Develiker terrible... so disappointed.

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

ScoobyWell Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

MartinHafer "Ma Barker's Killer Brood" is a bad film. Most of the exploits of Ma Barker and her boys in this film are complete fiction. The gang did not have parties attended by all the most-wanted criminals (Dillinger, Machine Gun Kelly and many others). Additionally, the writing and characterizations were far from subtle. Yet, despite being a bad film, it has a certain kitschy quality that makes it fun viewing. I am pretty sure that Lurene Tuttle had a grand time acting as the leading lady!! In many ways, I think this film was an inspiration to John Waters, as you see a lot of Divine in this film. Don't believe me? Try watching "Pink Flamingos" and "Female Trouble" and you'll see what I mean. Herein lies the beauty of the film. It never strives for accuracy but instead tries very, very hard to be loud, outlandish and ridiculous--and VERY enjoyable. Although I gave the film a 5, it IS a must-see for bad movie freaks! By the way, in a case of interesting casting, look of future "My Three Sons" actor Don Grady as a member of this hellish clan!

wjrprezhistorian I agree -- it was low budget schlock at its worst -- but I enjoyed it! I enjoyed seeing a Young Don Grady (of TV's My Three Sons fame) as one of the kids in the beginning of the film...Lurene Tuttle was quite 'campy' in her portrayal of 'Ma.' I only knew her from her days as the older nurse on the late 1960's TV series 'Julia' (starring Diahann Carroll).I'll tell you how much I enjoyed this picture, I had gone to see a movie based on a Tony Award winning play earlier in the day, something that I had been looking forward to seeing, but I was thoroughly disenchanted and disgusted with it.At least, with 'Ma', I did not expect HIGH expectations of it, but I enjoyed it!

shepardjessica This film is a fairly inaccurate representation of Ma Barker, but is great fun with some very strange scenes. The slapping of the one son is a crack-up. Lurene Tuttle (Sheriff Chambers' sweet wife in PSYCHO) is incredibly vicious and driven as the matriarch of this ignorant brood of miscreants. A 5 out of 10. Best performance = Lurene Tuttle. A lot of these cheapo exploitation flicks of the 50's and 60's are loaded with strange performances and interesting cinematography. This is available on cheap DVD and well worth a look. I waited years to find this one. Give it a shot!

rsoonsa Supposedly based upon the life of Ozark matriarch Ma Barker and her four felonious public enemy sons, this meanly made low budget example of drive-in movie schlock actually treats several incidents in the real-life career of the notorious Barker/Karpis Gang which was very active during 1931/35 from the Midwest into Southeast U.S., but so contorts the truth in order to create a lurid melodrama that a viewer is alienated from the proceedings, especially in light of obvious cut-rate production values. Al Karpis was the confirmed master hand behind the Gang's string of sinful successes whereas the factual Ma Barker, although enjoying holding open house for various fugitives, only travelled with her family and was patently incapable of organizing more than luncheons, whereas in this poorly scripted travesty Lurene Tuttle as a tommygun wielding sadistic sociopath performs a raft of maniacal actions, including running over a policeman twice, all while planning the Gang's adventures and serving up heist advice to respectful triggermen such as John Dillinger, Machine Gun Kelly and Baby Face Nelson.