Bullets or Ballots (1936) User Reviews

William Keighley directed the film with a firm and fresh efficiency

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 7/10 · 12 April 2005]

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

Edward G. Robinson: A Tough Guy With A Heart

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 23 December 2006]

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.

Robinson Ties In With the Mugs!

[bsmith5552 · 7/10 · 12 September 2006]

"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.

Good Gangster Pic

[GManfred · 22 November 2017]

"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.

BULLETS OR BALLOTS (William Keighley, 1936) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 14 April 2008]

This is one of the few gangster classics from that genre's golden era and featuring its iconic stars which was never available in my neck of the woods until it surfaced on DVD. It was also the first of five films teaming (or rather pitting one against the other) Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart; the former was the real star and he was already starting to branch out from gangster roles – the latter was still a supporting actor (having just had his big break with THE PETRIFIED FOREST [1936]) and five more years would pass till he achieved his long-deserved stardom (nevertheless, in spite of the lack of range offered by the scripts for these type of roles, Bogie always made an impression at it).

By this time, the Hays Code had come down on Hollywood for their glorification of the gangster; Warners had pulled a clever switch with "G" MEN (1935), where these same crimes were presented from the viewpoint of law enforcement officers (that film had also been helmed by this film's director, William Keighley, and starred another of the great genre actors, James Cagney). In this case, the narrative allowed Robinson as an undercover cop to still be involved in the criminal activity, and rise through the ranks as always, without taking active part in them: however, censorship of the time still dictated that his character had to die at the end (unless it was a way of showing the risk inherent in such police work). Interestingly, Keighley would return to a similar situation – this time revolving around the F.B.I. – many years later with the noir THE STREET WITH NO NAME (1948), which I've just watched as part of my ongoing tribute to Richard Widmark; having mentioned the noir, while I admire the vitality and raw power of the gangster films, their limited plot lines rather prevents them from having the same pull of the fatalistic thrillers often involving tortuous plots and where the protagonists – apart from the dark city streets – could be as much a private detective as the next man, but always gullible and at the mercy of a femme fatale...

To go back to BULLETS OR BALLOTS, the film is typically fast-moving – it's not just the action that crackles but the dialogue as well – and, while some of the edge of the very earliest gangster pictures, has been lost by way of repetition (and the standards of the Code), it's still a satisfactory and highly entertaining entry. For the record, two of the very best efforts in this influential genre were still a couple of years away – namely ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1938) and THE ROARING TWENTIES (1939), both with Cagney as an anti-hero and Bogie ever the irredeemable and duplicitous mobster. Here, alongside the two stars, are Joan Blondell as Robinson's on-off girl on whom Bogart has his eyes as well (interestingly, she's got her own particular racket going!), Barton MacLane as the big boss whom Bogart is forever trying to oust (again, a role he would often play) and Frank McHugh providing the comic relief (ditto).

very satisfying Warner police drama

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 20 July 2006]

Okay, I'll admit that MOST of the Warner Brothers films of the 1930s starring actors like Cagney, Bogart and Edward G. Robinson were predictable and formulaic. But, they were also very entertaining and the public loved them. I happen to be a real fan of the films but know that they aren't exactly "high art" or always 100% believable! Well, this is such a film, as you really need to suspend disbelief and just sit back and enjoy--and boy, did I enjoy this dandy film.

Robinson played a tough as nails detective who used to be a force to be reckoned with in the police department, but in recent years instead of smashing organized crime, he's been reassigned to more mundane activities. And, he's got REAL ATTITUDE, as when hoods see him on the street, he's likely to slug them if they don't show him "proper respect". At the same time, the grand jury is outraged by the proliferation of organized crime, so they appoint a new Police Commissioner. However, unexpectedly, this new Commissioner unexpectedly fires Robinson instead of having him return to his old mob-fighting ways! Now at this point, considering who Robinson's character was, it seemed obvious that his being fired was NOT "strictly on the level". Where this goes and how the movie wraps everything up, I'll leave to you.

