The Public Enemy (1931)

My Review

James Cagney got his big break in the picture business in “The Public Enemy.” Along with “Little Caesar” starring Edward G. Robinson, this film started the gangster movie genre which continues to this day. Harvey F. Thew authored a hard-hitting screenplay which was brought to life on the big screen by director William A. Wellman (“The High and the Mighty” 1954), producer Daryll F. Zanuck, and Warner Bros. Pictures.

Co-stars include Jean Harlow, Joan Blondell, Edward Woods, Donald Cook, Leslie Fenton, Robert O’Connor, Murray Kinnell, and Beryl Mercer as Ma Powers. The story follows the life of crime of two childhood friends (Cagney & Woods) through Prohibition. This watchable film clearly shows the penalty of criminal activity, that crime does not pay, and that gangsters truly are “The Public Enemy.”