IMDb >
Racket Busters (1938)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsRacket Busters (1938) More at IMDbPro »
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
16 July 1938 (USA)
more
Plot:
Manhattan gangster Pete Martin enters the trucking business in an effort to control the produce market...
more
| add synopsis
User Reviews:
Smashing the Produce Rackets
more (7 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast) | Humphrey Bogart | ... | John 'Czar' Martin |
 | George Brent | ... | Denny Jordan |
| Gloria Dickson | ... | Nora Jordan |
| Allen Jenkins | ... | 'Skeets' Wilson |
| Walter Abel | ... | Hugh Allison |
| Henry O'Neill | ... | Governor |
| Penny Singleton | ... | Gladys Christie |
| Anthony Averill | ... | Dave Crane, Martin's Henchman |
| Oscar O'Shea | ... | Pop Wilson |
| Elliott Sullivan | ... | Charlie Smith |
| Fay Helm | ... | Mrs. Charlie Smith |
| Joe Downing | ... | Joe Pender, Martin's Henchman |
| Norman Willis | ... | Gus Hawkins, Martin's Henchman |
| Don Rowan | ... | Cliff Kimball |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
71 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Quotes:
John 'Czar' Martin:
Holler, suckers. When I get through with you, you'll holler even louder.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Bookworm (1939)
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (7 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Racket Busters (1938)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Funny scene | LCShackley |
| Bracket busters | pikachu_fan_number_9 |
Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| The Boss of Big Town | Bulldog Edition | Paradise Express | Baby Face Morgan | Midnight Court |
|
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Crime section | IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |
Though it might mean absolutely nothing to today's audience when you see the small mustached frame of Walter Abel who has been named a Special Prosecutor back in 1938 there was no doubt that Abel was a very thinly disguised portrayal of real life Special Prosecutor and newly elected District Attorney of New York County, Thomas E. Dewey.
Among the many rackets that Dewey did investigate and prosecute was an effort to organize truckers and get a stranglehold on the produce markets of New York City. This film is taken from some very true and recent headlines back in the day.
Warner Brothers loved Mr. Dewey and his prosecutorial exploits. A few years earlier Humphrey Bogart, the chief villain in this film, played a Dewey like prosecutor himself in Marked Woman which is based in part on how Dewey convicted Lucky Luciano via his stranglehold on houses of prostitution.
The hero in Racketbusters is George Brent, stepping into a role that James Cagney probably turned down. He's a truckdriver who resists organization either by an honest union or the racketeers. And he's got ideas from the street about the social standing of stool pigeons.
When things happen to his wife Gloria Dickson and his friend Oscar O'Shea, Brent himself becomes as big a racketbuster as Walter Abel.
Allen Jenkins is a surprise here. Usually a mug whether a good guy or a bad guy, Jenkins steps up to the plate here as a man who went from the truckdriving game to the produce business. He understands the point of view of both sides and urges them to settle and kick out Bogart and his henchmen. Good job by Jenkins.
No doubt in 1938 who this film was all about.