The acting is fun and exactly what you'd expect from an old gangster picture. The combination of Robinson, Barton MacLane and Bogart as the leads is exceptional and is sure to please, though I must admit that MacLane's character, at times, seems a bit stupid and gullible--he wasn't the best written character in the film.

Beating Those Criminals to a Pulp

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 16 May 2006]

Edward G. Robinson stars in yet another classic gangster film from the folks who did them best at Warner Brothers. This time his character of John Blake is based on real life NYPD detective John Broderick.

Back in the day you would not have given much chance for Broderick to grow old and die in bed. Yet in 1966 that's what he did do. Back in the day too many of New York's noted underworld figures felt his knuckles in various parts of the anatomy.

Broderick was independent, fearless, and honest, the last being a rather rare commodity in the days of and just after Prohibition. Good thing he retired before the Miranda decision. He didn't think that hoodlums had any civil rights.

Because Broderick was so open and known to all undercover work was impossible. But in Bullets or Ballots Robinson is kicked off the force for excessive brutality and joins the hoods he's been beating on.

But it's all an act. It's a deal worked out by Broderick and the Police Commissioner so he can go undercover and get the goods on the numbers racket. The ostensible heads, Barton MacLane and Humphrey Bogart and the respectable types they're fronting for.

Though the ending is melodramatic, Bullets or Ballots holds up pretty well today. And who knows, Broderick's real life might yet rate a good biographical picture today.

amazing cast in mob piece

[ksf-2 · 8/10 · 20 June 2020]

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.

More Gab Then Guns

[LeonLouisRicci · 6/10 · 18 July 2012]

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.

"There's only one way out"

[nickenchuggets · 8/10 · 1 July 2022]

Even though Edward G Robinson ranks among my favorite actors of all time, he wasn't an exception to appearing in less acclaimed movies. I'm not saying this movie is bad, it's just that I never even heard of it before this Wednesday so I wasn't sure the level of quality awaiting me was going to be on par with something like Little Caesar. The movie is fairly average in terms of its story and has a fixture on crime, which I think is a genre of movies that has been done to death already. Because of this, the plot didn't feel very original to me but the film is interesting because it features both Robinson and the king of classic movies himself, Humphrey Bogart. This is I think the second such movie I've seen to feature both actors side by side, the other being Key Largo. Ironically, just like the aformentioned movie, this film has Robinson and Bogart on opposite sides playing the same deadly game, which culminates in a deadly climax at the end, quite literally. This movie is about a detective named Johnny (Robinson) who gets booted from the police force one day, despite being well respected for catching criminals. Speaking of which, a mobster named Al (Barton MacLane) tries to approach Johnny with an offer and form an alliance with him. He wants this because Johnny, being a former cop, knows how the police allocate their resources, and Al wants to find out what they've got so he can counter it. Johnny actually accepts the offer and, just as he made a name for himself by being a good guy, now he does the opposite. Meanwhile, Bugs Fenner (Humphrey Bogart), another criminal, doesn't like what Johnny is doing since he thinks he still works for the cops. After Al's mob starts to lose money, Johnny takes the helm and gets them to indulge in a gambling operation headed by his girlfriend. The money really starts pouring in non-stop, but Johnny has other ideas. Unbeknownst to Al, Johnny actually is still a cop (technically). He's been in touch with Captain McLaren of the police all this time so he can find where the mob's leaders are. The cops attack and pillage many of Al's strongholds and gambling sites. Because of all this misfortune, Bugs becomes disillusioned with the mob's fall from grace and decides it's time to run things his way, except he can't do that until Al is dead. Bugs shoots Al and Johnny meets up with the leaders of the mob, who all happen to own banks. Finally, the cops raid one of Bugs' operations and a scout for Bugs manages to see Johnny involved with it. Bugs and Johnny confront each other in a stairwell and both shoot each other at the same time. Johnny drives to the bank to give the mob bosses the money and then dies. It's not in vain though since now McLaren knows who's running everything. Even though I typically regard every Robinson movie as a masterpiece, I felt this one was lacking compared to many of his others. I don't know what it is, but I just think playing a good guy is out of character for him, so I tend to find the movies in which he plays one mostly just decent. After seeing literally hundreds of crime movies, I realized there's only so much that can be done with storylines like these. That being said, Bogart and Robinson still deliver good performances, and it was nice to see them face off, which I don't think I've seen outside of Key Largo up until now. One last thing: it's worth mentioning the person this movie draws its inspiration from. Johnny Broderick was a cop in the NYPD during the 1920s, 30s, and 40s who had an extremely violent reputation when it came to handling criminals. He took no nonsense from people even when they were holding him at gunpoint, and smashed troublemakers through windows when they were spotted bothering women, just like what Robinson does in this movie. Just the fact that a lot of the violent things Robinson does in this movie are based on the actions of a real person makes it even better.

