All his life he took what he wanted…Why not women?

Directed by:
William A. Wellman

Written by:
Kubec Glasmon
John Bright
Harvey F. Thew

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 O’Connor (Paddy Ryan), Murray Kinnell (Putty Nose)

William A. Wellman’s The Public Enemy stands as one of the defining works of early gangster cinema. Released in 1931 – the same year as Little Caesar starring Edward G. Robinson – it helped kick off a gritty, hard-hitting genre that would become a Hollywood staple.

The film opens in industrial America circa 1909, where barrels of bootleg booze roll through the streets and petty crime leads to organized underworld dealings. At the heart of the story are two Irish-American youths who drift into gang life. One of them is Tom Powers, a volatile and ambitious thug played by the electric James Cagney in a star-making performance.

Cagney’s Tom Powers isn’t just another gangster – he’s a smoldering embodiment of the American outlaw spirit, tough, unpredictable, and ultimately doomed. And while the film famously features Cagney’s brutal shooting of a horse (what is it with gangsters and horses?), it’s the iconic grapefruit scene – where he smashes a half grapefruit into Mae Clarke’s face – that has become the movie’s enduring image.

Though Edward G. Robinson’s Little Caesar beat The Public Enemy to theaters by a few months, Wellman’s film surpasses it in terms of visual style and production value. Beautifully shot with a sharp eye for period detail, the direction gives the film a sense of realism and cinematic flair that feels advanced for its time. Interestingly, the film’s lead role was originally assigned to Edward Woods, with Cagney cast as his sidekick. But during rehearsals, Wellman recognized Cagney’s screen presence and wisely switched the roles. The result is one of the most memorable debuts in film history; Cagney utterly commands the screen.

The story charts Tom Powers’ rise through the criminal ranks during Prohibition, chronicling his growing influence and inevitable downfall. Like many gangster films of the era, such as Scarface (1932), The Public Enemy operates as a cautionary tale. While it thrills with its violence and bravado, it ultimately condemns the gangster lifestyle. As Powers’ actions begin to take a toll on those around him, the film steers toward its grim, uncompromising conclusion. Cagney’s final line – “I ain’t so tough” – rings with bitter irony.

The Public Enemy marked the beginning of two major cinematic milestones: the emergence of James Cagney as a major star and the ascendance of the gangster film as a serious Hollywood genre. Nearly a century later, it remains a landmark of American cinema: stylish, shocking, and still relevant.

Rating:

Quote:
PADDY RYAN: “As far as I’m concerned there’s only two kinds of people: Right and wrong. Now, I think you’re right. You’ll find that I am, unless you cross me.”

Trivia:
The scene where Tom shoots the horse that threw and killed Sam ‘Nails’ Nathan in a riding accident was based on an actual incident. In 1924, Sam ‘Nails’ Morton, a member of Dion O’Banion’s gang, was thrown from his horse and killed while riding in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. Other members of the gang, led by Louis ‘Two Gun’ Alteri, kidnapped the horse, took it to the spot where the accident occurred, and shot it dead. Source: Carl Sifakis, ‘Encyclopedia Of American Crime.’