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Bullets or Ballots

Bullets or Ballots

1936
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 22m
After Police Captain Dan McLaren becomes police commissioner former detective Johnny Blake knocks him down convincing rackets boss Al Kruger that Blake is sincere in his effort to join the mob. "Buggs" Fenner thinks Blake is a police agent. (imdb)
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Bullets or Ballots

1936
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 22m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 48.74% from 74 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(74)
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Rated 24 Oct 2013
80
86th
Solid crime picture sees Robinson as an undercover cop bringing down racketeers. It's interesting to see how the formula had to rejiggered for the Production Code age, and there are so many great Warner Brothers stars here playing to the hilt that it's hard not to enjoy. Bonus points for making the real villains not racketeers, but the white collar bankers who support them. Too few movies take that tack.
Rated 26 Oct 2009
36
19th
Really dull crime drama. It came a bit of surprise seeing that Bogart and Robinson have the lead roles. Both of their characters are completely humorless, as the film itself.
Rated 26 Jun 2013
60
89th
Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson in the same gangster drama! Bogart is a cold killer in with Barton MacLane's gang and Robinson is sent in as an undercover cop to break down the pack of criminals! It's an all serious and very pro-cop gangster film right in line with the Hays Code demands. The movie lacks a little in the suspense department for such a dark and dangerous thriller and could have used better comedy portions to lighten things up a little.
Rated 18 Apr 2017
70
53rd
A rather dark programmer where Robinson gets to have his cake and eat it too: an undercover cop destroying the Mob from the inside like a Trojan Horse, using only his mug and a cigar, see. I'm a sucker for Joan Blondell, but where this really shines is lifting the veil on the real racketeers: the big bankers bankrolling blackmail! Ballsy.
Rated 17 Feb 2018
39
36th
New Deal-era politics cannot save an exciting plot turned into a dull script. Great value as a window into 1930s big-city life, though.
Rated 08 Mar 2018
1
6th
Hero cop saves local businesses from the Great American Menace of racketeering. Per William Hays, it glosses over municipal and capitalist corruptions in favor of depicting Ed Robinson roughing up a bunch of hoods. Moralist and boring.
Rated 26 May 2021
60
51st
Subpar Edward G. Robinson gangster film that never really gets going. Humphrey Bogart steals every scene he's in as the sadistic killer out for Robinson's head.
Rated 04 Mar 2023
68
45th
Need more Joan much much more

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