"Whenever mugs get into a jam, the first thing they do is start knifing each other."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 7 November 2004]

Detective Johnny Blake (Edward G. Robinson) plays both sides of the law in this 1936 gangster/crime drama. In the early part of the film, we see an increasingly disillusioned Blake forge an odd relationship with crime boss Al Kruger (Barton MacLane). But when anti crime publisher Ward Bryant is murdered by Kruger's top man Nick "Bugs" Fenner (Humphrey Bogart), it's fully revealed that Blake is working undercover for old friend and new Police Commissioner Dan McLaren (Joe King).

Kruger takes in Johnny Blake because of his fierce reputation for integrity, and both quickly become the target of "Bugs" Fenner, who up till then has had the number one spot in Kruger's gang. As Johnny masterminds a new source of revenue from running a numbers game in the Bronx and Harlem, his star rises while Fenner steams. Johnny also has to contend with the pretty Lee Morgan (Joan Blondell) who initiated the numbers racket, but is now being cut out of the action by Kruger's edict.

Working from the inside, Blake turns over information to McLaren; and as profits from the numbers game escalate, Kruger's other operations get hammered by McLaren's forces on the street. As Fenner reaches the boiling point, he takes out Kruger and goes gunning for Blake. Meanwhile, the invisible heads of the crime syndicate backing Kruger are revealed as (dis)honest businessmen cashing in on all the illegal activity.

Fingered by a Fenner crony, Johnny and "Bugs" shoot it out on the steps outside a city apartment. Blake hangs on long enough to make his final report to the police commissioner, his only regret being he won't be able to enjoy a last beer with the boss.

"Bullets or Ballots" is a taut crime drama, showcasing Edward G. Robinson some five years following his breakout performance in "Little Caesar". He and Bogart would appear in five films altogether, "Key Largo" being the most highly acclaimed, and the only film in which Bogey would get top billing over Robinson. But for sheer entertainment value, I would recommend 1938's "The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse", which showcases a much wider range of Robinson's acting ability.

Joan Blondell appeared with Bogart in 1932's "Three on a Match" and 1937's "Stand-In", along with an uncredited Bogey appearance in 1932's "Big City Blues". "Bullets or Ballots" is the only time she and Robinson worked together.

Edward G. Robinson played GOOD & EVIL GUY!

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 18 August 2004]

Enjoyed viewing is great film directed by William Keighley, it has a great cast of Veteran Classic actors. Keighley produced another great film,"Street With No Name",'48. Edward G. Robinson,(Detective John Blake),"The Red House,"'47, was trying to be a good cop and keep the city from being taken over by the hoods. Joan Blondell,(Lee Morgan),"Big Daddy,"'65 has a big crush on Blake and also has a Numbers Racket going on in town that the hoods become interested in obtaining. Barton MacLane (Al Kruger),"Captain Scarface",'53 is one of the big shot gangsters and tries to get John Blake to change sides and join the bad guys. Humphrey Bogart,(Nick Bugs Fenner), "Dead End",'37, looks very young and just starting out in his acting career, does not trust John Blake and is a trigger happy gangster who will stop at nothing to become the Number 1 HOOD! If you love old gangster films with great actors, this is the film for YOU!

