Public Enemies (1996)

Glorified and glamourized fact-based tale of Ma Barker and her boys who robbed banks and generally terrorized the Midwest in the 1930's and was eventually gunned down by g-man, Melvin ... See full summary »

Director:

Mark L. Lester

Writer:

C. Courtney Joyner

Stars:

Leah Best, Chip Heller, Theresa Russell

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Leah Best	...	Young Kate Clarke
Chip Heller	...	Mr. Clarke
Theresa Russell	...	Kate 'Ma' Barker
Richard Eden	...	George Barker
Tom Ward	...	Paymaster
Brent O'Plotnik	...	Herman Barker at 11 years
Trevor Meeks	...	Lloyd Barker at 10 years
Joseph Granda	...	Herman Barker (as Joseph Lindsey)
Joe Dain	...	Lloyd Barker (as Joseph Dain)
James Marsden	...	Doc Barker
Gavin Harrison	...	Freddie Barker
Terry D. Seago	...	Tall Sheriff
Brian Peck	...	J. Edgar Hoover
Dan Cortese	...	Melvin Purvis
Grant Cramer	...	Sam Cowley

Storyline

Glorified and glamourized fact-based tale of Ma Barker and her boys who robbed banks and generally terrorized the Midwest in the 1930's and was eventually gunned down by g-man, Melvin Purvis.

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Plot Keywords:

1930s | bank | blood splatter | breasts | police shootout | 

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Taglines:

No one could stop them.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, some sex scenes, drug use and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 April 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Public Enemy No. 1

Filming Locations:

Guthrie, Oklahoma, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

American World Pictures (AWP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kathy Bates was originally cast in Theresa Russell's role.

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Goofs

The final shootout between Ma Barker and Melvin Purvis is captioned to have occurred in Lake "Wier" when in fact the location is near Lake Weir.

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Quotes

Kate "Ma" Barker: You said, "Dead by Christmas." Is that the kind of chance you're talking about?
Melvin Purvis: You can't believe everything you read in the papers. I'm the F.B.I., not a bounty hunter.
Herman Barker: No difference.

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Alternate Versions

In the suicide scene, it was originally written that Herman Barker's whole head would explode, but director, Mark L. Lester, decided it was too gory for just one scene, and changed it to the back of his neck exploding instead.

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Connections

Edited from The Untouchables (1987)

User Reviews

Pretty lame

By the time this movie came out in 1996, director Mark Lester had been making tight, sharp little B action pictures for more than 20 years. He was responsible for the great "Truck Stop Women" from the '70s and several other little gems; unfortunately, he's also responsible for this dud. It's a shame to see the talented--and still smoking hot--Theresa Russell wasted yet again, but she's still the best actor in this picture. Eric Roberts shows up for a while, does his Eric Roberts thing, then goes away, a not altogether unwelcome occurrence in a picture with Eric Roberts in it. Frank Stallone actually isn't bad, which should give you an idea of how truly pathetic this picture is. As has been mentioned by other reviewers, the action scenes--which is the reason a picture like this gets made in the first place--are almost completely illogical and unrealistic, in addition to being somewhat inept. Other than some "vintage" clothes and a few old cars, there's no feel whatever for the 1930s, the era in which this film is set. A by-the-numbers script with irritating lapses in logic and little historical accuracy--this isn't a documentary, of course, but the filmmakers could have at least TRIED for a little authenticity--and performances that range from grade B to grade school relegate this cheap little quickie to the 4:00 a.m. Sunday slot on HBO, which is just where I saw it.