Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 36 (click to see context) from:
** The likes of Music/CountBasie, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young are among the musicians jamming at the Hey-Hey Club.
to:
** The likes of Music/CountBasie, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young are among the musicians jamming at the Hey-Hey Club.Club include several RealLife legends, played by modern day {{jazz}} notables, like Music/CountBasie (Cyrus Chestnut), Coleman Hawkins (Craig Handy) and Lester Young (Joshua Redmond).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 26 (click to see context) from:
** Blondie's plan hits an immediate snag when Carolyn tells her that Henry's on his way to Washington via Chicago, which means that Blondie now has to forge a telegram to draw him back to Kansas City, and in the meantime she has no safe house to stash Carolyn in (they spend much of the night at the train station), and Henry has no real incentive to cooperate beyond the bare minimum to get his wife back.
to:
** Blondie's plan hits an immediate snag when Carolyn tells her that Henry's on his way to Washington via Chicago, which means that Blondie now has to forge a telegram to draw him back to Kansas City, and in the meantime she has no safe house to stash Carolyn in (they spend much of the night at the train station), and without a ransom demand, Henry has no real incentive to cooperate beyond the bare minimum to get his wife back.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: Carolyn Stilton's abduction borrows some elements from the RealLife 1933 kidnapping of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_McElroy_(kidnapping_victim) Mary [=McElroy=]]], the 25-year-old daughter of Kansas City, Missouri city manager (and Pendergast associate) Henry [=McElroy=].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 46,47 (click to see context) from:
** We never learn Seldom Seen's name.
** Presumably Blondie and Babe aren't their real names either.
** Presumably Blondie and Babe aren't their real names either.
to:
** We never learn Seldom Seen's name.
name, which gets {{Lampshaded}}.
--->'''Charlie''': That's Seldom Seen.\\
'''Rose''': Seldom Seen? What kind of name is that?\\
'''Charlie''': He won't tell nobody what his real name is. He's a gambler and he goes around to all kinds of different places. Might not see him for a long time. He's been to prison three times for murder. He's a big talker, though. Seldom Seen but often heard.
**Presumably Blondie and Babe aren't also count, and we never learn their real actual first names either.
--->'''Charlie''': That's Seldom Seen.\\
'''Rose''': Seldom Seen? What kind of name is that?\\
'''Charlie''': He won't tell nobody what his real name is. He's a gambler and he goes around to all kinds of different places. Might not see him for a long time. He's been to prison three times for murder. He's a big talker, though. Seldom Seen but often heard.
**
Changed line(s) 55 (click to see context) from:
* YoungFutureFamousPeople: A 14-year-old African-American kid with a saxophone meets Rose at the train station, then brings her along when he goes to the Hey-Hey Club to watch the musicians. He's young Music/CharlieParker (though you have to pay close attention to catch it).
to:
* YoungFutureFamousPeople: A 14-year-old African-American kid with a saxophone meets Rose at the train station, then brings her along when he goes to the Hey-Hey Club to watch the musicians. musicians, and also tells her a little about Seldom Seen. He's young Music/CharlieParker (though you have basically [[AllThereInTheScript need to see his name as a character in the closing credits and pay close attention to catch it).some of the dialogue to know that]]). He's connected to Blondie because his mother Addie works with her at Western Union (which the real Addie Parker did as well)
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 55 (click to see context) from:
* YoungFutureFamousPeople: A 14-year-old African-American kid with a saxophone goes to the Hey-Hey Club to watch the musicians and invites Rose along with him. He's young Music/CharlieParker (though you have to pay close attention to catch it).
to:
* YoungFutureFamousPeople: A 14-year-old African-American kid with a saxophone meets Rose at the train station, then brings her along when he goes to the Hey-Hey Club to watch the musicians and invites Rose along with him.musicians. He's young Music/CharlieParker (though you have to pay close attention to catch it).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 35 (click to see context) from:
** A bunch of actual Kansas City figures from the era are characters, like Kansas City political boss (and UsefulNotes/HarrySTruman mentor) Tom Pendergast, Missouri governor Guy Park, and crime boss Johnny Lazia.
to:
** A bunch of actual Kansas City figures from the era are characters, like Kansas City political boss (and UsefulNotes/HarrySTruman mentor) Tom Pendergast, Missouri governor Guy Park, and crime boss Johnny Lazia.