You watch this detached as a bystander not a participant

[1930s_Time_Machine · 6/10 · 9 April 2023]

The story is interesting enough (it's based on a real life undercover cop) and maintains just enough energy and suspense to keep you watching (although not on the edge of your seat) but there's not a lot of soul to it. It's definitely got an authentic mid-thirties feel to it, there's no sugar coating on this hard hitting, realistic slice of the seedier side of New York but it just doesn't touch you. There's no emotion to it.

Nevertheless EGR, as you'd expect, gives a sincere and believable performance - and for a little chubby guy to be so convincing as 'the toughest cop in New York' shows pretty a impressive acting ability! He's not however very interesting and you can't emotionally invest in him. He's the epitome of integrity but (probably because he's based on a real living person at the time) he's got no personal problems, no weird idiosyncrasies, no skeletons in the cupboard - he's just a good, dedicated, upright copper. Good for crime fighting, less so for entertainment.

The rest of the cast are faultless - Bogart is believably unpleasant and Joan Blondell proves she could do much more than comedy but nobody smiles! One exception is Frank McHugh - amidst all this serious sincerity it looks like he was added for a bit of comedy relief. He's only got half a dozen lines but as bizarre as his casting might seem, he actually makes this a bit more palatable.

Crime or Law?

[Rindiana · 5/10 · 22 December 2009]

Due to the Hays Code restrictions, some gangster pics offered muddled character portraits, with a blurred line between good and bad guy that too often felt forced.

This time, it's Edward G.'s turn and he's doing a solid job without being too enthusiastic about his part. No wonder, since the plot's rather lame and simple-minded.

Bogie seems rather disinterested, too.

Still, there's always a mild pleasure to be had from old school stuff like this.

5 out of 10 hot lottery games

Robinson and Bogart

[Michael_Elliott · 12 January 2009]

Bullets or Ballots (1936)

*** (out of 4)

A hard boiled detective (Edward G. Robinson) gets kicked off the force so a gangster (Barton MacLane) hires him onto the underground. Robinson pretends to be telling them how to stay clear of getting busted but a second hand man (Humphrey Bogart) rightly suspects the detective of just being undercover. Here we have yet another gangster film from Warner and yet another winner as the film contains some very good performances, nice action and some true drama. The actual story of a cop going undercover is certainly nothing new and the film really doesn't hit on anything new but that really doesn't take away from any of the entertainment. The story this time out is also rather low key and we don't get any major action scenes but that's okay because the dialogue is strong enough as are the performances to give us the drama we need. Robinson turns in another fine performance as it's always nice seeing him play the hero. MacLane does a very good job in his role as the top guy and of course it's always fun seeing Bogart playing the second fiddle. Joan Blondell does a fine job as well even though her character, a numbers runner and friend to Robinson, is underwritten. Then for comic relief we get Frank McHugh but he too doesn't have that well of a written character. In terms of the Warner gangster films this certainly can't compare to Little Caesar, Angels with Dirty Faces or White Heat but on its own it's a nice little drama that has enough appeal to overcome its weaknesses.

Ruling the rackets

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 27 January 2019]

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

mostly bullets

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 10 December 2009]

Edward G. Robinson stars as a tough detective, based on a real character, in "Bullets or Ballots," a 1936 film also starring Joan Blondell, Humphrey Bogart, Barton MacLane, and Frank McHugh.

Robinson plays Johnny Blake, modeled after a real police officer, Johnny Broderick, who worked in New York City. As in the film, the character has a highly public firing so he can work with an organized crime group running illegal games.

Bogart plays an ambitious gang member who intends to get rid of anyone in his way of taking over the organization - he starts with a newspaperman and goes from there.

Warners made such great use of its character actors, using their versatility to great advantage. Cagney, Robinson, Bogart, all started out as villains but branched out into other kinds of roles.

Strong performances by Robinson and Bogart - a good gangster flick.

Pedestrian except for Robinson.

