''Guns Don't Argue'' is a 1957 low-budget feature film about the early achievements of the FBI in defeating the most notorious criminals of the 1930s. The film involves dramatizations of the crimes and eventual demise of various gangsters, along with a moralistic narrative. It was edited together from a composite of three episodes from the 1952 TV series ''

Gangbusters ''Gang Busters'' is an American dramatic radio program heralded as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories." It premiered on January 15, 1936, and was broadcast over 21 years through November 27, 1957. Histo ...

''.

Production

The film was released to theatres in 1957 as a feature produced by

William Faris William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

, directed by

Bill Karn Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

& Richard Kahn. A similar film, ''

Gang Busters ''Gang Busters'' is an American dramatic radio program heralded as "the only national program that brings you authentic police case histories." It premiered on January 15, 1936, and was broadcast over 21 years through November 27, 1957. Histo ...

'' (1954), was also originally based on the dramatic

radio program A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode. Radio networ ...

first titled ''G-Men'', which premiered on July 20, 1935. The title was changed to ''

'' on January 15, 1936.

Plot

The film takes the form of a

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television and film, which features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of documentary and drama and "a fact-based representation of real event". Docudramas typic ...

in which actors who are cast as FBI Special Agents speak to camera about the war on gangsters in the mid-1920s through the late-1930s. Using contacts with

gun moll A gun moll or gangster moll or gangster's moll is the female companion of a male professional criminal. "Gun" was British slang for thief, derived from Yiddish ''ganef'', from the Hebrew ''gannāb'' ( גנב). "Moll" is also used as a euphemism for ...

s, agents track down criminals. The film dramatizes the crime careers, and final capture or deaths of

John Dillinger John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprisoned several times and ...

, the Barker Gang (

Ma Barker Kate Barker (born Arizona Donnie Clark; October 8, 1873 – January 16, 1935), better known as Ma Barker (and sometimes known as Arizona Barker and Arrie Barker), was the mother of several American criminals who ran the Barker–Karpis Gang ...

Fred Barker Frederick George Barker (December 12, 1901 – January 16, 1935) was an American criminal who, along with Alvin Karpis, co-founded the Barker-Karpis gang, which committed numerous robberies, murders and kidnappings during the 1930s. Barker was ...

Arthur Barker Arthur R. "Doc" Barker (June 4, 1899 – January 13, 1939) was an American criminal, the son of Ma Barker and a member of the Barker-Karpis gang, founded by his brother Fred Barker and Alvin Karpis. Barker was typically called on for violent ac ...

Alvin Karpis Alvin Francis Karpis (born Albin Francis Karpavičius; August 10, 1907 – August 26, 1979), a Depression-era gangster nicknamed "Creepy" for his sinister smile and called "Ray" by his gang members, was a Canadian-born (naturalized American) crim ...

Bonnie and Clyde Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut (Champion) Barrow (March 24, 1909May 23, 1934) were an American criminal couple who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. The co ...

Homer Van Meter Homer Virgil Van Meter (December 3, 1905 – August 23, 1934) was an American criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson. Biography Early life Van ...

Doc Barker Arthur R. "Doc" Barker (June 4, 1899 – January 13, 1939) was an American criminal, the son of Ma Barker and a member of the Barker-Karpis gang, founded by his brother Fred Barker and Alvin Karpis. Barker was typically called on for violent ac ...

and Pretty-Boy Floyd. The "docudrama" does not portray events, many situations, or the FBI Special Agents accurately. For instance, the name of the FBI Special Agent who was killed in the Kansas City Massacre on June 17, 1933 was Raymond J. Caffrey, and it was not his first day with the FBI. Names of all FBI Special Agents who have been killed in the line of duty may be found on the FBI Hall of Honor.

Portrayal of events

The film is a revisionist docudrama, portraying the war on gangsters in the mid-1920s through the late-1930s from a pro-FBI point of view. Most notable is the portrayal of the deaths of

and

. The scenes show each firing off the first shot, and having ample time to "give themselves up", when in fact they were gunned down in an ambush by the police and Federal agents. The movie is greatly admired by

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...

, who has said, "It's an amazing film. It's to be studied, because it shows you how to make a film on a low budget".

CastIMDB
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* Jim Davis as Texas Ranger Captain Stewart/Narrator *

Lyle Talbot Lyle Florenz Talbot (born Lisle Henderson, also credited Lysle Talbot; February 8, 1902 – March 2, 1996) was an American stage, screen and television actor. His career in films spanned three decades, from 1931 to 1960, and he performed on ...

as Dr. William Guellfe, plastic surgeon *

Lash LaRue Alfred "Lash" LaRue (June 15, 1917 – May 21, 1996) was a popular western motion picture star of the 1940s and 1950s. Biography Early life and education Born Alfred LaRue in Gretna, Louisiana in 1917, he was reared in various towns th ...

as 'Doc' Barker * Richard Crane as Homer Van Meter *

Myron Healey Myron Daniel Healey (June 8, 1923 – December 21, 2005) was an American actor. He began his career in Hollywood, California during the early 1940s and eventually made hundreds of appearances in movies and on television during a career spa ...

as John Dillinger * Ann Morriss as Mildred Jaunce, The Lady in Red *

Sam Edwards Sam George Edwards (May 26, 1915 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor. His most famous role on television was as banker Bill Anderson on ''Little House on the Prairie''.D.S.S. Form 1 Military Draft Registration Card completed on October 16, ...

as Fred Barker *

Paul Dubov Paul Dubov (October 10, 1918 – September 20, 1979) was an American radio, film and television actor as well as screenwriter. He frequently appeared in the works of Sam Fuller. Among Dubov's radio credits include the 05/02/1953 episode of Gunsm ...

