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Bullets or Ballots

  • 19361936
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 22m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Bullets or Ballots (1936)
Trailer for this black and white gumshoe classic
Play trailer3:00
1 Video
72 Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Film-Noir

When a crusader against rackets is murdered, a grand jury battles the rackets by promoting McLaren to be in charge of the cleanup. He fires NYPD Detective Blake, who punches him and joins th... Read allWhen a crusader against rackets is murdered, a grand jury battles the rackets by promoting McLaren to be in charge of the cleanup. He fires NYPD Detective Blake, who punches him and joins the racket.When a crusader against rackets is murdered, a grand jury battles the rackets by promoting McLaren to be in charge of the cleanup. He fires NYPD Detective Blake, who punches him and joins the racket.

IMDb RATING
7.0/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • William Keighley
  • Writers
    • Seton I. Miller(screen play)
    • Martin Mooney(story)
  • Stars
    • Edward G. Robinson
    • Joan Blondell
    • Barton MacLane
Top credits
  • Director
    • William Keighley
  • Writers
    • Seton I. Miller(screen play)
    • Martin Mooney(story)
  • Stars
    • Edward G. Robinson
    • Joan Blondell
    • Barton MacLane
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 35User reviews
    • 15Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Bullets or Ballots
    Trailer 3:00
    Bullets or Ballots

    Photos72

    Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson in Bullets or Ballots (1936)
    Edward G. Robinson and Joan Blondell in Bullets or Ballots (1936)
    Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Joan Blondell, Barton MacLane, and George E. Stone in Bullets or Ballots (1936)
    Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, Barton MacLane, and George E. Stone in Bullets or Ballots (1936)
    Edward G. Robinson in Bullets or Ballots (1936)
    Edward G. Robinson in Bullets or Ballots (1936)
    Edward G. Robinson and Joe King in Bullets or Ballots (1936)
    Edward G. Robinson in Bullets or Ballots (1936)
    Tom Brower, Wallace Gregory, and Joe King in Bullets or Ballots (1936)
    Joan Blondell in Bullets or Ballots (1936)
    Edward G. Robinson and Joan Blondell in Bullets or Ballots (1936)
    Humphrey Bogart in Bullets or Ballots (1936)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Edward G. Robinson
    Edward G. Robinson
    • Johnny Blakeas Johnny Blake
    Joan Blondell
    Joan Blondell
    • Lee Morganas Lee Morgan
    Barton MacLane
    Barton MacLane
    • Al Krugeras Al Kruger
    Humphrey Bogart
    Humphrey Bogart
    • 'Bugs' Fenneras 'Bugs' Fenner
    Frank McHugh
    Frank McHugh
    • Hermanas Herman
    Joe King
    Joe King
    • Capt. Dan McLarenas Capt. Dan McLaren
    • (as Joseph King)
    Dick Purcell
    Dick Purcell
    • Ed Driscollas Ed Driscoll
    • (as Richard Purcell)
    George E. Stone
    George E. Stone
    • Wires Kagelas Wires Kagel
    Joseph Crehan
    Joseph Crehan
    • Grand Jury Spokesmanas Grand Jury Spokesman
    Henry O'Neill
    Henry O'Neill
    • Ward Bryantas Ward Bryant
    Henry Kolker
    Henry Kolker
    • Mr. Hollisteras Mr. Hollister
    Gilbert Emery
    Gilbert Emery
    • Mr. Thorndykeas Mr. Thorndyke
    Herbert Rawlinson
    Herbert Rawlinson
    • Mr. Caldwellas Mr. Caldwell
    Louise Beavers
    Louise Beavers
    • Nellie LaFleuras Nellie LaFleur
    Norman Willis
    Norman Willis
    • Louie Vincias Louie Vinci
    Harry Adams
    • Clerkas Clerk
    • (uncredited)
    Russell Beach
    • Prizefighteras Prizefighter
    • (uncredited)
    Wilda Bennett
    • Grand Jury Womanas Grand Jury Woman
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • William Keighley
    • Writers
      • Seton I. Miller(screen play) (story)
      • Martin Mooney(story)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    After police captain, McLaren becomes commissioner, former detective Johnny Blake knocks him down convincing rackets boss Al Kruger that Blake's sincere in his effort to join the mob. "Buggs" Fenner thinks Blake is a police agent. —Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
    • new york city
    • manhattan new york city
    • greed
    • no music
    • police officer
    • 83 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • WHO Rules The Rackets ? This picture puts the finger on the political higher-ups!
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • Film-Noir
      • Thriller
    • Certificate
      • Passed
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In the film, it is suggested that Joan Blondell's character got the idea of the numbers racket from her assistant, "Nellie". In reality, the numbers racket was pioneered by black gambling racketeers in Harlem. The "Nellie" character was based on Stephanie "Madame Queen" St. Clair (Nellie scoffs at being called "Madam Nellie"). As in the film, the numbers racket was eventually taken over by Dutch Schultz and 'Lucky Luciano' (the Humphrey Bogart and Barton MacLane characters, respectively).
    • Goofs
      Early in the film while Johnny Blake (Robinson) is sitting at a table with Joan Blondell talking, one of the old "mugs" he'd sent to Sing Sing prison walks over to him and smarts off. Without standing, he kicks the mug in the leg and punches him to the floor. While leaning over and chastising the unconscious mug, you can see that Blake's (Robinson) hair has moved forward on the right side and is messed up. In the next shot, when he leans back up to the table to talk to Joan Blondell, his hair is perfectly neat and combed.
    • Quotes

      Lee Morgan: You're gonna take it away from Blake?

      'Bugs' Fenner: Yeah.

      Lee Morgan: Go ahead and take it.

      [Bugs moves in for a long kiss and gets slapped by Lee]

      Lee Morgan: The numbers game.

    • Connections
      Featured in Breakdowns of 1936 (1936)
    • Soundtracks
      The Lady in Red
      (1935) (uncredited)

      Music by Allie Wrubel

      Whistled by Edward G. Robinson

    User reviews35

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    BULLETS OR BALLOTS (William Keighley, 1936) ***
    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).
    helpful•16
    3
    • Bunuel1976
    • Apr 14, 2008

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 6, 1936 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Wem gehört die Stadt?
    • Filming locations
      • Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • First National Pictures
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $8,605
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 22 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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