[David-240 · 6/10 · 5 July 1999]

This is a typical Warner Bros gangster film of the 1930's but is certainly not one of the best. Indifferently directed and written, with an occasional gem piece of dialogue, and with a lack-lustre supporting cast, the film is held together by the resplendent Edward G Robinson. His final moments in the film are unforgettable. The very young and handsome Bogart is effective as the villain, and Blondell has an occasional moment of wry humour, although her role is very dull. Not bad, not good.

Robinson Squares Off Against Bogie

[boscopa-1 · 8/10 · 19 July 2015]

"Bullets or Ballots" is a fast-paced, hard-hitting crime melodrama from Warner Brothers. Responding to the criticism leveled against their films regarding the glorification of hoodlums, Warners put their top tough guy, Edward G. Robinson, in the lead role as a cop out to bring down the mob. Squaring off against Edward is stock bad guy Barton McLane as the rackets boss and a relatively new contract player, Humphrey Bogart, as his treacherous second in command. Providing some glamor is the wonderful Joan Blondell as a nightclub owner and close friend of Robinson.

Robinson is Johnny Blake, a veteran cop who is seemingly fired from the police force and recruited by McLane's Al Kruger to help him run the rackets. Of course Blake is going under cover to smash the mob; a plot point the audience and Bogart's Nick Fenner will guess pretty quickly. In standard Warners fashion the plot moves quickly and the pace never lags.

Robinson is more cerebral and less flamboyant than in most of his crime pictures but he is terrific in the role. He carefully plots his moves and outwits Fenner at nearly every opportunity while completely fooling Kruger. Even so his quick fists are demonstrated on several occasions. Fresh off his success in "The Petrified Forest" Bogart assumes the first of a seemingly endless series of evil supporting roles that would occupy the next five years of his career. Although the part is fairly one-dimensional Bogart shines and is a formidable adversary. Barton MacLane gives his standard tough guy performance but is a little more likable than usual. Joan Blondell does a great job as well; she is warm and funny while having some hard boiled moments. And she is very easy on the eyes. The rest of the Warners stock company is in fine form, headed by Frank McHugh in one of his typical comedy relief roles.

Known for their crime films, Warners serves up one of their best with "Bullets Or Ballots."

I'm taking over the numbers racket

[sol-kay · 7/10 · 19 August 2011]

***SPOILERS*** First of five movies that Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart were together in has Robinson as tough incorruptible and straight as an arrow NYC cop Johnny Blake infiltrate the mob in order to get the goods on who's behind it and paying off the local police and politicians to keep the mob immune from the law.

Getting together with his boss police Captain Dan McLaren, Joe King, Blake has himself booted from the force for no other reasons then not having his tie straightened during the annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade. This ridicules charade on both Blake and Capt.McLaren's part is farther enhanced that during a boxing match at Madison Square Garden Blake belt's the police captain in front of mobsters Al Kruger and his #1 Man Bugs Ferner, Barton MacLane and Humphrey Bogart, in order to convince them that his firing by Capt.McLaren was in fact on the up and up.

Impressed by Blake's actions which Capt. McLaren refused to press charges against him Kruger offers him the #2 spot, after Bugs Ferner,in him crime organization. Unknown to Kruger but not the smart and quick on his feet,in smelling a rat, Ferner Blake is planning to not only set him up but his bosses, a bunch of big Wall Street type, for the fall. That's in having the police headed by Capt. McLaren catching them red handed with the good's or money from their criminal enterprises like loan sharking bookie and the numbers rackets.

Ferner who never trusted Blake and with good reason soon gets a bit ticked off with his boss Kruger in him being so naive and stupid in letting Blake in on his mob operations and offs, guns down, Kruger making it look like a rival mob boss did it. Blake who was promoted by Kruger as his #1 Man in now becoming the Main Man, after Kruger's murder, finally gets to see who's big or #1 boss or bosses, the Wall Street movers and shakers, and plans to set them up! That's before Ferner gets wind of what he's planning for them as well as himself! It's now a race against time in Blake getting his bosses to take the weekly numbers profits that he promised them before a mad as hell, in being double-crossed by Blake, Ferner gets to him first!