Added DiffLines:
* VoteEarlyVoteOften: Johnny Flynn (Blondie's brother-in-law) is an operative for Tom Pendergast's political machine, and on Election Day morning he gives orders to a bunch of paid voters shipped in from all over Missouri, telling them who to vote for and how many times to vote (Blondie notes that the poll watchers don't even bother to check [=IDs=] anymore).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 5,10 (click to see context) from:
UsefulNotes/KansasCity, 1934: Western Union clerk Blondie O'Hara (Leigh) kidnaps Carolyn Stilton (Richardson), the wife of Kansas City-based UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt advisor Henry Stilton (Murphy), at gunpoint. Carolyn is shocked when Blondie tells her that she doesn't want a ransom. Instead, Blondie is holding Carolyn as collateral to force Henry to use his political influence to help free her husband Johnny O'Hara (Mulroney). O'Hara is being held captive by a prominent figure in the Kansas City Black underworld, only known by the name "Seldom Seen" (Belafonte), who operates the popular nightspot The Hey Hey Club alongside other legal and illegal operations. Johnny robbed one of Seldom Seen's wealthiest customers, and Seldom seems to want to make him suffer by bringing him to the club and leaving his fate in limbo. But as Henry brings in various political bigwigs to help find his wife on the same day that a primary election is being held, danger lurks around the corner, ready to strike in unexpected ways.
A passion project for Altman, celebrating his hometown by depicting it as it was in his youth, this film was especially lauded for recreating the sounds of Kansas City's vibrant {{Jazz}} scene of the era, as a number of modern jazz notables portray the musicians at the Hey Hey Club and contribute a memorable score.
A passion project for Altman, celebrating his hometown by depicting it as it was in his youth, this film was especially lauded for recreating the sounds of Kansas City's vibrant {{Jazz}} scene of the era, as a number of modern jazz notables portray the musicians at the Hey Hey Club and contribute a memorable score.
to:
UsefulNotes/KansasCity, 1934: Western Union clerk Blondie O'Hara (Leigh) kidnaps Carolyn Stilton (Richardson), the wife of Kansas City-based UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt advisor Henry Stilton (Murphy), at gunpoint. Carolyn is shocked when Blondie tells her that she doesn't want a ransom. Instead, Blondie is holding Carolyn as collateral to force Henry to use his political influence to help free her husband Johnny O'Hara (Mulroney). O'Hara is being held captive by a prominent figure in the Kansas City Black underworld, only known by the name "Seldom Seen" (Belafonte), who operates the popular nightspot The Hey Hey Hey-Hey Club alongside other legal and illegal operations. Johnny robbed one of Seldom Seen's wealthiest customers, and Seldom seems to want to make him suffer by bringing him to the club and leaving his fate in limbo. But as Henry brings in various political bigwigs to help find his wife on the same day that a primary election is being held, danger lurks around the corner, ready to strike in unexpected ways.
A passion project for Altman, celebrating his hometown by depicting it as it was in his youth, this film was especially lauded for recreating the sounds of Kansas City's vibrant {{Jazz}} scene of the era, as a number of modern jazz notables portray the musicians at theHey Hey Hey-Hey Club and contribute a memorable score.
A passion project for Altman, celebrating his hometown by depicting it as it was in his youth, this film was especially lauded for recreating the sounds of Kansas City's vibrant {{Jazz}} scene of the era, as a number of modern jazz notables portray the musicians at the
Changed line(s) 35,36 (click to see context) from:
** A bunch of actual political figures from the era are characters, like Kansas City political boss (and UsefulNotes/HarrySTruman mentor) Tom Pendergast and Missouri governor Guy Park.
** The likes of Music/CharlieParker, Music/CountBasie, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young are among the musicians jamming at the Hey Hey Club.
** The likes of Music/CharlieParker, Music/CountBasie, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young are among the musicians jamming at the Hey Hey Club.
to:
** A bunch of actual political Kansas City figures from the era are characters, like Kansas City political boss (and UsefulNotes/HarrySTruman mentor) Tom Pendergast and Pendergast, Missouri governor Guy Park.
Park, and crime boss Johnny Lazia.
** The likes ofMusic/CharlieParker, Music/CountBasie, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young are among the musicians jamming at the Hey Hey Hey-Hey Club.
