Balas ou Votos

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

"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.

Following his brutal portrayal in "The Petrified Forest," Bogart became a much more articulate and calculating killer in "Bullets or Ballots," a gangster thriller starring Edward G. Robinson as a crusading crime-buster, modeled after true-life cop Johnny Broderick, known as "the toughest cop on Broadway," who pretended to be thrown off the police force in order to infiltrate Bogart's gang and get the evidence to bring him to justice…

Bogart revealed no emotion whatever as he goes about his gun-happy chores of shooting a respected newspaperman as well as his partner-in-crime, Barton MacLane, in his characteristic double-cross…

The exciting finale found both Bogart and Robinson in a blazing showdown, an unusual ending for this period in film history, but one which Robinson had fought hard to retain...

William Keighley directed the film with a firm and fresh efficiency

"Bullets or Ballots" was affected by the new motion picture Production Code introduced in 1934. The Code stipulated, among other things, that gangsters could no longer be glorified in films as had been done with "Little Caesar" (1930) and "The Public Enemy" (1931). That meant that Warners resident gangsters Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney had to come over to the right side of the law.

Cagney had done so in 1935 with "G-Men" but in 1936 was embroiled in a contract dispute with Warners and had left the lot. That left Robinson. You can just hear the brain trusts at Warners saying, "Let's put Eddie Robinson in a new crime picture only this time we'll have him go undercover so that he can ACT like a gangster while satisfying the Code by really working on the side of the law". "Bullets or Ballots" was the result.

Gangster Al Kruger (Barton MacLane) is a new order of corporate type gangster that shuns the old violent ways of the 20s. He is controlled by unseen bosses well placed in the business community. His second in command Nick "Bugs" Fenner is of the old school. When crusading newspaper reporter Ward Bryant (Henry O'Neill) is murdered by Fenner, it sets off a cry for justice. Police Captain McLaren is appointed Special Commissioner charged with cleaning up the rackets.

Detective Johnny Blake (Robinson) is a down on his luck policeman who has been exiled to an outer precinct. One day he learns that McLaren has fired him as part of his cleanup. But as we learn, Blake is really working undercover informing McLaren of the mob's plans. Blake then joins up with Kruger and rises quickly through the ranks. Fenner, meanwhile doesn't trust Blake and the two compete against each other.

As the result of the crime crackdown, the mob's earnings have dropped. Blake suggests that they move into the numbers racket which was being run successfully on a small scale by Blake's girlfriend Lee Morgan (Joan Blondell) with the aid her pick-up man Herman (Frank McHugh) and Harlem contact Nellie (Louise Beavers).

With the success of the numbers game, Fenner sees that Kruger has gone soft and is neglecting the mob's other businesses. Fenner murders Kruger and vies with Blake to take over. Blake succeeds and continues to inform McLaren of the mob's intentions. Fenner decides on a showdown and................

Robinson, who was a well educated and classically trained actor wanted to get away from gangster roles and did so whenever he could. But in spite of that, he will always be best remembered for these types of roles. Barton MacLane for once doesn't play the brutish gangster. He plays Kruger as a businessman and not a thug. Bogey on the other hand, had just made his mark in "The Petrified Forest" (1936) and was typecast for the most part as a gangster for the next five years. Joan Blondell is wasted in her superficial role as Robinson's love interest and McHugh is just along for comedy relief.

Still, "Bullets or Ballots" remains one of the all-time gangster classics.

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.