Best movies like The Purple Gang
When machine gun mania rocked the nation!
A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like The Purple Gang Starring Barry Sullivan, Robert Blake, Elaine Edwards, Marc Cavell, and more. If you liked The Purple Gang then you may also like: Four Brothers, X Marks the Spot, No Sudden Move, Ranam, Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.
The story of the infamous Purple Gang - a ring of bootleggers, hijackers and killers in 1920's Detroit.
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X Marks the Spot
A private detective, soon to enlist in the army, is drawn into one final case when his police officer father is killed in the line of duty. Soon his prime suspect is murdered as well, and he finds himself framed for the crime. As more witnesses get murdered, he finds himself on the run from both the police and former Prohibition violators who seem to have found a new racket.
No Sudden Move
A group of criminals are brought together under mysterious circumstances and have to work together to uncover what's really going on when their simple job goes completely sideways.
Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story
Redemption tells the story of Stan "Tookie" Williams, founder of the Crips L.A. street gang. Story follows his fall into gang-banging, his prison term, and his work writing children's novels encouraging peace and anti-violence resolutions which earned him multiple Nobel Peace Prize nominations. After exhausting all forms of appeal, Tookie was executed by lethal injection.
Juice
Four Harlem friends -- Bishop, Q, Steel and Raheem -- dabble in petty crime, but they decide to go big by knocking off a convenience store. Bishop, the magnetic leader of the group, has the gun. But Q has different aspirations. He wants to be a DJ and happens to have a gig the night of the robbery. Unfortunately for him, Bishop isn't willing to take no for answer in a game where everything's for keeps.
Angels with Dirty Faces
Childhood chums Rocky Sullivan and Jerry Connelly grow up on opposite sides of the fence: Rocky matures into a prominent gangster, while Jerry becomes a priest, tending to the needs of his old tenement neighborhood.
Assault on Precinct 13
The lone inhabitants of an abandoned police station are under attack by the overwhelming numbers of a seemingly unstoppable street gang.
Blue Collar
Fed up with mistreatment at the hands of both management and union brass, and coupled with financial hardships on each man's end, three auto assembly line workers hatch a plan to rob a safe at union headquarters.
Bowery Blitzkrieg
The East Side Kids discover that one of their own, Danny, is torn between staying and school and becoming a boxer, and is getting mixed up with gangsters.
Brick Mansions
In a dystopian Detroit, grand houses that once housed the wealthy are now homes of the city's most-dangerous criminals. Surrounding the area is a giant wall to keep the rest of Detroit safe. For undercover cop Damien Collier, every day is a battle against corruption as he struggles to bring his father's killer, Tremaine, to justice. Meanwhile, Damien and an ex-con named Lino work together to save the city from a plot to destroy it.
Collision Course
A Japanese investigator and a Detroit cop team up to track down a stolen prototype turbocharger.
Last Man Standing
John Smith is a mysterious stranger who is drawn into a vicious war between two Prohibition-era gangs. In a dangerous game, he switches allegiances from one to another, offering his services to the highest bidder. As the death toll mounts, Smith takes the law into his own hands in a deadly race to stay alive.
Gran Torino
Disgruntled Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, Thao Lor, a Hmong teenager who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: a 1972 Gran Torino.
The Public Enemy
Two young Chicago hoodlums, Tom Powers and Matt Doyle, rise up from their poverty-stricken slum life to become petty thieves, bootleggers and cold-blooded killers. But with street notoriety and newfound wealth, the duo feels the heat from the cops and rival gangsters both. Despite his ruthless criminal reputation, Tom tries to remain connected to his family, however, gang warfare and the need for revenge eventually pull him away.
I Walk Alone
Bootleggers on the lam Frankie and Noll split up to evade capture by the police. Frankie is caught and jailed, but Noll manages to escape and open a posh New York City nightclub. 14 years later, Frankie is released from the clink and visits Noll with the intention of collecting his half of the nightclub's profits. But Noll, who has no intention of being so equitable, uses his ex-girlfriend Kay to divert Frankie from his intended goal.
