We're back in Film Noir country with 1952's Kansas City Confidential, Tank 7 Saison from legendary Kansas City brewery Boulevard.
Jack Elam, Lee Van Cleef and Neville Brand are the three actors we're familiar with in this one, so we discuss where we know them from. Neville Brand, in particular, is a really scary fella in this one.
We dive into the plot, with Mr. Big (Tim Foster) casing a bank, then getting his ducks in a row, starting with Pete Harris (Elam), a chain smoking gambling addict.
This is the suit wearing era, so everyone is wearing a suit.
Part of the gimmick in this is the crooks wear masks, so they can't identify each other, if the caper goes bust. Sound familiar? Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs was influenced by this. Tony Romano (Van Cleef) and Boyd Kane (Brand) are up next. All three are wanted by the law, and Foster uses the bank robbery as a means for them to get out of their jam.
They pull off the heist, and in the process get our hero Joe framed for it. The crooks had a perfect caper going, but when they split up it's a bit sketchy. Plus, Foster missed a very important thing: Two of the guys did time together.
Joe's interrogation is pretty classic noir. Joe's boss deals with many "conservative people," yet he hired an ex-con? Odd.
Cops, in noir fashion, keep Joe overnight and work him over. Upon finding out he's not their guy, the response? "These things happen."
Recently unemployed Joe, now in leather jacket, is now on the hunt for the guys who framed him. His war buddy Eddie helps him out, so off to Mexico we go.
Mr. Big is now friendly fisherman Tim, sending telegrams to the three crooks in hiding, calling them to Borados.
Joe finds Pete. Pete, up for 1st degree murder, gets knocked around and disrespected a lot. Joe's cutting himself into the money.
We pause to celebrate Tank 7. We're glad we found a Kansas City beer. Jayson can't do math after sipping this easy drinking 8.5% beauty. There's a lot of coffee drinking and smoking in this one, but not as much alcohol as you get in most noirs.
There's a great deep focus shot in the airport when Pete gets shot. Now Joe becomes Pete Harris.
Borados! Romano and Kane are there, but the mask scheme means they don't know each other, so Joe/Pete can play his hand.
We find out about Mr. Big. He was a cop who was forced out of the job for reasons that are unclear.
Joe arrives with Helen, Big's daughter, and he's surprised to see her. He's also surprised she has a thing for Pete Harris.
Romano and Kane make no attempt to fit in at the resort.
Big sees Pete Harris, realizes it isn't him. Joe drops a big clue at the card table, which gets real sneak looks from Romano and Big.
Joe sets up Romano, knowing he'll be pulling a sneak on Joe's room. Joe makes a bad move that comes back on him the next day, a pool day.
Kane and Romano rough Joe up. Kane did time with Pete Harris. Oops. Once again, Neville Brand is terrifying. Helen saves Joe's cheese.
Romano's use of "Palsy" becomes part of my vocabulary.
There isn't a femme fatale, but Helen is a strong female character, and probably the smartest in the film.
We find out where Big keeps the money, and where he hides it.
The guy running the resort is so happy I want to go there.
Big is in cahoots with insurance guy Andrews to set up the crooks. But he's Mr. Big, so there's something shady here.
The climax on the boat takes shape. They don't know Tim is Big. Romano is easily swayed.
Big reveals himself. All kinds of stuff goes down, Joe figures out Tim's Big, and Tim is gut shot and Kills Romano. Joe conspires with a dying Tim to keep Helen in the dark that her dad, far from being a crook, is a hero.
We discuss if this is a happy ending. I don't think it is. Joe and Helen's relationship about is built on a lie. She's going to talk about what a great guy her dad is, when in reality he's a no good crook. Jayson thinks this is a happy ending. Joe gets the reward for the returned money, 300,000 in 1952, and all he has to do is never tell Helen about her dad. I'm right. ;)
Jayson would recommend this film. It's influential, tight, with great acting. He also did a deep dive on bank robberies, because of course. Also, he didn't know Kansas City was a big mob town. I did. Lots of mob history in Kansas City. I absolutely recommend this one. It's a really cool movie. Heck yeah we both recommend Tank 7 Saison from Boulevard. Get some, drink some.
Intro music for this episode is a mix of (1) Turn on The Funk (Story Blocks Audio subscription), (2) sample 1961’s The Phantom Planet [in the public domain], and (3) sample 1968’s Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women [in the public domain].
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