John Payne and Colleen Gray star in “Kansas City Confidential”

Kansas City Confidential (1952) is an American film noir directed by Phil Karlson and starring John Payne, Coleen Gray, and Preston Foster.

A ruthless ex-cop named Mr. Big (Foster) is planning an armored car heist. Part of the plan is to use a florist delivery truck, similar to the one real-life delivery man Joe Rolfe (Payne) drives.

The robbery goes as planned, and Rolfe is arrested instead of the robbers. The police are convinced that he is the mastermind of the heist and try to beat a confession out of him.

Rolfe is eventually released when his alibi checks out and the real robbery vehicle is found. However, the damage has been done. Rolfe loses his job and reputation and is determined to fight to get it back.

Phil Karlson (1908 – 1982) was a Chicago-born and raised American film director specializing in B pictures at various studios. Karlson was the original choice to direct Dr. No (1962), but his salary requirements were too high. He made a series of successful films noir with actor John Payne in the 1950s. He directed Elvis Presley in Kid Galahad (1962), one of the biggest box office successes of that year. Later in his career, he directed Dean Martin in two films in the Matt Helm series, The Silencers (1966) and The Wrecking Crew (1968). He had a huge success in 1973 with Walking Tall. Its success made him a very rich man since he owned a percentage of the film. Other films directed by Karslon include Hornet’s Nest (1970) starring Rock Hudson, and Ben (1972).

John Payne (1912 – 1989) was an American film actor. He made his film debut in Dodsworth (1936). He had roles at various studios but found stardom at 20^th Century-Fox. At Fox, he had major roles in Tin Pan Ally (1940), Sun Valley Serenade (1941), The Dolly Sisters (1945), The Razor’s Edge (1946), and perhaps his most famous role as Fred Gayley in Miracle on 34^th Street (1947). Payne wasn’t happy with the roles he was being offered at Fox, so he broke his contract, which had four more years to go. As an independent freelance actor, Payne then specialized in westerns and films noir. During this period, he starred in Kansas City Confidential (1952), 99 River Street (1953), and Santa Fe Passage (1955). From 1957 to 1959, he starred as Vint Bonner in the western TV series The Restless Gun. Payne’s final role was in an episode of Columbo in 1975.

Colleen Gray (1922 – 2015) was an American actress who was under contract to 20th Century-Fox in the 1940s. She was in the film noir, Kiss of Death (1947) with Victor Mature and Richard Widmark. She also had a role in Red River (1948) with John Wayne. In the 1950s, she started working in television, guest-starring in many popular shows of that period.

John Payne and Coleen Gray

Kansas City Confidential trivia

• John Payne broke some of Jack Elam’s ribs in a fight scene.
• Quentin Tarantino said that Reservoir Dogs was inspired by this film.
• The $1.2 million stolen from the bank is the equivalent of $12 million today.
• Coleen Gray and John Payne became romantically involved during the filming.
• None of the film was shot in Kansas City. All shots of Kansas City are stock footage.

 

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Discussion questions

1. As caper movies go, where do you think it ranks?
2. Director Quentin Tarantino said this film inspired Reservoir Dogs. Did this film remind you of any other caper films you’ve seen?
3. Do you think the heist was believable?
4. Did the budding romance between Rolfe and Helen add or detract from the film?

Glenn Ford and Gene Tierney want to know “The Secret of Convict Lake”

The Secret of Convict Lake (1951) is an American Western film directed by Michael Gordon and starring Glenn Ford, Gene Tierney, Ethel Barrymore, and Zachery Scott. The cinematography was by Leo Tover (The Snake Pit, The Heiress, and The Day The Earth Stood Still).

Six convicts escape from a Carson City prison in 1871 during a blizzard. One freezes to death, while the others find their way to Lake Monte Diablo, where eight women are on their own while their men are away prospecting. At first, the women are reluctant to have anything to do with the convicts, but eventually, they break down and offer them shelter and food. One of the men, Jim Canfield (Ford) is looking for the man who lied about him on the witness stand, which resulted in him going to prison. The man Canfield is looking for, Rudy Schaefer (Harry Carter) happens to be the man one of the women, Marcia Stoddard (Tierney), is planning to marry. Carter stole $40,000 and perjured himself, which led to Canfield being convicted of killing a mine owner and stealing his money. The convicts traveling with Canfield are convinced he hid the money somewhere in Lake Monte Diablo. Canfield denies he has the money hidden and explains he is only out for revenge; he plans on killing Schaefer for putting him in jail.

