Bacon shows 1938 truck interiors, trucks crashing, hospital wards, crowds, produce markets and authentic Depression shock. Bogart is permitted a few scenes with his charisma on full throttle. Allen Jenkins takes over the star role in some scenes to great effect. This is not escapist entertainment. Brent is reduced to a miscast actor surviving his role and the war with domestic terrorism, a theme that remains relevant today. This is more of a newsreel of events than a deep exposition of character. The Warners' dramatization of the fight against organized crime presaged the mobilization against fascism in 1942.
Review of Racket Busters