** The likes of
Changed line(s) 38 (click to see context) from:
* HyperlinkStory: The opening bounces between Blondie and Carolyn, Henry leaving for Washington, Seldom Seen and the Hey Hey Club, and Rose arriving at the train station, seeming unconnected at first, but the storylines all come together later on.
to:
* HyperlinkStory: The opening bounces between Blondie and Carolyn, Henry leaving for Washington, Seldom Seen and the Hey Hey Hey-Hey Club, and Rose arriving at the train station, seeming unconnected at first, but the storylines all come together later on.
Added DiffLines:
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: We lose track of Rose after she ends up at the boarding house.
Added DiffLines:
*YoungFutureFamousPeople: A 14-year-old African-American kid with a saxophone goes to the Hey-Hey Club to watch the musicians and invites Rose along with him. He's young Music/CharlieParker (though you have to pay close attention to catch it).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* DidntThinkThisThrough:
** Blondie's plan hits an immediate snag when Carolyn tells her that Henry's on his way to Washington via Chicago, which means that Blondie now has to forge a telegram to draw him back to Kansas City, and in the meantime she has no safe house to stash Carolyn in (they spend much of the night at the train station), and Henry has no real incentive to cooperate beyond the bare minimum to get his wife back.
** Johnny robbing Sheepshan Red, without bothering to consider that Seldom Seen would end up finding out about it one way or another, with dire consequences.
* DramaticDrop: At the end [[spoiler:Carolyn drops the empty laudanum bottle onto the pavement before she gets in the car with Henry, signifying that she's likely going to try to treat her addiction and get a fresh start in her life]].
** Blondie's plan hits an immediate snag when Carolyn tells her that Henry's on his way to Washington via Chicago, which means that Blondie now has to forge a telegram to draw him back to Kansas City, and in the meantime she has no safe house to stash Carolyn in (they spend much of the night at the train station), and Henry has no real incentive to cooperate beyond the bare minimum to get his wife back.
** Johnny robbing Sheepshan Red, without bothering to consider that Seldom Seen would end up finding out about it one way or another, with dire consequences.
* DramaticDrop: At the end [[spoiler:Carolyn drops the empty laudanum bottle onto the pavement before she gets in the car with Henry, signifying that she's likely going to try to treat her addiction and get a fresh start in her life]].
Added DiffLines:
* InaneBlabbering: Carolyn is prone to this when she's zonked out on laudanum, to Blondie's occasional annoyance.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 23 (click to see context) from:
* CultSoundtrack: Featuring an AllStarCast of {{Jazz}} notables of TheNineties, the soundtrack album was a huge hit among jazz fans.
to:
* CultSoundtrack: Featuring an AllStarCast of {{Jazz}} notables of TheNineties, the soundtrack album was a huge hit among jazz fans.fans, and Altman even made a separate documentary centered on the performances, called ''Robert Altman's Jazz '34''.
Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
** The likes of Music/CharlieParker, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young are among the musicians jamming at the Hey Hey Club.
to:
** The likes of Music/CharlieParker, Music/CountBasie, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young are among the musicians jamming at the Hey Hey Club.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
* BrokenBird: It's gradually revealed that behind her tough gun moll act, Blondie has had a rough life. She got pregnant at 17, left her hometown of Joplin, Missouri to have the baby, then gave it up for adoption, alongside falling in love and marrying petty criminal Johnny.
* CultSoundtrack: Featuring an AllStarCast of {{Jazz}} notables of TheNineties, the soundtrack album was a huge hit among jazz fans.
Deleted line(s) 25,26 (click to see context) :
* BrokenBird: It's gradually revealed that behind her tough gun moll act, Blondie has had a rough life. She got pregnant at 17, left her hometown of Joplin, Missouri to have the baby, then gave it up for adoption, alongside falling in love and marrying petty criminal Johnny.
* CultSoundtrack: Featuring an AllStarCast of {{Jazz}} notables of TheNineties, the soundtrack album was a huge hit among jazz fans.
* CultSoundtrack: Featuring an AllStarCast of {{Jazz}} notables of TheNineties, the soundtrack album was a huge hit among jazz fans.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
[[quoteright:799:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kc_1996.jpg]]
''Kansas City'' is a 1996 CrimeFiction[=/=][[FilmNoir Neo-Noir]] film directed by Creator/RobertAltman, with a screenplay by Altman and his frequent writing partner Frank Barhydt, featuring an EnsembleCast, including Creator/JenniferJasonLeigh, Creator/MirandaRichardson, Creator/DermotMulroney, Creator/HarryBelafonte, Creator/MichaelMurphy, Creator/SteveBuscemi, Creator/BrookeSmith and Creator/JaneAdams.
