Kansas City Confidential - Film Masters Archive Collection Limited Edition

Actor John Payne, best known as the dashing lawyer who defends Kris Kringle in a court of law and romances the lovely Maureen O'Hara in the perennial holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street, morphed from an affable leading man into a brooding tough guy with the taut, inventive 1949 film noir The Crooked Way. A series of war movies, westerns, and swashbucklers followed, but three years later, Payne returned to the nefarious world of noir to star in Kansas City Confidential, a low-budget crime drama about a bank heist gone awry. Lean, mean, and refreshingly original, this gritty film has developed a faithful following, even catching the fancy of writer-director Quentin Tarantino, who reportedly weaved a few of its elements into his first directorial effort, Reservoir Dogs.

Kansas City Confidential has little to do with the titular Midwestern city (most of the movie takes place in Mexico), but that's where its twisted plot commences. As the film opens, a mysterious man (Preston Foster) masterminds what he believes to be the perfect crime. He recruits three desperate thugs to help him, but wears a mask while individually interviewing them to shield his identity. He also gives each of them a mask so they can't recognize their cohorts, making them simultaneously "cop-proof and stool pigeon-proof." Each gets a ripped-in-half King playing card as well, which he will later present to the ringleader to claim his share of the take when they all rendezvous at a secret location after the post-robbery furor has died down.

The gang pulls off the heist without a hitch, then each member of the quartet goes his separate way to lay low while an innocent floral delivery driver is framed for the crime. That driver is Joe Rolfe (Payne), a decorated war hero who's also an ex-con supposedly trying to go straight. After the police verify his alibi, they release him, but not before he learns the insurance company will pay 25% of the robbery take to anyone who recovers the stolen money. That choice morsel piques Rolfe's interest and, along with a desire to clear his tarnished reputation, inspires him to track down the loot and bring the gang that tried to send him up the river to justice.

Twists and turns abound. Some are clever, others are contrived, but the well-constructed narrative and straightforward direction by journeyman Phil Karlson foster an urgent, authentic feel that keeps us involved. Though we all know Rolfe will eventually unravel the gang leader's foolproof plan, it's fun to watch him do it, especially when the honcho's upstanding daughter Helen (Coleen Gray) - who's ironically studying to be a lawyer - unexpectedly shows up and complicates matters by taking a fancy to Rolfe. Her father's backstory, split loyalties, and personal motives also fuel some key revelations that take the story in exciting directions.

The little-known cast that also includes a young Neville Brand and younger Lee Van Cleef heightens the realistic aura, but Payne and especially Foster drive the film. Both file strong portrayals, shading their roles with subtleties that add dimension and interest to characters who - in lesser hands - could be cardboard cutouts, and Karlson ramps up intensity with in-your-face close-ups that put us in the thick of fight scenes and heated confrontations. Though classic noir touches such as deep shadows, swirling cigarette smoke, and a double-crossing femme fatale are absent, a prevailing toughness permeates the atmosphere and raises the story's stakes while mitigating the movie's blander aspects.

Karlson would go on to direct a couple of lurid 1970s cult classics - Ben and Walking Tall - and Kansas City Confidential helped lay the groundwork for them. Its reputation has increased over the years, and it now stands as a noteworthy second-tier film noir. It makes a nice companion piece to Payne's The Crooked Way, and makes us crave more Blu-ray releases in the same vein. If you're a fan of the genre, you'll certainly want to rediscover this rough diamond in the rough.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
The Film Masters edition of Kansas City Confidential arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case inside a sleeve. A 12-page booklet with an essay about actor Jack Elam that includes several photos is tucked inside the front cover. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.

Touted as newly restored, the Film Masters Archive Collection edition of Kansas City Confidential improves upon the 2016 Film Detective Blu-ray, but not by a very wide margin. The 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer looks a bit more vibrant and a tad sharper, but judging by the amount and placement of the nicks and marks that dot the image, it seems the same source material was used. I called the picture quality of the 2016 Blu-ray "quite impressive," and this rendering is too, despite the print damage. Though it's a shame more clean-up wasn't performed, the underlying image boasts terrific clarity and contrast, deep blacks, bright whites, and a solid grayscale. Evident grain produces a film-like feel and supplies just enough grit to complement this tough crime tale. Close-ups look especially good, showcasing copious amounts of sweat, varying degrees of stubble, and facial blemishes. Excellent shadow delineation keeps crush at bay, background elements are discernible, and no digital anomalies disrupt the viewing experience. If Kansas City Confidential is one of your favorite films, I'd definitely recommend an upgrade, but this newly restored edition might not impress the casual noir collector enough to merit the purchase.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track, which seems to be identical to the one on the 2016 Film Detective Blu-ray release, supplies clear, well-modulated sound, despite the occurrence of intermittent, age-related pops and crackles. A wide dynamic scale keeps distortion at bay, hiss is absent even during quiet moments, and sonic accents like gunfire, fisticuffs, and revving engines are crisp. Fine fidelity enhances the impact of the foreboding music score, and all the dialogue is properly prioritized and easy to understand. Low-end tones are especially weighty, heightening the presence of this nicely balanced track.

There is only one extra on the disc.

• Audio Commentary by film historian Jason A. Ney.

Taut, tough, and well-acted, Kansas City Confidential packs a potent noir punch, thanks to an original story with some clever twists and turns. The chronicle of a "perfect" bank robbery that goes off the rails features well-crafted performances by John Payne and Preston Foster and realistic, no-frills direction that keeps us focused on the characters and plot. Though more noteworthy and polished titles eclipse it, Kansas City Confidential remains a solid entry in the B-movie film noir echelon, and this newly restored limited edition from Film Masters provides subtle improvements over the 2016 Blu-ray. Upgraded packaging, a glossy booklet, and an audio commentary enhance this release, but an upgrade ultimately hinges on one's level of affection for the film. Highly Recommended.