The Public Enemy

This is a classic Warner Bros. gangster film, with the grapefruit-to-the-face-shove casual cruelty of the pre-Code Hollywood days.

CAGNEY! & Lots other big stars of the old times. JEAN HARLOW, Joan Blondell, etc. Follows little kids, from 1909, til in the Marines in WW ONE!, then their rise during Prohibition, as beer 'enforcers', to become gangsters, and killers. This is the one where Cagney shoves a Grapefruit into his girl's face. Saw much of it again 3.11.24

It is really hard to care about any of the characters.

Plot is a bit thin, but I look forward to watching more movies starring Cagney after seeing this one.

The movie in acting is near to perfection depicting the rebellious persona. The movie overall in meaning as mentioned in the movie makes sense and makes it stand out for its overall purpose. In America where work is not mandatory as it is not in the law to work proves the problem of crime and criminal behavior in reflection while viewing this film.

The quintessential gangster film! This was the start of realistic morality tales for the American public. Cagney, Harlow & other terrific actors make it feel as real as it looks.

Director William Wellman promised beforehand, "I'll bring you the toughest, most violent picture that you ever did see". He duly delivered a film with shootings, beatings, criminality, and violence against women that shocked and excited the public. Made on a low budget, The Public Enemy had no real stars. At its centre was a fairly unknown actor called James Cagney who became a star after appearing in this film. Cagney was originally supposed to play the supporting role of Matt Doyle, the friend of the central character. However it was decided to switch the roles so that Edward Woods played Doyle, and Cagney was given the leading role of Tom Powers. It is easy to see why such a decision was made. Woods was hardly the actor to give the central role any memorable quality. By contrast Cagney was a brash and tough actor who seemed far more believable as the movie's protagonist. On the whole the film is careful not to endorse the behaviour of the mobsters that it depicts. Warner Brothers added a Foreword professing this to be "essentially a true story," and one that "honestly depicts an environment that exists today in certain stratum of American life". This Foreword insists that it does not glorify the criminal, a point that is backed up by an epilogue solemnly declaring that these crimes are a problem that must be solved. There is something puerile about the behaviour of these organised criminals. For all their toughness, they do not behave like adults. When Tom and Matt run into Putty Nose a few years later, they cannot resist the opportunity to take murderous revenge on him. The men's relationships with women are similarly lacking in maturity. Women exist to give these men someone with whom they can show off. During an argument with Kitty (Mae Clarke), Tom shoves half a grapefruit into her face. This is hardly the most brutal act and it occupies hardly any screen time, but the scene became notorious, and even drew protest from a women's rights group. There are a number of amusing stories surrounding the grapefruit scene. I am not sure how many of them are true. William Wellman said that he included the scene to get a reaction from his wife, who liked grapefruit. Grapefruit was a surprisingly popular breakfast choice at the time. Mae Clarke's ex-husband is said to have attended the movie theatre every day for the pleasure of watching his former wife receiving the grapefruit in her face. This was not an age where criminals could be glamorised, hence the attempts to undermine Tom Powers. It would be the 1960s before criminals could be presented in a semi-sympathetic manner in films such as Bonnie and Clyde. Nonetheless Cagney's boyishly charming performance made his criminal ‘hero' seem almost likeable at times. This impression is reinforced by the credit sequence which shows the actors smiling at the camera in a welcoming manner that seems at odds with the characters they play. The general public has always had a love-hate relationship with the criminal classes, and there are good reasons why the gangster had an appeal for people in the 1930s. In an age where the government had introduced Prohibition, there was a sneaking sympathy for anti-establishment figures who defied these restrictive laws. The 1930s was also a period of Depression. There were few opportunities for the poor boy to make good, and Tom Powers is using one of the only routes that was open to people of his class in a time of privation. While this may not justify his actions, it did at least make them identifiable. When Mike angrily attacks Tom's criminal activities, Tom responds by pointing out that his brother's career in the army is only a legal way of making money for doing the same thing: "You killed and liked it. You didn't get them medals for holding hands with Germans." The film ends as it must, showing us that a life of crime is wrong and will end badly. Nonetheless Wellman's decision to make the film tough and violent showed that he understood the thirst for films of this kind, and something of the dangerous allure of the gangster. I wrote a longer appreciation of The Public Enemy on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2019/10/30/the-public-enemy-1931/

Of the early gangster films, this one didn't work for me. They got the whole prohibition scam in and did an interesting job of showing 1920s US but I just got bored by it. Not terrible but there's better about.

Loved it! The story was gripping all the way through. Sure, the almost celebration of domestic abuse is one scene that is a major drawback, but it's one small part of a fantastic movie. The final scene really hit me! Big topics are tackled. The acting was pretty good, except for the kids. My favourite actor was James Cagney. I was blown away by his talent and how he created chemistry with the actresses. The cinematography was some of the best I've seen so far. The costumes were fantastic and showed the progression of the characters in a short amount of time. Such an enjoyable watch! James Cagney should have been nominated for Best Actor.

Truly historical film. Essential in the Warner Bros. (and film) history.