***SPOILERS*** The what seemed like smart cookie Blake turns out to be as silly and self-destructive as his former and dead boss Kruger by for reasons known only to himself, and the movie script writers, has Ferner track him down at his secret hideout in downtown Manhattan to end up getting shot, as well as shooting Ferner in return, by him. With his girlfriend numbers racket gun moll Lee Morgan, Joan Blondell, giving him a lift in her car to Wall Street Blake brings back the bacon,illegal numbers money, to his bosses only to have them busted and thrown behind bars by Capt. McLane & his boys as soon as they laid their hands on it! As for Blake he'll never live to see what his heroic as well as brainless actions accomplished by dying from the wounds inflicted on him by Ferner that he, by not using his head, could have so easily avoided!

One of the best in the Warner gangster cycle!

[JohnHowardReid · 10/10 · 9 October 2014]

The plot of this one has such a familiar ring (in fact it is probably the most commonly used ploy of the gangster film), we find ourselves hoping against hope that Robinson is really the disgruntled cop he seems. The fact that his word has been his bond for thirty years on the force, doesn't seem to worry him unduly except as it affects Kruger, but this moral dilemma is neatly removed from the script before it can be put to the test. Otherwise the film is a very stylish exercise in the genre, though fans may be a bit disappointed by the quick demise of the principal thugs and the film's downbeat ending.

Keighley's use of camera-work is much more fluid here than usual with dizzying crane shots and a memorably fast tracking shot as Bogart's car speeds alongside an enormous line of freight wagons being raided by police. The film is also another example of Warner Brothers craftsmanship par excellence, with splendid montage routines of meticulously mocked-up newspaper headlines (quick readers will notice that the story continues below the headlines — there is nothing cheap about production values in a Warner Brothers film), lavish sets peopled with hundreds of extras, driving, fast-paced direction, atmospheric photography (love the way Bogart's face is often lit with vertical bars and shadows to make him see even more menacing), sharp film editing and some of the best and most proficient players in the business.

Bogart in his first film after Petrified Forest, gives a memorable yet characteristic impression of a shrewd, sly, cynical, trusting no-one, ambitious yet not over-bright thug; while Barton MacLane holds up his end, helped by Miller's literate dialogue, to give a portrayal of some depth as the crime boss. Robinson is his usual bluff, free-wheeling self (though it's a bit hard to believe in his physical prowess, he is such a small man compared to Joseph King, William Pawley and Norman Willis!) Surprisingly, Despite her prominence in the cast list, Miss Blondell does not play a major part in the proceedings (she is none too flatteringly photographed either). Frank McHugh also, fortunately, has a minor role (his comedy routines are slow and unrealistically drawn out). The other roles are most competently played. Henry Kolker makes an impression as the glad-handing Hollister and George E. Stone is effective in a small role as one of Bogart's henchmen.

Mother of mercy! Is this the end of Johnny Blake?

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 2 January 2014]

Tough cop Johnny Blake (Edward G. Robinson) goes undercover with the mob run by Al Kruger (Barton MacLane). He clashes with Kruger's ambitious right-hand man Nick "Bugs" Fenner (Humphrey Bogart). One of the many villainous gangster parts Bogie had to play in the '30s. It might not have been that challenging for him but he was very good at it. It's great fun watching the diminutive Robinson slug wise guys right and left and they just have to take it. Joan Blondell plays Blake's friend who's crazy about him. But he has no room for dames, see? He's a man on a mission. Love these WB gangster flicks! Any gangster picture with Edward G. Robinson is tops in my book. Add Bogart, Blondell, MacLane, and Frank McHugh and you've got yourself a winner.

Robinson the Gangbuster!

