mark.waltz The year before the equally imposing Judith Anderson took on the law as "Lady Scarface", another powerful stage actress took them on in this forgotten and obscure B picture. Blanche Yurka had made her face unforgettable as Madam De Farge in the blockbuster "A Tale of Two Cities", but unfortunately, she didn't make a return for 5 years. Here, she opens up the film like looking like Ethel Barrymore and comes out as a female Edward G. Robinson. She's a loving mother of several sons whom she leads in a life of crime. That is all but one, an honest man with a wife and child. Ignoring the wife, she makes it her determination to see her grandson, and with FBI agent Ralph Bellamy on her trail, this sentiment could be her downfall.Tightly made B movie, this is greatly aided by Yurka's touching performance, a combination of motherly love (rather perverse in the case of her favorite son who has abandoned the family), and her scene visiting her grandson is very touching. Although I would have liked some back story in connection with her character, that's just a minor issue.The very funny Billy Gilbert will have you in stitches as the baker interviewed by the police in connection with marked money, while Hedda Hopper has a nice scene as the desperate socialite who also passes along information. This is one of those B films that has all the right ingredients, and for that reason, I crown Yurka as Queen of the Mob Mama's, perhaps even more memorable than Ma Barker herself.

Alex da Silva This is a fast paced film with Blanche Yurka (Ma Webster) as the head of a family of gangsters that involve themselves in robbery and kidnapping. Hardman J Carrol Naish (George Frost) is also part of the gang. FBI agents Ralph Bellamy (Scott) and Jack Carson (Ross) are on her tail, but Yurka is a formidable opponent. I think Carrol Naish will agree with that.The film moves briskly between episodes only lulling for a 5 minute segment with the awful Billy Gilbert (Mr Reier) and his blasted cake. He gets a sequence which is probably only 5 minutes long but seems a lot longer as he shouts his way through his unfunny dialogue and unfunny over-the-top histrionics. And you shout back at him "Get off my television screen!" He almost single-handedly ruins the film. But, get past him and the film is good entertainment, with a cast of surprising pedigree.

GManfred A taut, tense crime melodrama from Paramount - which is probably why no one has heard of it. As the website tells us, Universal owns all Paramount films made between 1929 and 1949, and apparently holds them all hostage in a vault somewhere. But here is one they should release, as it is better than your average gangster picture. Much better.Ma Webster (Blanche Yurka) is the head of a family of 30's bank robbers, and she is riveting in the role. Tough and gutsy, she leads authorities on a chase through several states. She is a martinet and rules her five sons with an iron hand. Also in the gang is J. Carroll Naish. He is insubordinate and a malcontent, but she puts up with him because he is a cold-blooded killer who will cover for her boys during bank robberies."Queen Of The Mob" is Blanche Yurka's picture and could be the meatiest role she ever had - even more so than Mme. DeFarge in "A Tale Of Two Cities". The FBI agents tracking her gang are Ralph Bellamy and assisted by Jack Carson. It is an intense, violent study of 30's crime and criminals and the men sworn to bring them to justice.

GUENOT PHILIPPE What a very exciting little crime programmer written by the great Horace Mac Coy and directed by the man who made Ellery Queen series for the big screen. This story is the first, as far as I know, that talks about the famous Ma Barker, the senior gang leader with her three sons. Roger Corman and his crew directors - including Steve Carver, Martin Scorcese, Lewis Teague, and I probably forget some of them, made many of those topics in the 70's, thirty years later. This Paramount productions film is very exciting, as were the other ones, directed by the likes of Louis King and Robert Florey, and starring Lloyd Nolan, J Caroll Naish or Anthony Quinn at his start.The Grandma character is vivid, so well described.Don't miss it.