''Ma Barker's Killer Brood'' is a 1960 American

neo noir Neo-noir is a film genre that adapts the visual style and themes of 1940s and 1950s American film noir for contemporary audiences, often with more graphic depictions of violence and sexuality. During the late 1970s and the early 1980s, the term ...

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

, released in 1960. The

low-budget film A low-budget film or low-budget movie is a film, motion picture shot with little to no funding from a major film studios, major film studio or private investor. Many independent films are made on low budgets, but films made on the mainstream ci ...

was directed by Bill Karn and starred

Lurene Tuttle Lurene Tuttle (August 29, 1907 – May 28, 1986) was an American actress and acting coach, who made the transition from vaudeville to radio, and later to films and television. Her most enduring impact was as one of network radio's more versatil ...

as the title character,

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 ...

. The film is a highly fictionalized account of the life of Ma Barker and her four sons, whose Barker-Karpis gang terrorized the South and Midwest in the 1930s with a string of kidnappings, robberies, and murders. The gang members are also depicted working with other well-known criminals of the era, including

John Dillinger John Herbert Dillinger (; June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He commanded the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing twenty-four banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprison ...

( Eric Sinclair), and

Baby Face Nelson Lester Joseph Gillis (December 6, 1908 – November 27, 1934), also known as George Nelson and Baby Face Nelson, was an American bank robber who became a criminal partner of John Dillinger when he helped Dillinger escape from prison in Crown P ...

( Robert Kendall).

Plot

To the horror of her husband, Kate Barker, known as "Ma," teaches her four young sons to steal money from the collection plate in church. Her husband tries to convince her to stop using her sons to commit crimes, but is ignored. Ma expresses her contempt for "sissies" and says that "guts" is the only virtue. Her husband leaves her when their sensitive son Herman is arrested after Ma forces him to rob a fun fair. After this, the local sheriff runs Ma Barker and her boys out of town. Years later, she has become a hardened criminal along with her sons. She is known in the underworld for her ruthlessness and efficiency in planning "jobs." At a party she hosts for leading criminals Machine Gun Kelly, encouraged by his brash girlfriend Lou, claims he can work without her. Ma is dismissive. After Kelly's independent attempt at a kidnapping fails, Ma belittles Lou. Lou plans revenge. Meanwhile psychopathic killer

Alvin Karpis Alvin Francis Karpis (born Albin Francis Karpavičius; August 10, 1907 – August 26, 1979) was a Canadian–American criminal of Lithuanian descent known for being a leader of the Barker–Karpis Gang in the 1930s. Nicknamed "Creepy" for his ...

is introduced to the gang. Ma uses him to get rid of weaklings and threats. Ma's drunken new husband Arthur Dunlop is murdered when he blabs about their activities, as is corrupt mob-doctor, Dr. Guelffe. After a failed robbery Herman shoots himself to avoid capture by the police. Ma is embittered, but plans a major kidnapping that will make the gang rich. She kidnaps wealthy banker, Mr. Khortney. Lou and Kelly discover Ma's hideout and plan to take the kidnap victim from her by force, to collect the ransom themselves, but they are outmaneuvered when Ma reveals she has

and

with her. The kidnap money is collected, but now the FBI are after the gang. Knowing that Ma's son Doc Barker is attracted to her, Lou seduces him in order to bring him over to her side, but her plan is foiled when the FBI arrest him. They discover a letter that reveals Ma's whereabouts. At a house with her son Fred, she is surrounded by four agents. Fred wants to surrender, but she refuses, and guns down two agents with a Tommy gun. The other agents open fire, killing Fred. Ma strides out with a blazing gun, and is cut down.

Cast

(Katherine Clark 'Ma' Barker) * Tristram Coffin (Arthur Dunlop) *

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. Biography Among Dubov's radio credits include the 05/02/1953 ...

(

) *

Nelson Leigh Nelson Leigh (born Sydney Talbot Christie; January 1, 1905 – July 3, 1985) was an American motion picture actor of the 1940s and 1950s. Early years Born in Mississippi, Leigh was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Christie. He was a graduate ...

(George Barker) *

Myrna Dell Myrna Dell (born Marilyn Adele Dunlap; March 5, 1924 – February 11, 2011) was an American actress, model, and writer who appeared in numerous motion pictures and television programs over four decades. A Hollywood glamour girl in the early par ...

(Lou, Kelly's Girl) *

Victor Lundin Victor Lundin (December 8, 1929 – July 2, 2013) was an American character actor who is best remembered as appearing in the 1964 science fiction film '' Robinson Crusoe on Mars'' as the character Friday and for having later portrayed the first Kl ...

( Machine Gun Kelly) *

Don Grady Don Grady (born Don Louis Agrati; June 8, 1944 – June 27, 2012) was an American actor and musician. He was best known as one of the Mouseketeers on the Mickey Mouse Club, and as Robbie Douglas on the long-running ABCCBS television series ...

(Herman as a Boy) *Gary Ammann (Doc as a Boy) *Donald Towers (Lloyd as a Boy) *Michael Smith (Fred as a Boy) *Don Spruance (Herman Barker) * Ron Foster ( Doc Barker) aka (Austin Bennett) *Roye Baker (Lloyd Barker) * Eric Morris (

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 ...

) *

Byron Foulger Byron Kay Foulger (August 27, 1898 – April 4, 1970) was an American character actor who over a 50-year career performed in hundreds of stage, film, and television productions. Early years Born in Ogden, Utah, Byron was the second of four ...

(Dr. Guelffe) *Eric Sinclair (

) *Robert Kendall (

) *Irene Windust (Mrs. Khortney) *John McNamara (Mr. Khortney) *

Dan Riss Frederic Daniel Riss (March 22, 1910 – August 28, 1970) was an American actor who had a career from 1949 to 1965. Filmography References External links * 1910 births 1970 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male f ...

(Baxter) *

Rex Holman Rexford George Holman (born 1935) is an American film and television actor and musician. Holman was born in Oklahoma. He began his screen career in 1959, appearing in the anthology television series '' The Millionaire''. In 1960, he made his f ...

(Lloyd)

Production notes

The character of "Dr. Guelffe" is based on Joseph P. Moran; the wealthy banker character, "Mr. Khortney," is based on

Edward Bremer The 1934 kidnapping of Edward Bremer was the last major criminal enterprise of the Barker-Karpis gang. Though successful in netting the gang a large ransom, it brought down the full force of the FBI on the gang, resulting in the death or capture ...

External links

* * {{Internet Archive film, id=Ma_Barkers_Killer_Brood, name=Ma Barker's Killer Brood 1960 films 1960 crime films American crime films 1960s English-language films Films set in the 1930s Films about Ma Barker Cultural depictions of John Dillinger Cultural depictions of Machine Gun Kelly Cultural depictions of Baby Face Nelson 1960s American films English-language crime films

Plot

Cast

Production notes

See also

External links