[texasthunderhawk · 8/10 · 21 March 2008]

Today, when we see actors like Robert DeNiro or Al Pacino jump from playing a bad guy to a good guy, we hardly bat an eye. After all, it IS Robert DeNiro or Al Pacino. But in those olden days of Hollywood, if you were a bad guy, you would always play the bad guy. That's one of the reasons why "Bullets Or Ballots" is so incredible. It features Edward G. Robinson, famous for playing gangsters in films like "Little Caesar", playing a good guy. And that's just one of the interesting, not to mention entertaining, aspects of this movie.

When this movie was released in 1936, America was going through a social shift. During the Prohibition Era of the 1920's, gangsters were romanticized as urban "Robin Hoods" (Personified in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby") because they sold beer to a thirsty public who did not support the Prohibition laws. But after the bloody rampage of the Roaring 20's gang wars of men like Al Capone, "Dutch" Schultz, and The Purple Gang, and the Depression Era Bank Robbing sprees of John Dillinger, "Babyface" Nelson, and "Machine Gun" Kelly, America had had enough of the gangsters. Sensing the social shift, Warner Brothers stopped making movies about the gangster (more or less) and started making movies celebrating the cops and federal agents who battled the mob. The first of these films was "G-Men" starring James Cagney as an FBI agent in 1935. "Bullets Or Ballots" came next.

In the film, Edward G. Robinson portrays Johnny Blake, and Eliot Ness-like gang buster in the NYPD. Blake is such a good cop that not only is he admired by his fellow cops but he's also respected by the mob. While that may seem a little corny, it turns out to be very poignant in the end. When a wave of reform sweeps the city with the appointment of a new, honest, grand jury, and an honest police chief, Blake finds himself kicked off the force on a trumped up charge of "derilection of duty". Blake is then offered a job as the "chief of security" by New York mobster Al Kruger (Barton MacLane in another tough guy roll). Kruger wants Blake to use his police know-how to make sure the rackets are running smoothly and cannot be dismantled by the new reform movement. Because of that afore mentioned respect Kruger and the other mobsters have for Blake, the former cop moves into the organization with ease, despite being kept under the watchful eye of "Bugs" Fenner (a pre-fame Humphrey Bogart in a cookie-cutter thug roll he would be stuck playing before his breakthrough in "Casablanca"), a gangster who is still suspicious of Blake. Johnny's new position also puts him at odds with many of his former friends in the police department as well as his girlfriend, Lee (Joan Blondell) who runs an independent gambling racket out of her nightclub. But little do they know, and "Bugs" Fenner rightfully suspects, Johnny Blake has not turned bad...he's still working for the police as an undercover officer! In a clever ruse developed by Blake and the new police chief, Blake has faked getting thrown off the force in order to infiltrate the crime syndicate and collapse it from within.

This is an exciting movie with the right balance of twists, turns, drama, action, and even humor (With the inclusion gangland comic relief Frank McHugh), making it an movie sadly over looked when mentioning the great gangster pictures of the era. The only part of this film I didn't like was the cringe-worthy portrayal of African Americans in this film. In the movie, there is a woman named Nellie who runs the gambling racket for Lee out of her club. She's of the grossly stereotypical "Yessah, Miss Lee" ignorant blacks. Unfortunately, this type of character was considered "acceptable" by film making standards in those days and is my only reason for not giving one of my all-time favorite gangster movies a full 10 stars.

Edward G. Robinson battles Humphrey Bogart in a Warner Bros. gangster flick, what more could you want?

[jacobs-greenwood · 7/10 · 14 September 2017]

Throw in Joan Blondell, Barton MacLane and Frank McHugh (just for laughs), and you've got an enjoyable - if somewhat formulaic - crime drama from the 1930's. While there are some differences between it and others that feature James Cagney (many directed by Michael Curtiz), Bullets or Ballots (1936) was in the more than capable hands of genre veterans: director William Keighley and writer Seton I. Miller.

The film opens by detailing just how deeply ingrained the mob has become in this country's everyday activities, skimming pennies from virtually every financial transaction (even pinball machines in ice cream parlors) and accumulating profits that exceed the US Treasury. Johnny Blake (Robinson) is a tough guy cop in one big city whose reputation is feared among all the hoods but, because of rampant corruption at the highest levels of law enforcement, has been relegated to handling petty crimes.