Will Canfield be successful in his quest for revenge? And what about the other convicts? What will their fates be?

Gene Tierney with rifle, flanked by Ann Dvorak on her right and Ruth Donnelly on her left; Ethel Barrymore in the doorway with a pistol

Michael Gordon (1909 - 1993) was an American film director who directed a wide variety of movies including melodramas, films noir, and comedies. His career as a director spanned almost 30 years. Some of his films include Cyrano de Begerac (1950), Pillow Talk (1959), Boys' Night Out (1962), and Move Over, Darling (1963). Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is his grandson by his daughter Jane.

Glenn Ford (1916 - 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who was one of the biggest box office draws for three decades. Ford acted on stage in California before being signed to a contract with Columbia Pictures. He appeared in mostly B movies until The Lady in Question (1940), the first time he was paired with fellow Columbia contract player, Rita Hayworth. After serving in the Coast Guard during World War II, Ford’s career began to take off. He and Hayworth had a huge hit with Gilda (1946) and A Stolen Life (1946) with Bette Davis. Ford came into his own in the 1950s with films like Blackboard Jungle (1955), Interrupted Melody (1955) with Eleanor Parker, Jubal (1956), and The Fastest Gun Alive (1956) with Jeanne Crain, all box office successes. By the end of the decade, Ford was one of the biggest stars in the world. Ford continued making movies in the 1960s but his successes were more uneven than in the previous decade but had hits with Experiment in Terror (1962) and The Courtship of Eddie’s Father  (1963). In 1978, he played Clark Kent’s adoptive father in Superman. His last film role was Raw Nerve (1991).

Gene Tierney, Glenn Ford, and Ethel Barrymore

Ethel Barrymore (1879 - 1959) was an American stage and film actress and part of the famous Barrymore family of actors. Her equally famous brothers were Lionel and John Barrymore. Barrymore got her start on the stage and she was among its brightest stars for many years. Barrymore also had a successful career on the other side of the Atlantic in London, where she starred in Peter the Great. She achieved one of her biggest Broadway successes in W. Somerset Maugham’s comedy, The Constant Wife (1926). Barrymore was a popular character actress in film during the 1940s. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in None but the Lonely Heart (1944) opposite Cary Grant, who played her son. Other film roles include The Spiral Staircase (1946), The Paradine Case (1947), and Pinky (1949).

Zachary Scott (1914 - 1965) was an American actor on stage and most notably in film. He made his film debut in the film noir The Mask of Dimitrios (1944). As a contract player at Warner Bros., Scott was the perfect slick, film noir villain. Before his career in film noir took off, he starred in The Southerner (1945) directed by Jean Renoir. It would be his role as Monty Beragon in Mildred Pierce (1945) that would be his most enduring role with film fans. Scott worked in film, stage, and television until 1963. He died of a malignant brain tumor.

Gene Tierney in a costume test for the film, with the scenes listed for when it would be worn.

The Secret of Convict Lake trivia:

• Dana Andrews and Linda Darnell were originally set to star as Jim Canfield and Marcia Stoddard respectively.
• The story is fictional but it is inspired by a real incident where a posse had a shoot-out with escaped convicts from the Carson City prison. Convict Lake is a real place in California that was named after the incident.
• This was actress Ann Dvorak’s last film role

Click HERE to watch the movie on YouTube.

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Discussion questions

1. What do you think the film’s major theme is? Does it have one in your opinion?
2. Were you surprised by women’s roles in the film?
3. The film features a great cast of supporting actresses. Did one actress’s performance stick out to you more than the others?
4. Did Gene Tierney and Glenn Ford have good on-screen chemistry?
5. Did this movie remind you of other films you’ve seen?

