MartinHafer The film begins with a class of rookie FBI* agents going through their boot camp. Soon, three of the guys become friends and are soon assigned to work together (how likely is this?). They're investigating a man the agency thinks is part of an organized crime ring, Joe Keefer (Bruce Cabot) and they soon end up arresting him. What's next? See the film for yourself."Let 'em Have It" is a decent film but it suffers from a big problem. During the course of the movie, Agent Mal Stevens (Richard Arlen) falls in love with Eleanor Spencer (Virginia Bruce) and you have little reason to understand WHY. Sure, she's beautiful but she's also spoiled, obnoxious and sees very little value in the work these federal agents do. She even begs Mal to talk her brother** out of joining the force. Plus, when they catch her chauffeur with a stolen gun and tell her he's part of a gang, she fights them and convinces the parole board to release him (and he then goes on a reign of terror!). So, why would a dedicated agent want anything to do with her? And, why would a writer construct such a ridiculous relationship?! Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy! Without a few of these bad scenes, the film could have earned a 7 or 8.On the positive side, it was a neat movie because of its very, very extensive use of forensics to solve crime. Using a some footprints, an apple and a glove, the experts are able to come up with a great idea of what a suspect looks like--and it's believable. Most old crime films rarely talk about such things and it's nice to see that "CSI", "Bones", "NCIS" and many other new shows are NOT the first to look at this side of an investigation--and that the techniques are NOT all brand-new and high tech. It was also nice to have some very competent actors--better than you might expect from a B-movie. Simply put, apart from the dumb and poorly written relationship between Arlen and Bruce, it was a pretty good film.By the way, I noticed a couple reviewers seemed to think this film was better than the Jimmy Cagney film "G-Men"--also from 1935 and with similar subject matter. I simply didn't see this. While "Let 'em Have It" is awfully good for a small budgeted film from a tiny studio, it's not even close to the quality and entertainment level of "G-Men"...not even close.*Oddly, I don't think they used the terms FBI or Federal Bureau of Investigation once during the film.**It's funny, but when this scene occurred where Eleanor begs Mal to dissuade her brother from joining the force, I turned to my wife and said 'the brother will soon be dead!'--and, not surprisingly, he was! What a silly and poorly telegraphed plot element--and another bit of lousy writing. To make it worse, the young man is told NOT to go near the gangsters' hideout but does anyway--getting himself killed in the process! Duh...

ackstasis 'Let 'em Have It (1935),' a taut 1930s gangster flick, has since fallen out of all popular recognition, but remains worthwhile viewing – if you can find it – thanks to the capable direction of Sam Wood, an undervalued workman who gave us two Marx Brothers comedies ('A Night at the Opera (1935)' and 'A Day at the Races (1937)') and the wonderful, unforgettable 'Goodbye, Mr Chips (1939).' This particular gangster thriller plays like a good version of Mann's 'Public Enemies (2009)': a group of young men (Richard Arlen, Gordon Jones, Harvey Stephens), having been recruited into the Department of Justice, must bring down murderous bank-robber Joe Keefer (Bruce Cabot), who is crossing the country looting and murdering at will.The elegant presence of Virginia Bruce promises some romance for the ladies, but 'Let 'em Have It' is at its best when revelling in the intricate details of forensic procedure, whether it be matching the ballistic markings of a firearm, or reconstructing the profile of an assailant from teeth-marks left in an apple. The heroes occasionally seem like over-excited boy-scouts, especially Eric Linden as Buddy, but Richard Arlen has a quiet, brooding presence that offsets the occasional moments that resemble a thinly-veiled advertisement for Edgar J. Hoover's newly-named F.B.I. As Keefer, Bruce Cabot is also excellent, gradually spinning an innocuous small-time criminal into a murderous outlaw worthy of Dillinger or Baby Face Nelson. There's one scene that precludes the plastic surgery in Delmer Daves' noir 'Dark Passage (1947),' and a bandage unveiling that cannot be missed.

DJJOEINC 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

dlatkong33 "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.