Gang War (1940), directed by Leo C. Popkin and produced by Million Dollar Productions, is a crime drama that tells the story of rivalry, loyalty, and survival on the streets of an unnamed American city. The film focuses on two African American gangs competing for control of the numbers racket, a popular underground lottery. When betrayal and violence escalate, characters are forced to confront the costs of ambition, brotherhood, and power within their community.

Cultural Importance:
More than just a crime picture, Gang War belongs to the era of Race Films — a body of work produced from the 1910s through the 1940s specifically for African American audiences. At a time when mainstream Hollywood often relegated Black characters to stereotypes or excluded them entirely, race films offered fuller representations, casting African Americans in leading roles across genres: detectives, business owners, gang leaders, and romantic leads.

Gang War was significant because it placed Black actors at the centre of a genre dominated by white Hollywood — the gangster picture. It not only entertained, but also reflected the cultural aspirations and social realities of Black audiences who rarely saw themselves depicted with complexity on screen. These films circulated through segregated theatres and the “Chitlin’ Circuit,” creating an alternative cinema that preserved African American talent and narrative control long before Hollywood integration.