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Harry Belafonte rules the jazz underworld while Jennifer Jason Leigh chews every scene like it's 1934 gum.
TMDB
61
Rotten Tomatoes
59
Audience Score
43
Watch(US)

Kansas City (1996)

smoky jazz club noirAltman chaosperiod-perfect mess

Overview

DramaCrime

A pair of kidnappings expose the complex power dynamics within the corrupt and unpredictable workings of 1930s Kansas City.

Flag of USUS
Content warning
1930skidnappingjazzpoliticianelectionkansas city

Standout Aspects

Acting

Jennifer Jason Leigh's bizarre Jean Harlow impression is unhinged genius.

Score

Live jazz performances by actual legends, no soundtrack fakery.

Direction

Altman's overlapping dialogue creates beautiful narrative chaos.

Best for:Solo: Late night when you want to marinate in atmosphere.·Streaming: Pause frequently to Google who's playing that sax solo.
Heads up:Violence: Sudden gun violence in the opening kidnapping sequence.·Language: Period-appropriate racial slurs reflecting 1930s power structures.
Robert Altman

Director

Robert Altman

ReleasedAug 16, 1996
Runtime1h 56m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Paceslow
Intensitymedium
Tonedark
Feelmedium
Budget$18M
Sandcastle 5
CiBy 2000

Top Cast

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Blondie O'Hara

Miranda Richardson

Miranda Richardson

Carolyn Stilton

Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte

Seldom Seen

Michael Murphy

Michael Murphy

Henry Stilton

Dermot Mulroney

Dermot Mulroney

Johnny O'Hara

Steve Buscemi

Steve Buscemi

Johnny Flynn

Brooke Smith

Brooke Smith

Babe Flynn

Jane Adams

Jane Adams

Nettie Bolt

Jeff Feringa

Jeff Feringa

Addie Parker

Tim Snay

Tim Snay

Rally Speaker

Ask about Kansas City

Opens AI chat

Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

The jazz musicians are all real contemporary players, not actors—Altman wanted authentic Kansas City sound.

Cultural

Leigh studied actual 1930s recordings of Jean Harlow to nail that bizarre, affected accent.

YouTube

Kansas City (1996) ORIGINAL TRAILER

Kansas City (1996) ORIGINAL TRAILER

Gallery

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