The Public Enemy (1931)

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

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

Release Date:

23 April 1931 (USA)

Genre:

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:

Gangster | Prohibition | Death | Grapefruit | Best Friend

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clark Burroughs	...	Dutch (uncredited)
Mae Clarke	...	Kitty (uncredited)
Frank Coghlan Jr.	...	Tom as a Boy (uncredited)
George Daly	...	Machine Gunner (uncredited)
Frankie Darro	...	Matt as a Boy (uncredited)
Snitz Edwards	...	Miller (uncredited)
Rita Flynn	...	Molly Doyle (uncredited)
Dorothy Gee	...	Nails' Girl (uncredited)
Douglas Gerrard	...	Assistant Tailor (uncredited)
Dorothy Gray	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Ben Hendricks Jr.	...	'Bugs' Moran as a Boy (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Officer Pat Burke (uncredited)
Eddie Kane	...	Joe - Headwaiter (uncredited)
Mia Marvin	...	Jane (uncredited)
Sam McDaniel	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Helen Parrish	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Steve - Bartender (uncredited)
Russ Powell	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Purnell Pratt	...	Officer Powers (uncredited)
Nanci Price	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Landers Stevens	...	Doctor (uncredited)
William H. Strauss	...	Pawnbroker (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Mug (uncredited)
Lucille Ward	...	Larry Dalton's Weeping Mother (uncredited)
Adele Watson	...	Mrs. Doyle (uncredited)

Directed by
William A. Wellman

Writing credits
Kubec Glasmon		(by) and
John Bright		(by)
Harvey F. Thew		(screen adaptation) (as Harvey Thew)

Produced by
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Devereaux Jennings		(photography) (as Dev Jennings)

Film Editing by
Edward M. McDermott		(edited by) (as Edw. M. McDermott)

Casting by
Rufus Le Maire		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Max Parker

Costume Design by
Edward Stevenson		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dolph Zimmer	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Stunts
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Irving Glassberg	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Frank Kesson	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Nelson Laraby	....	director of photography: additional photography (uncredited)
William Reinhold	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Al Roberts	....	camera operator (uncredited)
William Schurr	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Harry L. Underwood	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Willard Van Enger	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Sidney Wagner	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
Scotty Welbourne	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Earl Luick	....	wardrobe

Music Department
David Mendoza	....	conductor: Vitaphone Orchestra
David Mendoza	....	composer: title music (uncredited)

Other crew
Dillingham	....	production assistant (uncredited)
William Guthrie	....	location manager (uncredited)
Newitt	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Clem Peoples	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Rule	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Whitmore	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1931) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros (1954) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Dominant Pictures Corporation (1959) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1984) (Finland) (TV)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (Canada) (DVD) (4 film collection)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD) (4 film collection)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Brunswick Radios Used Exclusively)

Certification:

New Zealand:PG | Sweden:(Banned) | Sweden:15 (re-rating) (1977) | Australia:PG | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-15 (2005) | Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | UK:A (cinema release) | UK:PG (video release)

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

Several versions exist of the origin of the notorious grapefruit scene, but the most plausible is the one on which both James Cagney and Mae Clarke agree: The scene, they explained, was actually staged as a practical joke at the expense of the film crew, just to see their stunned reactions. There was never any intention of ever using the shot in the completed film. Director William A. Wellman, however, eventually decided to keep the shot, and use it in the film's final release print.

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the end of the film, Tom Powers is hiding by the stairs, waiting in the rain for his enemies. After they arrive, Tom stands up and his hat is straight on his head, the next view of him has the hat cocked to one side, then the following view shows the hat straight again.

Quotes:

Tom Powers:So beer ain't good enough for you, huh?
Mike Powers:Do you think I care if there was just beer in that keg? I know what's in it. I know what you've been doing all this time, how you got those clothes and those new cars. You've been telling Ma that you've gone into politics, that you're on the city payroll. Pat Burke told me everything. You murderers! There's not only beer in that jug. There's beer and blood - blood of men!
[Mike throws the keg into the corner, smashing Mrs Powers' table and causing a racket]
Tom Powers:[Stands] You ain't changed a bit.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Edward Hopper (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

I Surrender Dear

Great film from the beginnings of the gangster-movie-genre

"The Public Enemy" is one of the starting points of the great season of gangster movies, a very interesting work. It is not the story of the rise and fall of some big boss of crime. Tom Powers (James Cagney) and Matt Doyle (Edward Woods) are just small time crooks, and so they remain throughout the movie. Only, they make the big money that the circumstances of prohibition offer to any criminal. Tom is just a semi-illiterate, naturally violent thug. He is not even professional. He kills just out of stupidity or desire of a pointless revenge, that ultimately will severely damage himself. Further evidence of his cheap personality is shown when he instantly falls for the vulgar, tasteless girl Gwen (Jean Harlow). By the way, Harlow looks remarkably unattractive (to our modern eyes, at least). Was it a choice of director Wellmann? Matt is slightly better than Tom, but clearly he has not the guts to cross his mate.

In my opinion a major credit of the film is that it systematically avoids cliché. Neither Tom nor Matt are outcomes of poverty and social injustice. They come from simple but honest, decent and loving families. But they are both bad (that's the word) and they use the freedom and opportunities of their democratic country to make evil.

In "The Public Enemy" we find probably the first instances of the beautiful stylish cinematography and clever camera-work that will become the trade-mark of later gangster and noir movies. Some scenes are unforgettable, like the final one, or that under the rain, or that of Cagney abusing the girl. The brief scene of the killing of the horse is pure cinematic genius.

In the film there are also some naiveness and clumsiness, though. The way Tom undergoes the personality of his good brother is far-fetched. It is not clear why a gangster in a hospital, wounded in a gun-fight, is not under strict police control. The behavior of Tom's boss in the ending is illogical. Moreover, the part where Tom and Matt are kids is too long (we audience are all eager to see Cagney!), and action is a bit scarce for a gangster movie.

"The Public Enemy" was Cagney's breakout film, and really he makes a powerful and accurate job. Actually, a strong acting is provided by the whole cast. The director William A. Wellmann handles the movie with sound talent.

"The Public Enemy" is a beautiful and historically important movie. I recommend it to any cinema-lover