CrimeDrama

Bloody Mama

- You gotta' believe... You gotta' have faith... But first, you gotta' get rid of the witnesses!

Sexually abused as a young girl, Kate "Ma" Barker grows into a violent and powerful woman by the 1930s. She lovingly dominates her grown sons and grooms them into a pack of tough crooks. The boys include the cruel Herman, who still shares a bed with Ma; Fred, an ex-con who fell in love with a fellow prisoner; and Lloyd, who gets high on whatever's handy. Together they form a deadly, bizarre family of Depression-era bandits.

Release Date : 1970-03-24

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : American International Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : 'Ma' Kate Barker

Original Name : Shelley Winters

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sam Adams Pendlebury

Original Name : Pat Hingle

Gender : Male

Character Name : Herman Barker

Original Name : Don Stroud

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mona Gibson

Original Name : Diane Varsi

Gender : Female

Character Name : Kevin Dirkman

Original Name : Bruce Dern

Gender : Male

Character Name : Arthur Barker

Original Name : Clint Kimbrough

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lloyd Barker

Original Name : Robert De Niro

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fred Barker

Original Name : Robert Walden

Gender : Male

Character Name : George Barker

Original Name : Alex Nicol

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rembrandt

Original Name : Pamela Dunlap

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dr. Roth

Original Name : Michael Fox

Gender : Male

Character Name : Moses

Original Name : Scatman Crothers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Agent McClellan

Original Name : Stacy Harris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Kate (as Lisa Jill)

Original Name : Lisa Linsky

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sheriff

Original Name : Steve Mitchell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ferry Boat Passenger

Original Name : Roy Idom

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bank Customer (uncredited)

Original Name : Drew Bonner

Gender : Male

Character Name : Victim (uncredited)

Original Name : Ted Eccles

Gender : Male

Character Name : Prisoner (uncredited)

Original Name : Alan Haufrect

Gender : Male

Character Name : Daddy (uncredited)

Original Name : Gura Lashlee

Gender : Male

Character Name : Federal Agent (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Snell

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Moma's Boys. Bloody Mama is directed by Roger Corman and written by Don Peters and Robert Thom. It stars Shelley Winters, Bruce Dern, Don Stroud, Robert De Niro, Diane Varsi, Robert Walden and Pat Hingle. Music is by Don Randi and cinematography by John A. Alonzo. Story is loosely based on the infamous Kate "Ma" Barker, who along with her sons would cause criminal carnage wherever they went. "I told my boys to just rob banks and stay out of trouble" Very much coming off like the bastard son of Bonnie and Clyde, Bloody Mama finds Roger Corman on devilish form. He somehow manages to create violence that cuts hard, and yet there's still a pantomime vibe to things. The characters range from a mad matriarch who is a deathgasm addict - to a psychopath - a sadist - a submissive homosexual - a junkie torturer - and a hapless girlfriend, is it any wonder there's murder, robbery and seedy sexual shenanigans going on?! Hell the pic even begins with incestuous rape! Kiss me Kate! It's all very chaotic at times, led by a blunderbuss turn from Winters, but just when you think it's going out of control to the point of no return, Corman and his cast pull it back on track. It's often thrilling and unnerving, and with Corman blending newsreel footage of the era with the fact the pic is filmed on location in Arkansas, there's an earthy docu style feel to the tale - even if as a history lesson it's hokey at best. Not everybody's idea of enjoyment but from that chilling opening to the blood and thunder of the finale, Bloody Mama holds court with shifty glee. 7.5/10