Kansas City Princess is a frantic, messy joyride

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a massive soft spot for that old-school, rat-a-tat-tat dialogue where everyone talks like they’ve had six espressos. If you hate characters who make consistently terrible decisions for the sake of the plot, steer clear. You’ll probably be annoyed by the first ten minutes. For everyone else, it’s a breezy, if slightly exhausting, relic.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Kansas City Princess (1934) through its definitive frames.

Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell are basically playing the same character in two different dresses, but they have that chemistry that makes you forgive the thin writing. They’re running from a gangster, they’re broke, and they decide the best way to travel cross-country is by dressing up as Girl Scouts. I mean, sure. Why not? 🤷‍♂️

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Kansas City Princess (1934) through its definitive frames.

The Logic Gap

There’s a part where they’re hiding out and the tension is supposed to be high, but the movie keeps cutting to these weird, frantic reaction shots that feel like they belong in a cartoon. It’s not exactly The Extra Girl levels of slapstick, but it’s definitely trying to keep the energy at a ten the whole time.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Kansas City Princess (1934) through its definitive frames.

The pacing is… well, it’s frantic. It’s like the editor was trying to set a land speed record. Sometimes it works, but mostly it just feels like the movie is rushing to get to the next punchline before you realize how little sense the current one makes.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Kansas City Princess (1934) through its definitive frames.

• The outfits are genuinely ridiculous.
• The gangsters are less "scary mobsters" and more "guys who forgot their lines."
• There is a lot of yelling. Like, a lot.

If you’re looking for something with the soul of New Adventures of Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford but way more manic, this is it. It doesn't have the craft of the greats, but it has that weird, desperate charm of a movie that knows it’s just filler for a double feature.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Kansas City Princess (1934) through its definitive frames.

I found myself zoning out during the train scenes. They go on for about three minutes too long, and you can practically hear the director shouting at the actors to 'keep it moving!' at the back of the set. It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a coherent story. But it’s short, and sometimes that’s all you need on a Tuesday night.