Robert Donat and Greer Garson star in “Goodbye Mr. Chips”

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) is an American romantic drama directed by Sam Wood and starring Robert Donat and Greer Garson in her film debut. The supporting cast included John Mills and Paul Henried (billed as Paul Von Hernried). The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Schoolmaster Mr. Chipping, due to a cold, misses a first-day assembly. In his 58 years teaching at the Brookfield public school, he never missed a day. While convalescing, he falls asleep and relives his teaching career. It’s a life filled with many challenges, heartache, and much joy.

Sam Wood (1883 – 1949) was an American film director and producer. He established him self in the silent era, directing several successful films starring Gloria Swanson. Wood made the transition to the sound era with ease. Some of Wood’s most famous sound films include A Night at the Opera (1935), A Day at the Races (1937), Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939), The Pride of the Yankees (1942), and For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943). He also directed several scenes in Gone with the Wind (1939), although uncredited.

Robert Donat (1905 – 1958) was an English stage and film star. During the 1930s, he was one of Britain’s top male stars. He is perhaps best remembered for his roles in The 39 Steps and Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939), winning the Best Actor Academy Award for the latter. Hitchcock wanted Donat for the role of Detective Ted Spencer in Sabotage (1936) and Secret Agent (1936); the latter role would have reunited him with Carroll. Donat suffered from severe and chronic asthma, which affected his film career. He only made a total of 20 films.

Greer Garson (1905 – 1996) was a British-American film actress and singer. Garson was a top box office star from 1942 to 1946. She received seven Academy Award nominations for Best Actress, winning for her performance in Mrs. Miniver (1942). A favorite of M-G-M’s studio head Louis B. Mayer, Garson was cast in some of the most popular pictures the studio produced, including Pride and Prejudice (1940), Blossoms in the Dust (1941), Random Harvest (1942), Madame Curie (1943), Mrs. Parkington (1944), and The Valley of Decision (1945). Later in her career, she was nominated for her seventh Best Actress Award for Sunrise at Campobello (1960), playing Eleanor Roosevelt.

 

Greer Garson and Robert Donat

Goodbye, Mr. Chips trivia

• Greer Garson’s performance is just under 25 minutes, but she was nominated in the Best Actress category.
• In the film, Donat’s character is 25 years older than Garson’s. In reality, Garson was six months older than Donat.
• Garson was signed by M-G-M in 1937, but rejected all the minor roles she was offered until the role of Kathy Ellis in this movie.
• The film was dedicated to Irving Thalberg.
• John Mills was 30 years old, playing a teenage schoolboy.
• This was the English-speaking film debut of Paul Henreid.
• Filmed in the United Kingdom, with exterior shots filmed in the village of Repton in Derbyshire.

 

Click HERE to watch the film on the Internet Archive.

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Discussion questions

1. Robert Donat was up against Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind for the Best Actor award. Would you have awarded Donat the Oscar over Gable?
2. What did you think of Greer Garson’s film debut? Did she deserve the Best Actress nod?
3. Would you recommend this film to your friends?
4. Did you have a favorite scene or piece of dialogue?
5. Did this remind you of any other films you’ve seen?

James Stewart, Lee Remick, and Ben Gazzara head the cast in “Anatomy of a Murder”

Anatomy of a Murder (1959) is an American courtroom drama directed by Otto Preminger and starring James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Arthur O’Connell, Eve Arden, and Kathryn Grant. The supporting cast includes George C. Scott, Orson Bean, and Murray Hamilton. The musical score is by Duke Ellington.

Lawyer Paul Biegler (Stewart), a former district attorney, is contacted by Laura Manion (Remick) to defend her husband, US Army Lieutenant Frederick “Manny” Manion. Manny was arrested for murdering innkeeper Bernard “Barney” Quill. Manny doesn’t deny murdering Quill, but he said he did so because he raped his wife.

Biegler, a small-town lawyer in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, uses all his knowledge of the law to defend Manny. Will his folksy lawyer strategy get Manny acquitted, or will the sophisticated prosecuting attorney, Claude Dancer (Scott), get Manny convicted of murder?

