Synopsis

In Depression-era Kansas City, petty thief Johnny O'Hara is captured after a botched robbery and held by gangster Seldom Seen. Desperate to rescue her husband, Johnny's wife Blondie kidnaps Carolyn Stilton, the wife of a powerful political boss. As the city machine scrambles to protect its interests, crime, racial divisions, political corruption, and the vibrant nightlife of the Hey Hey Club collide.

Factoids & Trivia

• The story is set in 1934, when political boss Tom Pendergast exerted enormous influence over Kansas City.

• The film draws heavily on the city's jazz history, particularly the improvisational style associated with Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and other Kansas City musicians.

• The jazz sequences were recorded with a large group of contemporary jazz players on a set representing the Hey Hey Club. The performances were filmed separately from the dramatic scenes and then intercut with the story.

• Rather than relying on playback, the musicians performed live during the club scenes. The music was recorded with multiple microphones placed around the set, allowing the soundtrack to retain the atmosphere of an actual club performance.

• A young Charlie Parker appears in the film's jazz milieu. The real Parker was a Kansas City teenager in 1934, before becoming one of the central figures in bebop.

• The film's soundtrack was released as a Verve album and was also expanded through the companion project "Robert Altman's Jazz '34: Remembrances of Kansas City Swing."

• The production filmed in and around Kansas City, Kansas, helping the picture build a period setting close to the location that inspired its story.

• The film was selected for the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.