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Bullets or Ballots Overview:

Bullets or Ballots (1936) was a Crime - Drama Film directed by William Keighley and produced by Hal B. Wallis, Jack L. Warner and Louis F. Edelman.

SYNOPSIS

A Robinson-Bogart tough-guy yarn. A Bronx cop goes undercover so he can tip off the police to the mob's illicit activities. Bigwig businessmen and slimy politicos are in it up to their necks and they take a fall, too. Based on a true story.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Bullets or Ballots BlogHub Articles:

Lux Radio Theater – Bullets or Ballots – 1939

By Bogart Fan on Sep 19, 2013 From The Bogie Film Blog

My Review —Great for Robinson Fans—  Producer:  Cecil B. DeMille  Honorary Bogie Fix:  out of 5 Radio Bogies! The Lowdown A cop (Edward G. Robinson) goes undercover to bust up the organization of a big time racketeer (Otto Kruger).  All the while, he has to keep his numbers running ... Read full article

Bullets or Ballots (1936) (2)

By Beatrice on Aug 4, 2013 From Flickers in Time

Bullets or Ballots Directed by William Keighley Written by Seton I. Miller based on a story by Martin Mooney and Seton I. Miller 1936/USA Warner Bros. First viewing Johnny Blake: I didn’t try and take it over, I took it over. I am basically enjoying the hell out of 1936.  This Warner Bros.... Read full article

Bullets or Ballots – 1936

By Bogart Fan on Jun 12, 2013 From The Bogie Film Blog

My Rating —Good Gangster Fun—  Your Bogie Fix:  out of 5 Bogies! Director:  William Keighley The Lowdown A cop (Edward G. Robinson) goes undercover to bust up the organization of a big time racketeer (Barton MacClane). What I Thought After the Legion of Decency and the Production Code... Read full article

Bullets or Ballots (1936) (1)

By Lindsey on Jul 18, 2012 From The Motion Pictures

(Image via museum.walterfilm.com) *The synopsis portion of this review contains spoilers for Bullets or Ballots. Scroll ahead if you don’t want to be spoiled! Anti-crime crusader Ward Bryant (Henry O’Neill) has died. Heading up the murder investigation is Captain Dan McLaren (Joe King), ... Read full article

What do “Bullets or Ballots” and “Footlight Parade” Have in Common?

By Angela on Jun 12, 2012 From Hollywood Revue

1.  Both movies were made at Warner Brothers. 2.  Joan Blondell stars in both movies. 3.  Bullets or Ballots was directed by William Keighley, who is credited as being a dialogue director for Footlight Parade. William Keighley with Bette Davis and James Cagney. 4.  A few costumes.  If you loo... Read full article

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Bullets or Ballots Quotes:

Lee Morgan: If Mike catches you back there, he'll crown you.
Herman: Yeah, but he isn't here.
Al Kruger: You've got him wrong, Nick.
'Bugs' Fenner: Yeah, well, he's still a cop to me.
Al Kruger: Well, if it makes you happy, you keep right on thinking so.
Johnny Blake: You like me pretty well. Well, that goes both ways.
Johnny Blake: What are you afraid of?
Louie Vinci: I don't like the way your face is fastened on.
Johnny Blake: I'll be down tomorrow morning and give you a chance to change it.
Al Kruger: Why, I've heard guys that you've sent to prison say that if you ever made a deal, you'd see yourself dead before you'd go back on it.
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Bullets or Ballots Facts
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).
"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie onApril 17, 1939 with Edward G. Robinson reprising his film role.
"Bullets or Ballots" was so successful at the box office that it gave Edward G. Robinson the clout to negotiate a new contract with Warner Bros., which gave him rights of story and script approval and allowed him to make one movie per year for another studio.
This film was made as part of Warner Bros.' response to the Production Code Administration and the Legion of Decency, which had condemned the studio's previous gangster movies with Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney as glorifying the criminal life. In response, Warners had both actors make crime movies with their characters on the right side of the law, with Cagney playing an FBI agent in "G-Men" and Robinson playing an undercover cop here.
Johnny Blake, played by Edward G. Robinson, was based on real-life policeman Johnny Broderick, while Al Kruger, played by Barton MacLane, was based on notorious gangster Dutch Schultz.
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