The Dark Past
A gang hold a family hostage in their own home. The leader of the escaped cons is bothered by a recurring dream that the doctor of the house may be able to analyze.
Miller's Crossing
Set in 1929, a political boss and his advisor have a parting of the ways when they both fall for the same woman.
White Boy Rick
The story of a teenager, Richard Wershe Jr., who became an undercover informant for the police during the 1980s and was ultimately arrested for drug-trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.
Freebie and the Bean
Two San Francisco detectives want to bring down a local hijacking boss. But they'll have to get to him before a hitman does.
White Boy
“White Boy Rick”, as he was called, was a novelty: A white teenager seemingly running a major inner-city drug operation. In May of 1987, 17-year-old Richard Wershe Jr. was charged with a non-violent, juvenile drug offense. By the time of his arrest he was already a Detroit legend, frequently making front-page headlines and leading the local television news. In this film, gangsters, hit men, journalists and federal agents struggle to explain why he remains in prison at nearly 50 years old. The possible explanation is more stunning than the crimes Wershe was alleged to have committed.
Lights of New York
Eddie is conned into fronting a speakeasy for a local gangster who intends to frame him for the murder of a cop.
Mean Streets
A small-time hood must choose from among love, friendship and the chance to rise within the mob.
Inside Detroit
Gus Linden, former racketeer head of a Detroit local of the United Automobile Workers of America, A.F.L, attempts to destroy his successor, Blair Vicker, so he can put his old rackets back into the auto factories. Vickers fights him off, ultimately winning help from Linden's attractive daughter Barbara and from Joni Calvin, Vickers' moll.
Streets of New York
Jimmy, an idealistic and hard-working young man, has just arrived in New York City with dreams of making his fortune. Along the way he faces numerous obstacles, opportunities and temptations, but through it all, he considers the actions of his hero, Abraham Lincoln, for guidance. Will Jimmy see his dreams come true, or will he be another of the countless hopefuls chewed up and spit out by New York's mean streets?
Big Town Scandal
A crusading editor and his star reporter aid underprivileged youths and crack down on racketeers out to fix basketball.
Me, Gangster
Told in the form of a diary, the story details the rise and fall of gangster boss Jimmy Williams.
Street Fighting Men
In a rapidly changing America where mass inequality and dwindling opportunity have devastated the black working class, three Detroit men must fight to build something lasting for themselves and future generations.
Panic on the Air
A sports announcer and a friend investigate after a pitcher misses a series. When they discover that gangsters are trying to find a hidden fortune, they use the radio show to foil the plan.
My Son is Guilty
Honest cop Tim Kerry struggles to keep his son Ritzy from becoming involved in a crime ring.
The Blue Eagle
Waterfront rivals George Darcy and Big Tim Ryan are both in love with Rose Kelly, and continue their feud when they join the Navy. After the war, they call a temporary truce to take on dope peddlers who are destroying their neighborhood.
Purple People Eater
A kid plays the old novelty song "Purple People Eater" and the creature actually appears. The two then proceed to help an elderly couple who are being evicted by their greedy landlord.
Crime in the Streets
A social worker tries to end juvenile crime by getting involved with a street gang.
The Star Witness
A tough District Attorney goes after a murderous crime gang, only to find that his witnesses, an innocent family, have clammed up in fear of reprisals.
Black Paradise
In San Francisco, Sylvia Douglas and her fiancée, James Callahan, a reformed crook, make their getaway after Jim, disgusted with his inability to find a job, un-reforms and steals a diamond necklace. Graham, a detective, gives chase to a desolate island in the South Pacific where a rum-running gangster, Murdock, holds him captive. Callahan becomes infatuated with a native girl, Leona, and Sylvia turns to Graham for protection against the offensive Murdock. A volcano eruption causes problems for all.
The Purple Heart
This is the story of the crew of a downed bomber, captured after a run over Tokyo, early in the war. Relates the hardships the men endure while in captivity, and their final humiliation: being tried and convicted as war criminals.
A New York Heartbeat
Spider, a young gang leader, gets in over his head when he robs a notorious gangster. On the run, he's taken in by a sheltered young woman and her reclusive uncle, a legendary mobster gunned down by the same gangster now pursuing Spider.
Gangster Land
The story of America's most famous mobsters and their rise to power. Examine Al Capone's ascension through the eyes of his second in command, “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn.
The Fall of the Krays
The brutal brothers from Bethnal Green are back and bloodier than ever in Fall of the Krays. Following on from the ferocious Rise Of The Krays, Fall of the Krays picks up the story of the infamous Firm as the cracks start to show in the brothers business plans and their sanity. Having secured their empire and their infamy, the brothers must now fight to keep hold of both as the obsession of one police officer becomes entwined with a burgeoning romance and a dangerous state of mind for Reggie and Ronnie respectively.
Dead End Road
Detective Burt Williams has been on the trail of the infamous "Poe killer" for nearly three years. The most recent abduction of fashion model Heather Makepiece prompts state authorities to bring in the FBI. Burt's daughter Kris Williams, a homicide agent for the FBI, along with her partner Sean Michaels take over. Burt reluctantly steps down from the case and retires. For the next seven months the "Poe Killer" continues his murderous rampage, until Kris discovers that the killer uses internet chat rooms to seduce his prey. She logs in as Annabel Lee and sure enough, he contacts her. With the help of Larry the tech guy, she sets up a meeting at a nearby bowling alley. But, when things go wrong and Kris is abducted and her partner Sean is slaughtered, it becomes a race against time for Burt and ex-partner Grace Andrews to find Kris before she becomes the next victim of the "Poe Killer".
How to Make Money Selling Drugs
Ten easy steps show you how to make money from drugs, featuring a series of interviews with drug dealers, prison employees, and lobbyists arguing for tougher drug laws.
Chinatown Nights
Joan Fry, a society woman, falls in love with Chuck Riley, the white-leader of a powerful gang in Chinatown, and he quickly drags her down into the depths with him. But seeing her so much in love with him causes him to realize he isl in love with her, and he determines to lift her up again. "Boston" Charley, the rival gang-leader, has other plans.
Full Blast
Maceo is the manager of Motown's most popular club, the Motorfly. Business is going well, but Maceo has huge game debts that entrap him in the loops of the Detroit Mafia net.
Little Laura and Big John
Based on a true story, this action-packed, hard-hitting depiction of the infamous Ashley gang - who terrorized the southeast in the 1920's - also illustrates a desperate love between two people destined for destruction.
Love, Swedish Style
Based on news article about a noted Detroit car designer who hired a beautiful girl from Sweden as his maid. Her beauty quickly becomes so legendary that she ends up having countless rich and famous admirers and leaving for Hollywood.
Detroit: Comeback City
The story of how Detroit went from the engine of American capitalism, to a city of ruins that is now on the cusp of an exciting rebirth told by real Detroiters who recount the stories of their relatives who helped build the city and the country.
Street Kings 2: Motor City
Detroit detective Marty Kingston (Liotta) is the leader of an undercover narcotics team, whose members are being systematically murdered one by one. To solve the brutal killings, Kingston joins forces with a cocky, young homicide detective. But neither of them is prepared for the shocking corruption their investigation will uncover — stunning secrets that will set both men on a violent collision course with betrayal and vengeance.
The story of the infamous Purple Gang - a ring of bootleggers, hijackers and killers in 1920's Detroit.
A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like The Purple Gang Starring Barry Sullivan, Robert Blake, Elaine Edwards, Marc Cavell, and more. If you liked The Purple Gang then you may also like: Four Brothers, X Marks the Spot, No Sudden Move, Ranam, Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.
Four Brothers
Four adopted brothers return to their Detroit hometown when their mother is murdered and vow to exact revenge on the killers.