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  • Queen of the Mob (1940)
  • Approved
    61 min | Crime, Drama
Queen of the Mob (1940)
Approved
61 min | Crime, Drama

Mobster Ma Webster rules her clan with an iron hand, taking charge of all their robberies despite the protests of George Frost, the only member of her gang who is not her son. On Christmas Eve, Ma, George, and her sons Eddie, Charlie, and ...See moreMobster Ma Webster rules her clan with an iron hand, taking charge of all their robberies despite the protests of George Frost, the only member of her gang who is not her son. On Christmas Eve, Ma, George, and her sons Eddie, Charlie, and Tom, rob the Centre City bank, but are warned to get out of town by her other son Bert, who disdains their criminal activity and is studying to be a lawyer. Ma and the gang go on a crime spree across the states, receiving $300,000 in ransom for kidnapping, and additional cash from various robberies. Aware that the serial numbers on the ransom money have been recorded by federal agents, they arrange with fellow crook Pan to trade the money $100,000 in unmarked bills, but take the bills and kill him instead, They are unaware, however, that the police have found a list of the serial numbers for all Pan's bills in his coat pocket. Federal agents Scott Langham and Ross Waring are put on the case, and trace the Websters to a Southern town, where Ma is posing as a socialite. The Websters elude the police, but are forced to live meagerly while hiding out in cheap hotels. By the next Christmas, Ma returns to Centre City to visit Bert's baby boy. While she is out, her boys hold up a store, but Charlie is killed and Tom is arrested. Bert represents Tom at his extradition trial, and convinces him to plead guilty and return willingly to the city of the kidnapping. When George wants to go his own way, Ma and Eddie kill him, then hire Stitch Torey to get Tom away from the police. Their attempt fails, however, and most of Torey's gang perish. After a year, Ma and Eddie have developed a low profile while Eddie works at a cannery to support them, and Ma becomes neighborly. Unknown to Ma, Eddie arranges a hideout for some robbers he hopes to join up with and gives them a case of canned food, but the criminals' car crashes and the police get Eddie's fingerprints from the cans. On Christmas Eve, federal agents attempt to arrest Ma and Eddie, who respond with gunfire. In the hail of bullets, Eddie is killed and Ma is finally arrested. See less
Read more: Plot summary
Director
James P. Hogan (as James Hogan)
Writers
Horace McCoy (screenplay) | William R. Lipman (screenplay) | J. Edgar Hoover (book "Persons in Hiding")
Cinematographer
Editor
Arthur P. Schmidt (as Arthur Schmidt)
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Jun 17, 1940

Release date
Jun 28, 1940 (United States)