UsefulNotes/KansasCity, 1934: Western Union clerk Blondie O'Hara (Leigh) kidnaps Carolyn Stilton (Richardson), the wife of Kansas City-based UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt advisor Henry Stilton (Murphy), at gunpoint. Carolyn is shocked when Blondie tells her that she doesn't want a ransom. Instead, Blondie is holding Carolyn as collateral to force Henry to use his political influence to help free her husband Johnny O'Hara (Mulroney). O'Hara is being held captive by a prominent figure in the Kansas City Black underworld, only known by the name "Seldom Seen" (Belafonte), who operates the popular nightspot The Hey Hey Club alongside other legal and illegal operations. Johnny robbed one of Seldom Seen's wealthiest customers, and Seldom seems to want to make him suffer by bringing him to the club and leaving his fate in limbo. But as Henry brings in various political bigwigs to help find his wife on the same day that a primary election is being held, danger lurks around the corner, ready to strike in unexpected ways.
A passion project for Altman, celebrating his hometown by depicting it as it was in his youth, this film was especially lauded for recreating the sounds of Kansas City's vibrant {{Jazz}} scene of the era, as a number of modern jazz notables portray the musicians at the Hey Hey Club and contribute a memorable score.
!!''Kansas City'' contains examples of:
* AnachronicOrder: Very rare for an Altman film, the opening acts starts InMediasRes with Blondie kidnapping Carolyn, then flashes back several times to show us Johnny's robbery and his capture by Seldom Seen's men.
* AwfulWeddedLife: Blondie is shocked to learn that Carolyn and Henry are in a loveless marriage, after prodding her to reveal their pet names for each other "in bed, when you're doin' it," and Carolyn struggles to answer.
* {{Blackface}}: Johnny O'Hara covers his face in lampblack pigment when he robs Sheepshan Red in Blue's cab, and when Seldom Seen recognizes the smell on Sheepshan's coat, that helps him figure out what happened.
* CallBack: A few subtle ones to Altman's earlier work.
** A crime saga set during TheGreatDepression recalls ''Film/ThievesLikeUs''.
** The rich period detailing and a female character addicted to an opiate recalls ''Film/McCabeAndMrsMiller''.
** Being set around an election, not to mention using a city name for the title, obviously nods toward ''Film/{{Nashville}}'', and in one moment, it becomes really explicit with a vehicle spreading political messages via a bullhorn, just like the van from ''Nashville''.
* ChekhovsGun: Blondie sets her gun down while she tends to other business.[[spoiler:Carolyn takes it and eventually uses it to fatally shoot Blondie]].
* ColourfulThemeNaming: All over the place, referring both to regular colors and hair colors--Blondie, Rose, Blue, Sheepshan Red, and Blondie gives Carolyn the nickname Red.
* DeathOfAChild: In a highly emotional moment, [[spoiler:Blondie reveals to Carolyn that the baby she gave up for adoption died at age 2]].
* EmbarrassingNickname: Carolyn reluctantly tells Blondie that her husband's pet name for her is Pussy, and she calls him Heinie.
* ExtremelyShortTimespan: The story takes place over around 30 or so hours.
* BrokenBird: It's gradually revealed that behind her tough gun moll act, Blondie has had a rough life. She got pregnant at 17, left her hometown of Joplin, Missouri to have the baby, then gave it up for adoption, alongside falling in love and marrying petty criminal Johnny.
* CultSoundtrack: Featuring an AllStarCast of {{Jazz}} notables of TheNineties, the soundtrack album was a huge hit among jazz fans.
* FunctionalAddict:
** Carolyn is hooked on laudanum, which Blondie even uses to secure her cooperation for the abduction. She explains that it helps her relax.
** Seldom Seen is shown snorting cocaine on a couple of occasions.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter
** A bunch of actual political figures from the era are characters, like Kansas City political boss (and UsefulNotes/HarrySTruman mentor) Tom Pendergast and Missouri governor Guy Park.
** The likes of Music/CharlieParker, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young are among the musicians jamming at the Hey Hey Club.
** A possible one is Nettie Bolt from the Junior League. That happens to have been the maiden name of Creator/RobertAltman's maternal grandmother, so that could well be her (though Creator/JaneAdams is quite a bit younger than the real Nettie, who would've been in her 60s at the time).
