Machine Gun Kelly Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Machine Gun Kelly Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 12, 2026

Roger Corman's "Machine Gun Kelly" (1958) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Explosive Media. The supplemental features on the release include vintage promotional materials; German version of the film; alternate footage; and vintage trailer. In English or German, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

You and this machine gun. They ain't gonna get us, darling!

So much of what Roger Corman’s film sells as the truth about Prohibition Era gangster George Kelly Barnes a.k.a. “Machine Gun” Kelly is untrue, it is easier to highlight the few bits in it that actually have something to do with the truth.

Kelly was a simpleton, as Charles Bronson plays him, whose reputation was built by his wife, Kathryn Thorne. However, in Corman’s film, Kelly is not in a relationship with Thorne. He is in a relationship with Flo Becker (Susan Cabot), a fictional character, who often plays him like a violin, and eventually puts together the kidnapping of the wealthy businessman’s daughter and her nurse. The real kidnapping case Kelly is remembered for was different. In the summer of 1933, Kelly and his associates kidnapped the wealthy oil tycoon Charles F. Urschel in Oklahoma City and demanded $200,000 for his release. After the ransom money was paid, all in marked bills, Urschel, who had been transferred to a farmhouse in Texas, was released back in Oklahoma, and soon after, Kelly and Thorne were captured in South Memphis, Tennessee. The big and deadly shootout that ends Corman’s film is entirely manufactured as well. When FBI agents arrested Kelly, he was visibly hungover and allegedly shouted his legendary request: “Don’t Shoot, G-Men!” (While enormously popular, this line also appears to have been manufactured to hype up the FBI’s image).

In Corman's film, Kelly never evolves into a big star, but the real Kelly did. During the Prohibition Era, for a short period of time, Kelly became one of America’s most wanted criminals. He was not in the company of iconic gangsters like Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and Baby Face Nelson, but he was still a massive target for the FBI, and his arrest became a major media event.

The finale, where Kelly surrenders after the big and deadly shootout, is impossible to describe as anything but underwhelming because it abruptly terminates his story. After the arrest, the real Kelly spent nearly two decades at The Rock and several more years at Leavenworth, where he died of a heart attack at the age of 59. While at The Rock, Kelly insisted that it was only a matter of time before he regained his freedom, but he never attempted to escape. He was a model prisoner, and after he was transferred to Leavenworth, he expressed genuine regret for wasting his life on the wrong side of the law.

If Corman’s film presents such an inaccurate and incomplete summation of Kelly’s life, is it still worth seeing?

It is because of Bronson’s performance, which is neither good nor bad. It is just a unique performance, revealing a very, very rough version of a future star experimenting with a macho style that was clearly a work in progress. The impossible to miss energy channeled through this performance will soon become one of the most attractive qualities in Bronson's big and popular films.

Unsurprisingly, Corman’s film has a pretty average period appearance. It is instantly obvious that it was shot on a tiny budget and edited as quickly as possible. Interestingly, Corman was able to do it with Floyd Crosby, who had already lensed one of the greatest of all westerns, High Noon.

Machine Gun Kelly Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a1080p transfer, Machine Gun Kelly arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Explosive Media.

I do not know when the master used to produce this release was prepared. However, if I had to guess, I would say that it was a while ago. I would describe the majority of the visuals as pretty good. However, they tend to be a bit soft at times, and it is pretty easy to tell that it is because of light denoising corrections, which should have been avoided. Still, delineation, clarity, and depth are mostly pleasing, and the grayscale is managed well. I noticed numerous small bumps and weaving, so I think it is fair to declare that a future 2K or 4K master will introduce meaningful stabilization enhancements. Also, some visuals have small but easy to spot nicks, black marks, and blemishes. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Machine Gun Kelly Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English and German subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless English track serves the film rather well. However, in some areas, it feels thin and even borderline brittle. It has a very limited dynamic range as well, though it is difficult to tell whether this is an age-related issue or an inherited weakness. A lot of Roger Corman's films, even when fully restored in 4K, have similarly inconsistent audio tracks.

Machine Gun Kelly Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• German Version - presented here is a German theatrical version of Machine Gun Kelly. In German, not subtitled. (75 min).

• Trailer - presented here is an original American trailer for Machine Gun Kelly. In English. (3 min).

• Superama? - presented here is archival widescreen footage from Machine Gun Kelly in the 2.35:1 ratio. In English. (11 min).

• Promotional Materials - presented here are original promotional materials for Machine Gun Kelly from around the world. With music. (3 min).

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art for Machine Gun Kelly.

Machine Gun Kelly Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Despite delivering an inaccurate and incomplete summation of "Machine Gun" Kelly's life story, Roger Corman's film is worth seeing. It is because of Charles Bronson's performance, which reveals a very, very rough version of a future star experimenting with a macho style that was clearly a work in progress. Also, while Kelly was never in a relationship with a woman named Flo Becker, Susan Cabot looks gorgeous and sells this character surprisingly well. Explosive Media's release is sourced from a pretty rough master, but it is Region-Free, English-Friendly, and attractively priced. RECOMMENDED to Bronson completists.