's worth. Payne is good in the lead, playing a man with some toughness to him but who has to rely on his wits to get through situations, and doesn't get through them unscathed. The gorgeous Coleen Gray provides an endearing love interest and Preston Foster has a fine screen presence as the idea man behind the robbery. However, what is truly delightful is seeing a trio of legendary character stars near the beginnings of their film careers - Neville Brand, Lee Van Cleef, and Jack Elam. Seeing these guys together in one film is a treat.If you're a fan of this genre or any of these actors, then seeing this little gem is highly recommended. It has many fine and riveting scenes that keep you watching and waiting to see how it turns out. It's intelligent and believable at all times.Eight out of 10.