Exploding! Like a gun in your face!

Kansas City Confidential
1952 / 1:39
Tagline: “Exploding! Like a gun in your face!”
[internet archive]

He’s an ex-con with a past that won’t stay buried. Kansas City cops tagged him as a person of interest in a million-dollar bank job. No charges, no conviction - but the stink stuck. Now he’s got a plan to clean up his name and maybe make a buck doing it. He slips into the skin of a dead bank robber, aiming to infiltrate the gang that pulled the heist, sniff out the loot, and cash in on the insurance company’s reward. It’s a long shot, but it’s all he’s got.

Complication walks in wearing lipstick and carrying a law textbook. She’s sharp, ambitious, and not buying his cover story. He keeps her in the dark, but she knows he’s sitting on something big. Love and lies don’t mix well, but he’s already in too deep.

The casting sells the whole thing. John Payne, tall and built like a linebacker, plays the lead with just the right mix of brains and brawn. He talks fast, hits hard, and looks like he’s been through hell and came out one mean hombre. Coleen Gray, as the girlfriend, nails the role of a law student - smart, articulate, and not easily fooled. Preston Foster plays the bitter ex-cop with a chip on his shoulder and a vendetta against the system that chewed him up and spit him out. He’s got a grudge against insurance companies and the political machine that cost him his badge.

The trio of crooks are pure pulp. Neville Brand’s face looks like it’s been through a meat grinder - he’s the kind of guy who’s been beaten so many times he forgot how to flinch. Lee Van Cleef is all sharp angles and sneers, a human ferret who mocks women for falling for him. Jack Elam, sweaty and twitchy, seems like he could snap any second. These guys live for the rush - crime, booze, cards, and chaos. They know the endgame: the chair, the gas chamber, or a rope around the neck.

The film’s atmosphere is pure noir. Payne’s war hero knows medals don’t buy coffee. Cops beat him bloody trying to force a confession, then shrug when they realize he’s clean: “These things happen.” Van Cleef roughs him up over a misunderstanding and mutters, “It just fell out that way.” Victimizers always act like invisible fate pulled the trigger. Payne’s got the final word: “I know a sure cure for a nosebleed - a cold knife in the middle of the back.”

Sure, the plot’s a stretch - three hardened criminals follow a stranger to Mexico. But once you swallow that, the rest is gravy. A few quibbles: a woman in skin-darkener playing Mexican, and no clue how Payne bankrolls his trip south. Still, the twists keep coming, and the silences speak volumes. Nobody’s who they seem, and trust is just another sucker’s bet.