While he was the scourge of mobsters, Johnny earned a reputation as a stand-up guy with integrity that even crime boss Al Kruger (MacLane) respected, the two maintaining a cordial relationship. Lee Morgan (Blondell), a nightclub owner that runs a small numbers game that her associate Nellie (Louise Beavers) 'invented', is dismayed that her friend Johnny has accepted his more humble role. McHugh provides comic relief as Lee's incompetent math-challenged assistant Herman.

When a new independent police Captain Dan McLaren (Joseph King) is appointed to finally break the mob's stranglehold on society, Johnny is among those that's let go in the house cleaning; he's deemed no longer effective. This gives Kruger an opportunity to bring in Johnny as his new second-in-charge lieutenant; he's become wary of his current too ambitious right-hand man Fenner (Bogart). Fenner and his thugs don't trust Johnny, especially given McLaren's early successes, so they tail Johnny hoping to prove he's a snitch.

If you're a fan of what was largely the Warner Brothers' bread-and- butter genre, you should enjoy this 80+ minute movie without being bothered that its title has almost nothing to do with the proceedings.

Routine

[rmax304823 · 5/10 · 16 May 2002]

The title of this 1936 movie keeps cropping up in various essays, lists, and books on the history of American films, but I'm not sure why. It has a decent cast but all of the performers have done better elsewhere, except maybe for Joan Blondell, who is more serious and less wise-cracking here. Robinson is all right but doesn't seem to put much into the role. Bogart is unable to shake the ominous monotone he developed for "The Petrified Forest." Frank McHugh does his usual reliable support. Barton MacLane has a rather complex part. He is Kruger, the tough but fair racket boss who trusts and admires his adversary, Robinson, and ends up hiring him as a kind of executive officer. Robinson of course is an undercover cop and is committed to betraying Kruger. The situation causes Robinson some discomfort because, after all, Kruger has been treating him as a friend. The sting of his conscience is eased when Kruger is rubbed out by Bogart, so no betrayal is necessary. William Keighley moves the bodies around efficiently. The pace if fast. But that's about it. It's really not much more than a routine 1930s Warners gangster movie, notable as much for the fact that it was the first time Robinson and Bogart appeared together on film as for anything else. Query, though. Most of the money taken in by the gangsters is from the numbers racket. It is explained that the chances of winning are one in one thousand, whereas the payoff is six hundred to one, leaving the administrators with a tidy profit of 400 percent. Okay. Why is this bad? I mean -- how is it any worse than a state lottery in which your chances of winning are even less? It's all very well to say that the state runs lotteries in order to provide additional funds for education, but the fact is that most of the income pays for the administration of the lottery and the salaries of bureaucrats. And it gets worse. Who plays the numbers or buys lottery tickets? Does anyone imagine that Warren Buffett or Bill Gates or the governor of New Jersey has ever bought a lottery ticket? (They all have inflation-protected Treasury bonds.) My experience is that lottery counters are virtually empty in middle-class neighborhoods, whereas on payday the lines of African-Americans and white working-class stiffs are so long that they tried even my patience! Payday, boys and girls, and here is some dude standing at the lottery machine and the guy behind the counter keeps entering numbers and the machine is going Ka-CHING, Ka-CHING, over and over, while the guy's take-home pay dwindles. The state lotteries are bad for the same reason the numbers rackets are bad. They transfer money from the very poorest communities directly to an outside organization without allowing that money to circulate within the neighborhoods that need it the most. Every dollar spent on numbers (whether legitimate or not) is a dollar that could have gone to the corner grocery store. Then to the guy who supplies the grocery store. And so on. Numbers are a "regressive" tax, which places the heaviest tax burden on the people and neighborhoods least able to carry it. I suppose you can pay for hopes and dreams but the payoff is very likely to be in disappointments. Want more money for good works? Raise taxes and let everyone pay his share.