You won't be disappointed!

Please don't spend money on this.

Good concept, poorly executed.

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

You'd almost think J. Edgar Hoover himself directed this propaganda movie for his newly-formed FBI. In fact it was self-appointed Redbaiter Sam Wood, whose social and political views were almost identical to those of the FBI chieftain. And boy it shows. Wood's view of society is pretty clear-cut: you have decent, morally upstanding folk and hardened, unrepentant nogoodniks. That Bruce Cabot's character belongs to the latter category becomes clear when he tells his parents that his social aspirations aim higher than lifelong service as the family chauffeur. Of course social mobility is always suspect, people should know and keep their place in society and be content with it. Not only that, but as Richard Arlen's G-man states, Cabot also looks like a criminal! That's proof enough for our FBI boys to suspect him of kidnapping plans, and of course they're proved right. In fact, in the entire movie they're always on the right track, there's no point in trying to outsmart these guys. Why do those villains even bother? Well, because they're not just dumb, but downright evil, so the only cure is to let 'em have it. Depending on one's political views, you can either applaud or reject this movie,but i'm sure there are plenty of people who can enjoy this as an old-time gangster drama. I sure couldn't.

For an independent production (Reliance), this was a superior, hard hitting gangster movie that followed hard on the heels of Warner Bros. "G Men". I first saw it on television in the 60s and I will never forget the shocking sequence when Bruce Cabot agrees to have plastic surgery with disastrous results. The scene were Cabot takes his bandages off - you don't see his face but you see the faces of his gang members as they recoil in horror - it is a truly frightening scene. The movie, directed with flair by the under rated Sam Wood, was highly effective at pitting the FBI investigating methods against the more exciting underworld adventures of Joe Keefer (Bruce Cabot) and his gang.After quite an interesting beginning showing the recruitment of ordinary men into the FBI to cope with the growing spread of lawlessness across America - the movie focuses on three men from different walks of life who become friends. The three are advised of a kidnap plan involving socialite Eleanor Spencer (luminous Virginia Bruce), an old girlfriend of Van's (Harvey Stephens). When the plot is foiled and the gang, including the Spencer chauffeur, Joe Keefer, goes to jail, Eleanor pleads for Joe's release, feeling he had nothing to do with it. After he is freed, he then rounds up his gang and goes on a reign of terror throughout the Mid West. Meanwhile Eleanor's younger brother Buddy (Eric Linden) ditches his law studies to become a G man. Eleanor is horrified and blames Mal (dashing Richard Arlen) (she has become romantically involved with him) for not trying hard enough to talk him out of it. The plot is very involving and meticulous, especially Buddy's hunt to find the person who owned the shoe that was left at the scene of one of the holdups. From the very start the action never stops, it seems so realistic - you feel this was how gangsters really operated then. I don't know whether there was any location shooting but the scene where the gangsters were rounded up from their hideout in the woods looked pretty real.Bruce Cabot played Keefer with an almost psychotic zeal. He seemed to play a lot of movie heels and it was nice to see him get his comeuppance in this movie after being so horrible to Irene Dunne (in "Ann Vickers") and Helen Twelvetrees (in "Disgraced"). Eric Linden's film career had started with so much promise ("Are These Our Children" (1931)) but by 1933 he was completely fed up with Hollywood and announced his retirement. After a year spent traveling and writing he returned to the screen in "Let 'Em Have It", playing his stock in trade - an idealistic young man who wants to make good.Highly, Highly Recommended.

Let Em' Have It- solid 1935 cops and robbers flick.We follow 3 G-men in training thru their first case.A little mix of melodrama and romance slow down the movie at times- but help to add emotion to the final third of the flick.The first case of the G-men is a kidnapping of a rich heiress-partially helped by the family driver.The G-men foil the kidnapping- but the heiress does not believe that the driver was in cahoots with the kidnappers.There is some good action mixed with some swell 30s dialog.The DVD has no extras but is a good transfer(not great but better than public domain classics issued by small-time outfits - since this one was re-released by Sony).Bruce Cabott excels as Keefer the family driver who decides to go into robbing banks-mixing charisma with anger and smarts he gives the G-men a good adversary.Worth renting for fans of classic gangster flicks. B

"Let 'em have It' was released in 1935, the same year as "G Men" starring James Cagney. Both films celebrate the exploits of law men working for the newly formed FBI under J. Edgar Hoover. Our heroes are played by Richard Arlen, Harvey Stephens, and Gordon Jones, with Virginia Bruce in the female lead. The early part is typical of the time, showing the FBI recruits undergoing training in detection methods, shooting skills, etc. The movie gains momentum when they go after vicious gang leader Joe Keefer, very menacingly played by Bruce Cabot. Keefer is on the lam and forces a doctor to change his face by plastic surgery. When the bandages come off - wow! It's worth the price of admission.