Bullets or Ballots

Overview

Two-fisted New York police detective Edward G. Robinson is so volatile that he manages to get himself thrown off the force in disgrace. The local gangsters are delighted, in that Robinson had been breathing down their necks. When Robinson goes to crime boss Barton MacLaine insisting that he's through with law enforcement and wants to switch to the other side, MacLaine's chief henchmen Humphrey Bogart doesn't buy the story, but has to go along since he doesn't want to incur the wrath of MacLaine. Robinson offers to show his former enemies how to circumvent the law, making him an invaluable participant in gang activities. Actually, Robinson hasn't gone crooked at all; he's operating undercover, with the full knowledge of the city police inspector, in hopes of locating the "big boys" who've been financing the mob. His diligence costs him his life, but Robinson, with the help of bad-girl-gone-good Joan Blondell, busts the rackets wide open. Former crime reporter Martin Mooney was responsible for the story upon which Bullets or Ballots was based.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/26/2020
UPC:	0883929712854
Original Release:	1936
Source:	Warner Archives
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital Stereo]
Language:	English
Time:	1:22:00
Sales rank:	29,866

Special Features

Commentary by Historian Dana Polan; Warner Night at the Movies 1936 short subjects gallery: Vintage Newsreel; Musical short George Hall and His Orchestra, Classic Cartoon I'm a Big Shot Now, Theatrical Trailers; Featurette Gangster: The Immigrant's Hero; How I Play Golf by Bobby Jones No. 10: Trouble Shots; Breakdowns of 1936: Studio Blooper Reel; Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Show with Robinson, Bogart and Mary Astor

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Edward G. Robinson	Johnny Blake
Joan Blondell	Lee Morgan
Barton MacLane	Al Kruger
Humphrey Bogart	'Bugs' Fenner
Frank McHugh	Herman
Joseph King	Capt. Dan McLaren
Dick Purcell	Ed Driscoll
George E. Stone	Wires
Louise Beavers	Nellie LaFleur
Joseph Crehan	Grand Jury Spokesman
Henry O'Neill	Bryant
Gilbert Emery	Thorndyke
Henry Kolker	Hollister
Herbert Rawlinson	Caldwell
Rosalind Marquis	Specialty
Norman Willis	Vinci
Frank Faylen	Gatley
Alice Lyndon	Old Lady
Victoria Vinton	Ticket Seller
Harry Watson	Kid
Jerry Madden	Kid
Al Hill	Man
Dutch Schlickenmeyer	Man
Jack Gardner	Man
Herman Marks	Man
Saul Gorss	Man
George Lloyd	Man,Beauty Attendant #1
Benny the Gouge	Man
Raymond Brown	Proprietor
Eddie Shubert	Truck Driver
Max Wagner	Actor Impersonating Kruger
Edwin Stanley	Judge
Milton Kibbee	Jury Foreman,Jury foreman
William Pawley	Crail
Jack Goodrich	Cigar Clerk
Ralph Remley	Kelly,Kelly
Carlyle Moore Jr.	Kruger's Secretary
Virginia Dabney	Mary
Anne Nagel	Bank Secretary
Bill Elliott	Bank Worker
Frank Bruno	Proprietor
Wallace Gregory	Lambert
Addison Richards	Announcer
Heinz Roemheld	Composer

Technical Credits

Seton Miller

Louis F. Edelman	Producer
Fred Jackman	Special Effects
William Keighley	Director
Warren Lynch	Special Effects
Seton Miller	Screenwriter
Louis Edelman	Producer
Oliver Garretson	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

A good little "crime does not pay" thriller, Bullets or Ballots is noteworthy for the first pairing of Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart. It's a humdinger of a flick, with one of those twisty-turny plots that's a bit outlandish but a lot of fun. Indeed, if you think too hard about the set-up, you can find plenty of holes in it. But director William Keighley has absolutely no intention of letting your thoughts wander that close to the credibility area. Keighley is no visionary, no font of inspiration; but he's a director who knows how to tell a story, how to land a dramatic moment, how to set up a laugh. If he's focused more on craft than on art, he still knows how to deliver the goods and does so here. Seton Miller and Martin E. Mooney's screenplay has punch and plenty of that tough guy banter than fans long for; they also provide a newreel opening that gets things in gear in an effective way. And, of course, there's Robinson and Bogart. "Bogey" is still a relative kid, not a star yet, and so his part is distinctly the inferior; as a matter of fact, crime boss Barton MacLane's part is larger. But Bogart, though a bit raw, already has that cold intensity that would serve him so well in later roles. Robinson clearly is having a blast in his role, latching onto every moment presented to him and giving it his all. And MacLane makes a wonderful underworld figure, making it clear that he knows he operates in a kill-or-be-killed world and accepts it for what it is.