* HyperlinkStory: The opening bounces between Blondie and Carolyn, Henry leaving for Washington, Seldom Seen and the Hey Hey Club, and Rose arriving at the train station, seeming unconnected at first, but the storylines all come together later on.
* InsideJob: Johnny O'Hara works with Blue, one of Seldom Seen's cabbies, in his robbery of Sheepshan Red.
* MercyKill: At the end, you get the sense that [[spoiler:Carolyn killed Blondie not only to free herself from her, but also knowing that Blondie would be ruined by watching her beloved Johnny die and having to live without him, so it was for her own good that she died too]].
* NWordPrivileges: The Black characters throw the N-word around quite a bit, but Blondie also uses it, though Carolyn chides her for it (but insists on saying "Colored" instead).
* OneSteveLimit: A huge aversion, as Blondie and her sister Babe are both married to underworld figures named Johnny (Johnny O'Hara and Johnny Flynn), forcing Babe to refer to them as "your Johnny" and "my Johnny". {{Lampshaded}} by Carolyn.
-->'''Carolyn''': What I find fascinating is that both you ladies are married to men named Johnny.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname:
** We never learn Seldom Seen's name.
** Presumably Blondie and Babe aren't their real names either.
* PetTheDog: Blondie giving Rose a ride to the boarding house to give birth, showing she has a softer side.
* {{Retraux}}: The film has a stylized look in the manner of a color melodrama from UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood. Some of the poster art (as seen above) also emulated older film art.
* TeenPregnancy: Rose, a 14-year-old Black girl, has arrived in Kansas City from Joplin to give birth. Eventually we learn that Blondie is also from Joplin and also came to the city as a pregnant teen.
* TogetherInDeath: At the climax, [[spoiler:Johnny comes home but is mortally wounded, and as Blondie tries to tend to his bleeding, Carolyn shoots her, and she dies at the same time Johnny expires]].
* YouHaveFailedMe: After learning that Blue was in on the robbery, Seldom Seen [[spoiler:has him killed and leaves his body in an alley]].
-----
''Kansas City'' is a 1996 CrimeFiction[=/=][[FilmNoir Neo-Noir]] film directed by Creator/RobertAltman, with a screenplay by Altman and his frequent writing partner Frank Barhydt, featuring an EnsembleCast, including Creator/JenniferJasonLeigh, Creator/MirandaRichardson, Creator/DermotMulroney, Creator/HarryBelafonte, Creator/MichaelMurphy, Creator/SteveBuscemi, Creator/BrookeSmith and Creator/JaneAdams.
UsefulNotes/KansasCity, 1934: Western Union clerk Blondie O'Hara (Leigh) kidnaps Carolyn Stilton (Richardson), the wife of Kansas City-based UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt advisor Henry Stilton (Murphy), at gunpoint. Carolyn is shocked when Blondie tells her that she doesn't want a ransom. Instead, Blondie is holding Carolyn as collateral to force Henry to use his political influence to help free her husband Johnny O'Hara (Mulroney). O'Hara is being held captive by a prominent figure in the Kansas City Black underworld, only known by the name "Seldom Seen" (Belafonte), who operates the popular nightspot The Hey Hey Club alongside other legal and illegal operations. Johnny robbed one of Seldom Seen's wealthiest customers, and Seldom seems to want to make him suffer by bringing him to the club and leaving his fate in limbo. But as Henry brings in various political bigwigs to help find his wife on the same day that a primary election is being held, danger lurks around the corner, ready to strike in unexpected ways.
A passion project for Altman, celebrating his hometown by depicting it as it was in his youth, this film was especially lauded for recreating the sounds of Kansas City's vibrant {{Jazz}} scene of the era, as a number of modern jazz notables portray the musicians at the Hey Hey Club and contribute a memorable score.
!!''Kansas City'' contains examples of:
* AnachronicOrder: Very rare for an Altman film, the opening acts starts InMediasRes with Blondie kidnapping Carolyn, then flashes back several times to show us Johnny's robbery and his capture by Seldom Seen's men.
* AwfulWeddedLife: Blondie is shocked to learn that Carolyn and Henry are in a loveless marriage, after prodding her to reveal their pet names for each other "in bed, when you're doin' it," and Carolyn struggles to answer.
* {{Blackface}}: Johnny O'Hara covers his face in lampblack pigment when he robs Sheepshan Red in Blue's cab, and when Seldom Seen recognizes the smell on Sheepshan's coat, that helps him figure out what happened.
