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History is undecided about the facts surrounding the legendary Ma Barker. Was she a criminal mastermind or merely the devoted mother to a gang of outlaw sons? The truth is unimportant in this slam-bang crime spree of a film, which is consistently entertaining if not entirely accurate. As Ma (Lurene Tuttle) barks her way through the role with an over-the-top abandon that keeps the action humming. From the very beginning she's busting her "sissy" son's violin and teaching her boys to steal from the church collection plate. Various characters who cross the Barker gang are burned alive, intentionally crushed with automobiles and forced to commit suicide by Russian Roulette, but director Bill Karn achieves a cartoonish tone, despite the mayhem. Notably amusing is the inclusion of every well-known crook of the '30s; Pretty Boy Floyd, Machine Gun Kelly, and John Dillinger all drop by the Barker hideout to talk shop or have a piece of Ma's famous cherry pie. Roger Corman's 1970 exploitation of the Ma Barker legacy, Bloody Mama may have been sleazier, but Ma Barker's Killer Brood is a top-notch crime fable shot through with panache and deserves its resurrection on various budget-priced DVDs.