This program is part of the
American Experience series produced by PBS. In this episode, the topic is the rise to prominence of J. Edgar Hoover as the head of the FBI. The Prohibition era of the 1920s brought mobsters and gangland murders into the public eye. Lawlessness continued into the '30s, and President Roosevelt ordered the formation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to combat crime. Hoover's G-men tracked down criminals such as Pretty Boy Floyd, Machine Gun Kelly, and John Dillinger. The program depicts Hoover as a master of publicity, manipulating the news for the aggrandizement of both his personal career and the agency. Archival clips, photographs, interviews, and commentary by historians tell the story. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide