G-Men (1935) is a crime drama starring James Cagney as a New York City lawyer, who joins the FBI to avenge the death of a friend killed by a gangster. Ironically, prior to taking on this role, Cagney was known primarily for playing a gangster or a bad guy in his movies.
Premise: A lawyer, whose benefactor runs a racket, goes to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (IMDb)
G-Men is an important part of the FBI’s history. Not only was G-Men one of the first films that portrayed FBI agents as federal crime crusaders, known as “G-Men” or government men, but it was also a forerunner of all the movies, books, and TV shows that have featured the FBI and its agents.
Starting in the mid-1930s, films and fiction have significantly impacted the public perception, mostly positively, of the FBI. Former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover deserves full credit for the continuous free publicity from entertainment media then and now.
Hoover was appointed as the acting director of the fledging Bureau of Investigation in 1924 during the Prohibition era, a time when the public had no choice but to associate with gangsters running illicit underground operations to sell alcohol and liquor.
Most movies made during the late 1920s and the early 1930s depicted the gangsters as powerful and astute, while portraying local and federal police as ineffective, gullible, and even corrupt.
Hoover was appalled by the way these gangster films glamorized criminals and appealed directly to Hollywood, demanding that his FBI men be shown as professional law enforcement officers who stood for bravery and integrity. G-Men was Warner Brothers’ response to Hoover’s challenge. Cagney was cast to play an uncompromising lawyer with high morals, unlike in his usual street thug roles.
The movie was filmed one year after the passing of the Federal Firearms Act of 1934 which gave the FBI new powers, such as the authorization to carry firearms and to make federal arrests, along with a name change from Bureau of Investigation to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In announcing these new powers to the public, Hoover also wanted to highlight the advances the “Bureau” had made in standardizing investigative processes and using science and forensics, such as fingerprint and firearms tool mark analysis to enhance his agents ability to solve crimes.
Hoover believed that by illustrating these advances on the big screen, the movie would enhance the Bureau’s reputation. G-Men offered an inside view of FBI agents undergoing training, in addition to focusing on the FBI Crime Lab. Hoover was right. The film was a tremendous hit and one of 1935’s top-grossing movies.
Throughout his 48-year tenure as the director of the FBI, by recognizing the public’s love of storytelling, Hoover masterfully engaged entertainment media to showcase his FBI. Even today, what most people know about the FBI comes from books, TV, and movies.
In 1949, during the FBI’s 25th Anniversary celebration, Warner Brothers re-released G-Men, acknowledging, along with Director Hoover, the historical significance of the film. (Note: The Bureau now recognizes 1908, when the BOI was first formed, as the official beginning date of the FBI and not 1924 when Hoover became the director.)
Also read my review of The FBI Story (1959) and check out my chart of FBI movies (I need to add G-Men).
G-Men is available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video. Watch the official trailer here.