Otto Preminger (1905 -1986) was an American film director who made more than 35 feature films during a five-decade career. Born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire into a Jewish family. Preminger was drawn to acting from an early age and became the apprentice of famed stage director Max Reinhardt. In 1935, he was recruited by Twentieth Century-Fox to apprentice as a director at the studio. After a rocky start, Preminger established himself as an A-list director after Rouben Mamoulian was fired from Laura (1944). The film noir classic made major stars of Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews and is considered one of the best film noirs of all time. While under contract to Fox, Preminger directed Fallen Angel (1945), Centennial Summer (1946), Forever Amber (1947), and Daisy Kenyon (1947). After he left Fox, Preminger became a maverick, constantly clashing with members of the Production Code. He released two films without the approval of the Production Code: The Moon is Blue (1953) and The Man with the Golden Arm (1955). Both films were financial successes and helped bring an end to the Code entirely. Later successes for Preminger include Anatomy of a Murder (1959) and Exodus (1960).

James Stewart (1908 - 1997) was an American actor whose career spanned almost five decades and 80 films. Stewart often portrayed the ideal of the average American who was decent and honest. Stewart signed a seven-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he appeared in a variety of supporting roles in B and A pictures. It wasn’t until he was loaned out to Columbia Pictures to costar in Frank Capra’s You Can’t Take It With You (1938) that his home studio began to take notice. Still, his best roles were on loan to other studios, including Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) at Columbia again and Destry Rides Again (1939) at Universal. M-G-M eventually cast him in The Philadelphia Story (1940) where he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, which cemented his reputation as a leading man and star. From there, he went on to make The Shop Around the Corner (1940) and The Mortal Storm (1940). After serving in the United States Army from 1941 - 1945, Stewart returned to Hollywood where he continued as a popular leading man. During the 1950s, Steward made two films with director Alfred Hitchcock, which are considered two of the director’s best films: Rear Window (1954) and Vertigo (1958). Vertigo was voted the greatest film ever made by Sight & Sound in 2012.

Lee Remick (1935 – 1991) was an American actress and singer. She made her film debut in A Face in the Crowd (1957) directed by Elia Kazan. She quickly established herself as a Major leading actress in films like Wild River (1960), Days of Wine and Roses (1962), which earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination, No Way to Treat a Lady (1968), The Detective (1968), The Omen (1976), and The Europeans (1979). Remick also received a Best Actress Tony nomination for her lead performance in Wait Until Dark (1966), a role that Audrey Hepburn would portray in the screen version in 1967.She received Golden Globe Awards for her television work. She won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for her performance in Jennie: Lady Churchill (1974).

Ben Gazzara (1930 – 2012) was an American actor, director, appearing on stage, film, and television. His big break came with his starring role as Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955 -1956). This led to a successful film career starting with Anatomy of a Murder (1959). He starred on television in Run for Your Life (1965 -1968). Gazzara was a frequent collaborator of John Cassavetes, working with him on the films Husbands (1970) and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976). Some of his movies include The Bridge at Remagen (1969), Voyage of the Damned (1976), and Saint Jack (1979).

 

Anatomy of a Murder trivia

• The film pushed the boundaries of the Production Code by using words like “bitch,” “contraception,” and “rape,” words not heard in American films before.
• James Stewart’s father found the film offensive and took out an ad in his local paper advising people not to see it.
• Much of the movie was filmed on location in Marquette County, Michigan.
• Lana Turner turned down the role of Laura, leaving the door open for Remick, Preminger’s first choice.
• James Stewart received his last Oscar-nominated performance. It was George C. Scott’s first Academy Award nomination.
• The film was banned in Chicago upon its initial release.

 

Ben Gazzara and James Stewart

Click HERE to watch the movie on the Internet Movie Archive.

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Lee Remick, Eve Arden, and James Stewart

Discussion questions

1. This film was shocking for its frankness when dealing with a subject like rape and murder. Did you find anything about the film shocking or surprising?
2. Three actors from the film were nominated for Academy Awards: James Stewart, Best Actor; Arthur O’Connell, Best Supporting Actor; and George C. Scott, also for Best Supporting Actor. Did you think their performances were worthy of the nominations?
3. What did you think of the jazz score by Duke Ellington? Do you think it worked with the movie?
4. What did you make of the Lee Remick character? Do you think she was telling the truth about her relationship with Barney?
5. Did the Michigan location add to the film’s authenticity?
6. Would you recommend this film to a friend?