The film was refused a UK cinema certificate in 1961 by the BBFC and has yet to receive a release.
Original star Miriam Hopkins left the production after one day of shooting, necessitating the hiring of journeyman character actress Lurene Tuttle within 24 hours.
The film is a highly fictionalized account of the life of Kate Barker--aka "Ma Barker"--and her four sons, whose Barker-Karpis criminal gang terrorized the South and Midwest in the 1930s with a string of kidnappings, robberies and murders. She was killed in a shootout with police and FBI agents in Florida in 1936.
The character of "Dr. Guelffe" is based on Joseph P. Moran; the wealthy banker character, "Mr. Khortney," is based on Edward Bremer.