as Alvin Karpis *

Baynes Barron Bernard Miller (May 29, 1917 – July 21, 1982) was an American film and television actor. Born in New York. Barron began his career in 1946, first appearing in the film '' The Secret of the Whistler''. He then made his television debut in 1951 ...

as Clyde Barrow * Tamar Cooper as Bonnie Parker * Regina Gleason as Hope * Knobby Schaeffer as Adam Richetti *

Jeanne Carmen Jeanne Laverne Carmen (August 4, 1930 – December 20, 2007) was an American model, actress and trick-shot golfer. Early life and career Carmen was born in Paragould, Arkansas. As a child, she picked cotton before running away from home at ...

as Paula *

Aline Towne Fern Aline Waller (née Eggen, 7 November 1919 – 2 February 1996), known as Aline Towne, was an American film and television actress, best remembered for her lead roles in 1950s Republic serials, such as ''Radar Men from the Moon''. Bio ...

as Shirley, girl with Karpis * Doug Wilson as 'Pretty Boy' Floyd * Robert Kendall as Baby Face Nelson * Jean Harvey as 'Ma' Barker *

Ralph Moody Ralph Moody (September 10, 1917 – June 9, 2004) was an American stock car racer. He eventually became a team co-owner of Holman Moody. Background He built his first Model T Ford race car in 1935, and ran it on nights and weekends. He served ...

as Arthur 'Pa' Barker *

Coulter Irwin Coulter may refer to: People * Coulter (surname) * Coulter Osborne (born 1934), Canadian arbitrator and former Associate Chief Justice of Ontario Places * Coulter, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, a village and civil parish * Coulter, Iowa, United ...

as FBI Agent Ross Baxter *

Jeanne Bates Jeanne Bates (May 21, 1918 – November 28, 2007) was a retired American radio, film and television actress. After performing in radio serials, she signed a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1942 which began her career in films both in bi ...

as Mrs. Ross Baxter * Sydney Mason as Lieutenant Bill Baxter * Bill Baldwin Sr as Special Agent Fenton/Narrator * Captain Frank Hamer as Texas Ranger *

Sam Flint Sam Flint (born Samuel A. Ethridge; October 19, 1882 – October 17, 1980) was an American actor. Flint appeared in more than 230 films, often as a "judge, lawyer, military officer, senator, sheriff, chief of police, or doctor." Flint was ...

as FBI Chief *

Florence Lake Florence Lake (born Florence Silverlake, November 27, 1904 – April 11, 1980) was an American actress best known as the leading lady in most of the Edgar Kennedy comedy shorts. Early life Lake was born in Charleston, South Carolina. In t ...

as Bessie, the landlady * Russ Whitney as Verne Miller * Helen Van Tuyl as Texas Lady Governor *

Hank Patterson Elmer Calvin "Hank" Patterson (October 9, 1888 – August 23, 1975) was an American actor and musician. He is known foremost for playing two recurring characters on three television series: the stableman Hank Miller on ''Gunsmoke'' and farmer ...

as Scully Wass (Farmer) *

Robert Bice Robert Bice (March 14, 1914 – January 8, 1968), was an American television and film actor. Biography He was born on March 14, 1914, in Dallas, Texas. He died on January 8, 1968, in Los Angeles, California. Career Bice appeared in 199 films an ...

as FBI Agent Tyler *

Percy Helton Percy Alfred Helton (January 31, 1894 – September 11, 1971) was an American stage, film, and television actor. He was one of the most familiar faces and voices in Hollywood of the 1950s. Career A Manhattan native, Helton began acting ...

as pool room proprietor * Scott Douglas as FBI Agent Clifton *

William Boyett William Boyett (January 3, 1927 – December 29, 2004) was an American actor best known for his roles in law enforcement dramas on television from the 1950s through the 1990s. Early years Boyett was born in Akron, Ohio, and lived there until th ...

as FBI Agent on pier *

Ray Boyle Raymond Cornelius Boyle (June 28, 1923 – January 6, 2022), also known as Ray Boyle and Dirk London, was an American film and television actor. He was perhaps best known for playing Morgan Earp in the American western television series ''The Li ...

as Raymond Hamilton * Texas Joe Foster as Tony Milento * Joseph J. Greene as Arthur Troser * Darlene Fields as Connie, Dillinger's girl * Dick Foote as prison trusty *

Billy Griffith Stewart Cathie Griffith, (16 June 1914 – 7 April 1993), known as Billy Griffith, was an English cricketer and cricket administrator. He played in three Test matches for England in 1948 and 1949. He played first-class cricket for Cambridge ...

as Bucher * Robert Vanselow as John Hamilton * Glenn Holden as Dillinger's jail guard * Harold 'Tommy' Hart as garage man *

Smoki Whitfield Smoki Whitfield (born Robert Whitfield, and sometimes credited as Jordan Whitfield) was an African American actor, comedian, and musician. Biography Smoki was born in Pittsburgh to John Whitfield and Effie Walker. He attended the University of ...

as the bootblack

References

{{reflist

External links

IMDBJeanne Carmen images from the film
1957 films Biographical films about Depression-era gangsters Biographical films about John Dillinger Biographical films about Bonnie and Clyde Biographical films about Ma Barker Cultural depictions of Pretty Boy Floyd Cultural depictions of Baby Face Nelson American black-and-white films 1957 crime films Films edited from television programs Films scored by Paul Dunlap Films directed by Richard C. Kahn Films about the Federal Bureau of Investigation 1950s English-language films 1950s American films