Guerre au crime

Edward G. Robinson, always a fine actor, was my main reason for seeing 'Bullets or Ballots'. Well the cast in general actually were the main reason, on top of Robinson there is also another screen icon Humphrey Bogart (pre-stardom and in his first of five collaborations with Robinson) and the always emminently watchable Joan Blondell. The story also sounded interesting, as one can guess good casts and concepts always attract me into seeing a film and tend to be my main reasons for watching (completest quests being another common reason).

While not a personal favourite, a masterpiece or career-highs for all involved, 'Bullets or Ballots' is still an entertaining, taut and well executed film. It does the cast justice on the most part, most in roles playing to their strengths, and makes the most of its premise and makes an interesting story out of it. A relief on both counts, as cast and concept wastes are pet peeves of mine and have come across both numerous times in my recent film viewings, some films managing to waste both. So there has always been a bit of nervousness before watching a film that sounds good on paper as a result.

'Bullets or Ballots' doesn't really do an awful lot wrong. It may not do anything new as such and may lack the surprise factor. Would have liked the length to have been longer, with the film veering on being too short.

Although Blondell gives her role feistiness and charm, she is given little to do and the character came over as underwritten. Frank McHugh is the comic relief, and while he does his best with what he has this aspect was not completely successful, not always coming over as very funny and it doesn't always add much.

However, Robinson is terrific and his role suits him perfectly with the intensity and authority nailed. The other cast standout is oily Barton MacLane and Bogart looms ominously. The characters are generally well handled, with a tough rootable lead and villains that pose a genuine threat. William Keighley's direction is not exceptional but it does do more than just getting the job done, showing someone in control.

Visually, 'Bullets or Ballots' is slick and stylish, while the pace is tight with little if any extraneous fat which does help make the story continually absorbing. The script crackles in tautness and is lean in content, provoking thought. The action crackles even more with some exciting moments, especially a climax that is the very meaning of scintillating.

Overall, good. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Bogart, Blondell, and Robinson! and comedian Frank McHugh. all star cast! it's 1936, and mobster Al Kruger is running the local rackets, dark activities, many illegal. when the leader of the crime fighting task force is knocked off, Johnny Blake thinks he ought to get involved and try to fix things. but it's complicated. when the cops nose around, the muckity mucks in the syndicate lean on Kruger. to counter the stepped up crime activity, the cops also step up their crime fighting. interesting turn... in this one, Joan Blondell is also running some numbers game. unusual role for her. and some "twists", which aren't really surprises at all. we've seen some of these tricks so often, that we've come to expect them. Some of the story is actually based on the history of rackets in the various sections of NYC, as you will see in the Trivia section. it's pretty good. directed by william keighley, who had directed some great films: Man who Came to Dinner, Bride Came COD, Robin Hood.

"Bullets or Ballots" is a good 'cops and robbers' movie from Warner Bros., headquarters for gangster pictures in the 30's. It has all the gangster stars on the lot - Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, George E. Stone, Barton McLane and a score of well-known character actors. It also features Joan Blondell, everybody's sweetheart in Warner films of the time.

The 'racket' here switches from protection to the numbers game, and has Robinson as a racketbuster cop going undercover to unearth McLane's bosses. Robinson is a tough cop with the underworld's respect, although it is humorous to see him intimidate guys a foot taller than he is. Anyway, he infiltrates and the story unfolds in the expected manner, but as only Warner Bros. could tell it. Not a lot different from others of its type but the flashy cast puts this one over. If you haven't seen it and you are a fan of the genre, do so.

This turned out to be a decent '30s gangster movie, not a lot different from a few others I've seen where Humphrey Bogart plays the bad guy and is the main adversary of the hero. Several films had James Cagney up against him; here it was Edward G Robinson.

Robinson plays policeman "Det. Johnny Blake," who goes underground, so to speak, by posing as a gang member to get the goods on them. (It's based on a real-life character.) Robinson, as usual, is very interesting to watch and is a tough guy BUT with a soft heart. In fact, he even feels bad about betraying the head crook because he has such principles of being a "straight shooter" that he doesn't feel right lying to anybody, even the gang leader "Al Krueger" (Barton MacLane).

Bogart plays "Nick Fenner," Al's number-one guy and is more of the villain than his boss. Joan Blondell gets second billing but that's not right because she's at least fourth in the amount of screen time and lines. There really is no real love interest in this movie; it's strictly a crime story.

When I first saw this movie, a little over a decade ago on VHS, I wasn't that impressed but last week, watching this on DVD, not only was the story better than I remembered but the picture was excellent. The blacks, whites and grays in here are beautiful. This was part of the "Tough Guys" DVD package and they did a wonderful job on the transfer.

The ridiculous title aside, this is an OK gangster film with more gab then guns, although there is an edge to the execution and display.

The script is interesting in a behind the scenes kind of way that lets us in on the money machines and political corruption that is Warners trademark of message movies. The attraction here is the two stars and the modern fascination with these actors and their tough guy personas and they don't disappoint.

This film is more sanitized and sterile then the best of the gangster films (as the newly defined Hays Code forced tricky gymnastic presentations of the seedy and the sultry). But the studio professionals were up to the task and a "new" type of underworld uncovering emerged on the screen. For better or worse.