Anyone see Altman's "Kansas City" (1991)?

[Brian Sheridan]

After years of enjoying the outstanding soundtrack, and seeing snippets of it on TV, I finally rented and watched Robert Altman's Kansas City.

Here is the IMDB plot synopsis:

Robert Altman's jazz-scored film explores themes of love, crime, race, and politics in 1930's Kansas City. When Blondie O'Hara's husband, a petty thief, is captured by Seldom Seen and held at the Hey Hey Club, she lauches a desperate plan to release him. She kidnaps the wife of a powerful local politician in an attempt to blackmail him into using his connections to free Johnny. Despite this being election time, he risks exposure by putting the political machine into action to free Johnny and thereby save his wife. Mrs. Stilton, meanwhile, has befriended Blondie and is impressed by her love and devotion to Johnny, especially in contrast to her own loveless marriage.


The movie tanked at the box office and many critics savaged it but I was enthralled by the snappy patter and outstanding sets and clothes. Of course, having real jazzmen play the great jazzmen of history is brilliant. I found it much better than "The Cotton Club."

Thoughts and opinions?

 

[Marlowe P.]

I really like Kansas City as well. Comparing it to Cotton Club is rough though. I love Gregory Hines and the tap dancers. But I think your right Altman wrote better dialog and for me Richard Gere was really annoying.
One point towards CC is that William Kennedy co-wrote the story. He is one of my favorite authors that use the 30s and 40s as a setting. I may be partial because he uses Albany, NY as a backdrop the way Joyce used Dublin. Wow, I got off topic quickly... alas http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093277/. The book is better and won the Pulitzer.