The 1952 film "Kansas City Confidential" is a crime drama set first in Kansas City, Missouri, and then at a Mexican resort. "Mr. Big" organizes a bank robbery of over $1,000,000 in cash with three men, none of whom know each other or who the mastermind is as they all wear masks when they meet. Joe Rolfe, an ex-convict working as a florist deliveryman, is arrested for the robbery as his work truck resembles one used by the robbers. He is later released and decides that the only way to clear himself is to find the real perpetrators. With the help of a friend who has contacts in the underworld, Joe travels to Mexico, impersonates one member of the gang, and survives a shootout between the gang members over the loot. One scene set in a Mexican gambling casino shows prop coins on a dice table. The prop coins are the President Monroe motion picture prop coins which are used in many films.

The film opens with a prologue:

The first scene is of the Kansas City skyline in 1952.

Next viewers get to meet "Mr. Big."

"Mr. Big", wearing a mask, talks to one of the three members of his robbery gang. Unknown to the gang members, he is an ex-police captain.

The well planned robbery succeeds and the masked robbers get $1,200,000 in cash. Mr. Big then meets with his crew.

As the members do not know each other (except for the main man), he hands out torn halves of playing cards to the members for use in future meetings. Joe Rolfe, an ex-convict who drives a truck similar to one that the robbers used, is arrested.

The "third degree" is a slang term for a harsh police interrogation of a suspect. Joe is released but due to the arrest loses his job. He decides that the only way to clear himself is to find the real criminals. A friend who has underworld contacts tells him that a wanted gambler named Pete Harris suddenly had some money and travelled to Mexico. Joe heads for Tiajuana, Mexico to search casinos for the gambler.

Men are shooting dice except for Pete Harris on the left and Joe Rolfe on the right.

Various coin are shown on the table as bets.

The coins on the table are Los Angeles Rubber Stamp Company President Monroe prop coins.

White metal, 38 mm, 20.68 gm
Obverse: President James Monroe facing half left, no text
Reverse: Bird of Paradise and man kneeling in temple surrounded by eight-pointed star, no text

For more information on these prop coins please visit: Motion Picture Prop Coins

Pete Harris is shot and killed by police at an airport and his luggage tags are accidently given to Joe Rolfe, who retrieves the luggage and uses the papers to impersonate Pete. Included is a note about meeting at the Mexican resort of Barados. Joe heads for the resort and at the same time the two other robbers arrive. They are Boyd Kane and Tony Romano, and Joe spots them by their suspicious actions. Also arrving is Mr. Big, who is revealed as Tim Foster, a former Kansas City police captain, who explains to Scott, a friend and insurance investigator, that he came up with the scheme and plans to arrest the three men, recover the loot, and hopefully rejoin the police department. Tim Foster's daughter Helen arrives to see him. She has graduated from law school and has to take the examination to become an attorney. She tells her father that she was able to convince the Kansas City police force to rehire him.

Joe (under his Pete Harris identity) and Helen are attracted to each other. All of the robbery gang have arrived in Barados.

The gang members no longer wear masks.

The two surviving gang members Boyd Kane and Tony Romano, and Joe and Helen. Boyd and Tony have discovered Joe's real identity and make attempts to eliminate him. Tim has the loot packed in his truck.

The bills are copies of Mexican Revolution Sonora "two-head" notes.

For more information on these bills please visit: Mexican Revolution Currency Notes.

The four men head for a small boat.

On the boat, a shootout occurs between the men. Boyd and Tony are killed, and Tim is shot.

Tim confesses his guilt to Rolfe and asks him to keep Helen from knowing what her father has done. Tim also tells the insurance investigator that Joe should get the reward for recovering the money. Joe gets another reward.

John Payne as Joe Rolfe
Coleen Gray as Helen Foster
Preston Foster as Tim Foster
Neville Brand as Boyd Kane
Lee Van Cleef as Tony Romano
Jack Elam as Pete Harris
Director: Phil Karlson
Writers: George Bruce, Harry Essex, Rowland Brown, Harold Greene