The Public Enemy (1931)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

Kubec Glasmon (written by) and
John Bright (written by) ...

Release Date:

23 April 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama

Plot:

A young hoodlum rises up through the ranks of the Chicago underworld, even as a gangster's accidental death threatens to spark a bloody mob war.

Plot Keywords:

Prohibition | Gangster | Grapefruit | Chicago | Gang War

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

James Cagney	...	Tom Powers
Jean Harlow	...	Gwen Allen
Edward Woods	...	Matt Doyle
Joan Blondell	...	Mamie
Donald Cook	...	Mike Powers
Leslie Fenton	...	Nails Nathan
Beryl Mercer	...	Ma Powers
Robert Emmett O'Connor	...	Paddy Ryan (as Robert O'Connor)
Murray Kinnell	...	Putty Nose

Also Known As:

Beer and Blood (USA) (working title)
Enemies of the Public (UK)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Brunswick)

Certification:

Canada:PG (video rating) | New Zealand:PG | Sweden:(Banned) | Sweden:15 | Australia:PG

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The infamous grapefruit scene caused women's groups around America to protest the on-screen abuse of Mae Clarke.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene were Tom and Mike are talking at the kitchen table Tom's hat brim goes from being up to down without Tom touching it.

Quotes:

Tom Powers: [Tom stumbles from a gun fight gone wrong with the rival gang. He's barely walking and soaked from the rain] ... I ain't so tough.
[Tom collapses in the gutter]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Some Like It Hot (1959)

Soundtrack:

I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles

83 minutes of Cinematic Bliss

Larger than life classic that chronicles the life of a street hustler turned crime lord in prohibition Chicago, based loosely on the various antics of the Irish mega-hoodlums, O'Bannon and Moran.

While we may never literally create a time machine, these old movies give you the miracle of observation at least of what life was once like. Sadly many of the old films have been destroyed through neglect, so the pickings are very slim. Public Enemy is one of the best old movies available. For only the sheer pleasure of seeing what all the fuss was about in Cagney and Harlow, it's worth a viewing. Director Wellman creates some extremely lasting images you won't want to miss, and it almost makes me think of the original Frankenstein for that reason. The final sequence especially is a dramatic example of lasting imagery in film, quite an unforgettable experience. If you like Godfather, Scarface, Goodfellas, and who doesn't, you owe it yourself to watch what may be the patriarch of the entire genre. Interestingly, while the film has a campy disclaimer demonizing the subject matter and mandating public action in order to address the evils of organized crime, it's rather obvious that the producers new exactly what they were really doing by making a film like this. Brutal as some of the action is, Cagney's charisma glorifies the gangster as much as Coppola, Scorsese and all the rest glorify modern organized crime. See it for yourself!!!