bitter ex cop tim foster ( expertly play with consummate steely resolve by preston foster ) be still fume about his forced early retirement and so he decide to get his revenge by devise a fiendishly clever perfect caper . foster force three despicable low life hoodlum jittery compulsive gambler pete harris ( lanky jack elam ) and sleazy womanize heel tony romano ( snaky lee van cleef ) and surly gum chew brute boyd kane ( burly neville brand ) to pull off a bold $ 1 and 200 and 000 bank heist . foster cruelly set up rugged and resourceful and resilient innocent ex con joe rolfe ( a strong and sympathetic performance by john payne ) a a fall guy in a wicked ploy to buy time to successfully escape the country with the hot loot . after he get sprung from jail due to lack of evidence and joe put himself in considerable jeopardy by obsessively track down foster and his pernicious flunky in order to clear his name . phil karlson sharp and assured and stylish direction and work from a smart and complex and absorb script by george bruce and harry essex and far aid by george e. diskant stark and shadowy black and white photography and paul santell brooding and moody and rouse score and skillfully craft a diabolically arresting and hard boil little nugget of a gritty crime noir thriller represent the brisk pace never let up for a minute and the nerve wrack suspense be well maintain from start to finish and the tone be suitably grim and serious and and the tense and bleak and seedy and sinister atmosphere seethe with danger and corruption . the film principal win hand be the truly inspired and on the money casting of resolutely scrappy and unglamorous character actor elam and brand and van cleef a three of the foul and mean and ugly and most menacing no account criminal scum to ever scowl and growl and glower their way across the screen while brand and van cleef in particular make for a fabulously nasty and odious pair of scary customer . colleen gray add substantial spunky charm and vigor a a feisty aspiring lady lawyer who befriend joe . slightly mar by a rather sappy conclusion and kansas city confidential overall still rate highly a the authentic gnarly noir article .