Contacts

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Cast

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66 cast members
Name Known for
Ralph Bellamy
FBI Agent Scott Langham FBI Agent Scott Langham   See fewer
Blanche Yurka
Ma Webster Ma Webster   See fewer
J. Carrol Naish
George Frost George Frost   See fewer
Jeanne Cagney
Ethel Webster (as Jean Cagney) Ethel Webster (as Jean Cagney)   See fewer
William Henry
Bert Webster Bert Webster   See fewer
Richard Denning
Charlie Webster Charlie Webster   See fewer
Paul Kelly
Tom Webster Tom Webster   See fewer
Hedda Hopper
Mrs. Emily Sturgis Mrs. Emily Sturgis   See fewer
James Seay
Eddie Webster Eddie Webster   See fewer
Jack Carson
FBI Agent Ross Waring FBI Agent Ross Waring   See fewer
Billy Gilbert
Mr. Reier Mr. Reier   See fewer
Paul Stanton
Mr. Edmonds - Bank Manager Mr. Edmonds - Bank Manager   See fewer
Tommy Conley
Billy Webster Billy Webster   See fewer
Charles R. Moore
Cocktail Party Butler (as Charles Moore) Cocktail Party Butler (as Charles Moore)   See fewer
Raymond Hatton
Herb - Auto Camp Proprietor Herb - Auto Camp Proprietor   See fewer
Mary Treen
Billy's Nurse Billy's Nurse   See fewer
Edward Gargan
Bank Guard (as Ed Gargan) Bank Guard (as Ed Gargan)   See fewer
Howard M. Mitchell
Streetcorner Santa Streetcorner Santa   See fewer
John Laing
Bank Customer (as John Laird) Bank Customer (as John Laird)   See fewer
Leona Roberts
Mrs. Greenough Mrs. Greenough   See fewer
Mary Gordon
Tenement Landlady Tenement Landlady   See fewer
Neil Hamilton
First FBI Chief First FBI Chief   See fewer
Lloyd Corrigan
C. Jason - Photographer C. Jason - Photographer   See fewer
Roy Gordon
Mr. Milliken Mr. Milliken   See fewer
Sheila Ryan
Party Girl (as Betty McLaughlin) Party Girl (as Betty McLaughlin)   See fewer
Laura Treadwell
Society Matron Society Matron   See fewer
Charles Lane
Horace Grimley Horace Grimley   See fewer
Charlotte Wynters
Mrs. Grimley Mrs. Grimley   See fewer
Herbert Naish
Newsboy Newsboy   See fewer
James Flavin
Third FBI Director Third FBI Director   See fewer
Sonny Bupp
Newsboy Newsboy   See fewer
May Beatty
Ellen - Mrs. Sturgis' Maid (uncredited) Ellen - Mrs. Sturgis' Maid (uncredited)   See fewer
Brooks Benedict
Minor Role (uncredited) Minor Role (uncredited)   See fewer
Tommy Bupp
Newsboy (uncredited) Newsboy (uncredited)   See fewer
Nora Cecil
Mission Worker (uncredited) Mission Worker (uncredited)   See fewer
Edward Cooper
Webster Butler (uncredited) Webster Butler (uncredited)   See fewer
Alec Craig
Proprietor (uncredited) Proprietor (uncredited)   See fewer
Edgar Dearing
Motorcycle Cop (uncredited) Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)   See fewer
Donald Douglas
Second FBI Director (uncredited) Second FBI Director (uncredited)   See fewer
Tom Dugan
Man in Mission (uncredited) Man in Mission (uncredited)   See fewer
William Duncan
District Attorney (uncredited) District Attorney (uncredited)   See fewer
Jimmie Dundee
Gangster (uncredited) Gangster (uncredited)   See fewer
Jim Farley
Paymaster (uncredited) Paymaster (uncredited)   See fewer
Walter Fenner
Ransom Man (uncredited) Ransom Man (uncredited)   See fewer
Paul Fix
Gang Leader in Garage (uncredited) Gang Leader in Garage (uncredited)   See fewer
Allen Fox
Man Behind Eddie (uncredited) Man Behind Eddie (uncredited)   See fewer
John Harmon
Pinky (uncredited) Pinky (uncredited)   See fewer
Russell Hicks
Judge (uncredited) Judge (uncredited)   See fewer
Max Hoffman Jr.
Gangster (uncredited) Gangster (uncredited)   See fewer
Selmer Jackson
Frederick Smith (uncredited) Frederick Smith (uncredited)   See fewer
Brady Kline
Police Captain (uncredited) Police Captain (uncredited)   See fewer
Ethan Laidlaw
Court Officer (uncredited) Court Officer (uncredited)   See fewer
Eddie Marr
Gangster (uncredited) Gangster (uncredited)   See fewer
Charles McMurphy
Bailiff (uncredited) Bailiff (uncredited)   See fewer
John 'Skins' Miller
Man in Hideout (uncredited) Man in Hideout (uncredited)   See fewer
Rex Moore
Newsboy (uncredited) Newsboy (uncredited)   See fewer
Franklin Parker
Filling Station Attendant (uncredited) Filling Station Attendant (uncredited)   See fewer
William Pawley
Pan Henchman (uncredited) Pan Henchman (uncredited)   See fewer
Hilda Plowright
Mrs. Milliken (uncredited) Mrs. Milliken (uncredited)   See fewer
Stanley Price
Pan Henchman (uncredited) Pan Henchman (uncredited)   See fewer
Edwin Stanley
Federal Prosecuting Attorney (uncredited) Federal Prosecuting Attorney (uncredited)   See fewer
Pierre Watkin
Torey (uncredited) Torey (uncredited)   See fewer
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