Gang Busters is one of Universal's most elaborate serials, with many chase and thrill scenes expertly staged in outdoor locations. The directors were
Ray Taylor, veteran director responsible for many hit serials, and
Noel M. Smith, former silent-screen director who specialized in fast action (Smith directed many of
Larry Semon's stunt-filled comedies of the 1920s). Some of the footage in
Gang Busters was so good that Universal often reused it in its later cliffhangers. Universal had been making adventure serials since the 1910s, and achieved major success with its
Flash Gordon serials of the late 1930s. By the early 1940s, serials were usually shown to juvenile audiences at weekend matinees. Universal intended
Gang Busters for adult audiences and possible weeknight showings, and staged the action as a straight crime drama. The studio introduced a new "Streamlined Serials" format to distinguish it from its previous chapter plays. Instead of beginning each chapter with a printed synopsis of the storyline, the new format had the action in each chapter starting immediately. The story characters were shown discussing the latest developments and recapping the story themselves. As a publicity gimmick, Universal hired its "serial queen" of the 1910s, former action star
Grace Cunard, to work in
Gang Busters. She appears only in the first chapter, as the landlady of a boarding house, but she received prominent billing in the promotional posters and advertising. ==Critical reception==