* CallBack: A few subtle ones to Altman's earlier work.
** A crime saga set during TheGreatDepression recalls ''Film/ThievesLikeUs''.
** The rich period detailing and a female character addicted to an opiate recalls ''Film/McCabeAndMrsMiller''.
** Being set around an election, not to mention using a city name for the title, obviously nods toward ''Film/{{Nashville}}'', and in one moment, it becomes really explicit with a vehicle spreading political messages via a bullhorn, just like the van from ''Nashville''.
* ChekhovsGun: Blondie sets her gun down while she tends to other business.[[spoiler:Carolyn takes it and eventually uses it to fatally shoot Blondie]].
* ColourfulThemeNaming: All over the place, referring both to regular colors and hair colors--Blondie, Rose, Blue, Sheepshan Red, and Blondie gives Carolyn the nickname Red.
* DeathOfAChild: In a highly emotional moment, [[spoiler:Blondie reveals to Carolyn that the baby she gave up for adoption died at age 2]].
* EmbarrassingNickname: Carolyn reluctantly tells Blondie that her husband's pet name for her is Pussy, and she calls him Heinie.
* ExtremelyShortTimespan: The story takes place over around 30 or so hours.
* BrokenBird: It's gradually revealed that behind her tough gun moll act, Blondie has had a rough life. She got pregnant at 17, left her hometown of Joplin, Missouri to have the baby, then gave it up for adoption, alongside falling in love and marrying petty criminal Johnny.
* CultSoundtrack: Featuring an AllStarCast of {{Jazz}} notables of TheNineties, the soundtrack album was a huge hit among jazz fans.
* FunctionalAddict:
** Carolyn is hooked on laudanum, which Blondie even uses to secure her cooperation for the abduction. She explains that it helps her relax.
** Seldom Seen is shown snorting cocaine on a couple of occasions.
* HistoricalDomainCharacter
** A bunch of actual political figures from the era are characters, like Kansas City political boss (and UsefulNotes/HarrySTruman mentor) Tom Pendergast and Missouri governor Guy Park.
** The likes of Music/CharlieParker, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young are among the musicians jamming at the Hey Hey Club.
** A possible one is Nettie Bolt from the Junior League. That happens to have been the maiden name of Creator/RobertAltman's maternal grandmother, so that could well be her (though Creator/JaneAdams is quite a bit younger than the real Nettie, who would've been in her 60s at the time).
* HyperlinkStory: The opening bounces between Blondie and Carolyn, Henry leaving for Washington, Seldom Seen and the Hey Hey Club, and Rose arriving at the train station, seeming unconnected at first, but the storylines all come together later on.
* InsideJob: Johnny O'Hara works with Blue, one of Seldom Seen's cabbies, in his robbery of Sheepshan Red.
* MercyKill: At the end, you get the sense that [[spoiler:Carolyn killed Blondie not only to free herself from her, but also knowing that Blondie would be ruined by watching her beloved Johnny die and having to live without him, so it was for her own good that she died too]].
* NWordPrivileges: The Black characters throw the N-word around quite a bit, but Blondie also uses it, though Carolyn chides her for it (but insists on saying "Colored" instead).
* OneSteveLimit: A huge aversion, as Blondie and her sister Babe are both married to underworld figures named Johnny (Johnny O'Hara and Johnny Flynn), forcing Babe to refer to them as "your Johnny" and "my Johnny". {{Lampshaded}} by Carolyn.
-->'''Carolyn''': What I find fascinating is that both you ladies are married to men named Johnny.
* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname:
** We never learn Seldom Seen's name.
** Presumably Blondie and Babe aren't their real names either.
* PetTheDog: Blondie giving Rose a ride to the boarding house to give birth, showing she has a softer side.
* {{Retraux}}: The film has a stylized look in the manner of a color melodrama from UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood. Some of the poster art (as seen above) also emulated older film art.
* TeenPregnancy: Rose, a 14-year-old Black girl, has arrived in Kansas City from Joplin to give birth. Eventually we learn that Blondie is also from Joplin and also came to the city as a pregnant teen.
* TogetherInDeath: At the climax, [[spoiler:Johnny comes home but is mortally wounded, and as Blondie tries to tend to his bleeding, Carolyn shoots her, and she dies at the same time Johnny expires]].
* YouHaveFailedMe: After learning that Blue was in on the robbery, Seldom Seen [[spoiler:has him killed and leaves his body in an alley]].
-----
