Though Bloody Mama has very little to do with Ma Barker and the four fine strapping sons she raised, the film provides Shelley Winters with a role she can overact to her heart's content and no one would notice this side of a slasher flick. It's part that I wish Shelley had done in a more factual retelling of the Barker saga.
She gave her four sons played by Don Stroud, Clint Kimbrough, Robert Walden, and Robert DeNiro the lack of character and amoral view of life that led them to become criminals, she herself simply went along for the ride on their criminal enterprises. She was far from the mastermind that Shelley Winters is shown to be.
This was one of Robert DeNiro's first parts where he was noticed. You can see traces of later redneck characters that he did in films like This Boy's Life and Cape Fear in his portrayal of Lloyd Barker, the youngest Barker sibling. By the way Lloyd in real life did not end up the way he's shown in the film.
Other parts of significance are Bruce Dern as a character modeled on Alvin 'Creepy' Karpis who was part of the Barker story, but is not mentioned at all here. Another is Pat Hingle playing a kidnap victim of the gang's and a third is Diane Varsi who marries one of the Barker sons.
Roger Corman who produced and directed Bloody Mama gave Shelley Winters a great part and she ran with it. Even though the film is far from the truth about the Barkers, it does show the values those boys had and where they got them.
She gave her four sons played by Don Stroud, Clint Kimbrough, Robert Walden, and Robert DeNiro the lack of character and amoral view of life that led them to become criminals, she herself simply went along for the ride on their criminal enterprises. She was far from the mastermind that Shelley Winters is shown to be.
This was one of Robert DeNiro's first parts where he was noticed. You can see traces of later redneck characters that he did in films like This Boy's Life and Cape Fear in his portrayal of Lloyd Barker, the youngest Barker sibling. By the way Lloyd in real life did not end up the way he's shown in the film.
Other parts of significance are Bruce Dern as a character modeled on Alvin 'Creepy' Karpis who was part of the Barker story, but is not mentioned at all here. Another is Pat Hingle playing a kidnap victim of the gang's and a third is Diane Varsi who marries one of the Barker sons.
Roger Corman who produced and directed Bloody Mama gave Shelley Winters a great part and she ran with it. Even though the film is far from the truth about the Barkers, it does show the values those boys had and where they got them.