Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2023 July 4

= July 4 =

What are the masks in Kansas City Confidential made from?
watched the movie today and was wondering if anyone knew what material the masks the robbers use are made from, or what type of mask they are? I suspect they are die cut leather, used perhaps as safety equipment from metal workers, family members think they might be felt. For some reason they give me a mass-produced industrial vibe, but this could be influenced by all the common tropes in heist film gear. The masks seem too plain to be of any novelty or entertainment purpose, and is they are PPE its for a job where eating/drinking or otherwise usage of the mouth is deemed unnecessary. The masks look to be one piece with some taken in for the seam under the nose, with perhaps a baseball cap style of buckle on the back. The latching mechanism isn't shown well in the film. None of the film blogs take up this question. here are some link to a still of the masks. This image in particular shows the vertical stitched seam under the nose. another feature than suggests to me this is PPE is how tight to the brimline of the cap the mask rides, it could be tucked under the sweat band of a hard hat, and the size and shape goes beyond what is necessary for total obfuscation of the wearers face. Thanks Thanks,L3X1 ◊distænt write◊  23:31, 4 July 2023 (UTC)
 * It's always possible that their design was invented by the movie's costume department. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.177.243 (talk) 00:31, 5 July 2023 (UTC)


 * Given the age of that movie, it could be almost anything. Presumably they don't need to actually be functional, they just have to look vaguely functional. Unfortunately, it seems unlikely any of the film's producers are still around for you to ask. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 01:28, 5 July 2023 (UTC)


 * From the looks, the masks are definitely not PPE, since they leave the eyes, by far the most vulnerable part of the face, unprotected, and also do not cover the nostrils and so do not protect the bearers from inhaling noxious gases or airborne particles. Since they all seem to fit snugly, they can hardly have been custom-made of leather cut and shaped and stitched to the measures of each of the individual bearers, which would have been unnecessarily expensive, and implausible in the narrative. So my guess is that they are made of felt, which can easily be shaped to a desired form, as when fabricating homburg hats. --Lambiam 12:16, 5 July 2023 (UTC)


 * From this image, it looks like felt to me. Alansplodge (talk) 00:07, 6 July 2023 (UTC)
 * This review agrees:
 * The real culprits, in a proto-Tarantino flourish that’s as surreal as it is functional, are a suited trio wearing identical felt masks with slits for eyes, mouths, and ears.  Alansplodge (talk) 00:13, 6 July 2023 (UTC)
 * And this. That's all folks! Alansplodge (talk) 00:17, 6 July 2023 (UTC)
 * Thanks everyone! Thanks,L3X1 ◊distænt write◊  00:38, 6 July 2023 (UTC)