The Public Enemy

"All his life he took what he wanted...Why not women?"

1931 1h 24m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 405

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Two young Chicago hoodlums, Tom Powers and Matt Doyle, rise up from their poverty-stricken slum life to become petty thieves, bootleggers and cold-blooded killers. But with street notoriety and newfound wealth, the duo feels the heat from the cops and rival gangsters both. Despite his ruthless criminal reputation, Tom tries to remain connected to his family, however, gang warfare and the need for revenge eventually pull him away.

“All his life he took what he wanted...Why not women?”

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Cast

James Cagney
Tom Powers
Jean Harlow
Gwen Allen
Edward Woods
Matt Doyle
Joan Blondell
Mamie
Donald Cook
Mike Powers
Leslie Fenton
Samuel 'Nails' Nathan
Beryl Mercer
Ma Powers
Robert Emmett O'Connor
Paddy Ryan

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: William A. Wellman
Writers: Kubec Glasmon, John Bright
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.7× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

95 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by William A. Wellman, shot by Devereaux Jennings. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Edward M. McDermott shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

James Cagney and Jean Harlow and Edward Woods carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "All his life he took what he wanted...Why not women?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

William A. Wellman directs. Devereaux Jennings behind the camera. Edward M. McDermott cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $0.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Made its money back 3.7× over at the box office.
495 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
5Directed by William A. Wellman, shot by Devereaux Jennings. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Edward M. McDermott shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7James Cagney and Jean Harlow and Edward Woods carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "All his life he took what he wanted...Why not women?".
9IMDB entry: tt0022286 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 9 themes, including "gangster", "anti hero", "tragedy", "organized crime".