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The Public Enemy

Play trailer Poster for The Public Enemy 1931 1h 24m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 35 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Two young Chicago hoodlums, Tom Powers (James Cagney) and Matt Doyle (Eddie Woods), 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.
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The Public Enemy

Critics Reviews

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Edwin Schallert Los Angeles Times Apr 19, 2019
If there are to be gangster pictures, let them be like The Public Enemy, hard-boiled and vindictive almost to the point of burlesque. Go to Full Review Jake Hamilton Empire Magazine Oct 30, 2007
5/5
Still a classic of the gangster genre, showing neither glorifying the life nor pulling its punches. Go to Full Review Variety Staff Variety Oct 30, 2007
There's no lace on this picture. It's raw and brutal. It's low-brow material given such workmanship as to make it high-brow. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Jul 28, 2025
3.5/4
James Cagney's charismatic turn perfectly lines up with William A. Wellman’s inventive direction and a risqué, pre-Production Code script. Go to Full Review Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal Jul 22, 2025
4/5
You could take all the gangland intrigue that happens here at its face value of heroes and villains, good and bad, moral and amoral. But there's a litany of contextual ideas about embedded social cruelty coursing through "The Public Enemy’s" veins. Go to Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand Aug 19, 2023
In the first depression-era films of the mob rats blasting their way to big screen glory like Molotov cocktails, Cagney’s Tom Powers was the most magnificent of the new breed of machine gun-toting anti-hero. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Bill T @btreakle Aug 4, 2026 “The Public Enemy “ This year was an old refill from 1931 ironically enough the year the Hoover Dam was beginning to be built. Anyway this movie starring James cagney and Jean Harlow two of the favorite actors actresses of that time.Let me just say that uh James cagney did not disappoint in this one and the film had a very familiar theme about organized crime. This one is in black and white but it’s still worth the watch especially if you like James cagney movies and black and white films. Nothing too crazy about the sets wardrobe or storyline. But I highly recommend this film two folks who like to watch the old gangster type movies. See more Ryan F @RT78602208 Aug 1, 2026 Holy shit so great. Cagney is amazing but the film is so well directed and written it is easy to overlook that. By fee the best 40s movie I have seen See more MercersLaw T @RT56563753 Nov 12, 2025 Cagney's performance hits you like a grapefruit to the face, truly one of the greatest actors of the pre-code era. Fast paced and gritty but not without it's comedic moment (such as the suit measuring scene) an excellent rise and fall sorry of 2 lifelong friends based on (apparently) true events. Great acting all-round and and must see. See more Navid S. @navidshah94 Oct 23, 2025 I appreciate its place in film history, but honestly, it didn’t hit me as much as I expected. James Cagney is great, full of energy and charisma, but the story felt pretty standard, maybe because every gangster film that came later followed the same pattern. It’s clear this one started it all, but watching it now, it feels more like a blueprint than a living, breathing story. Still, a solid piece of early gangster cinema. See more David F @dfulmer Sep 5, 2024 This is a classic Warner Bros. gangster film, with the grapefruit-to-the-face-shove casual cruelty of the pre-Code Hollywood days. See more Deke P @RT96675217 Mar 11, 2024 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 See more Read all reviews
The Public Enemy

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Cast & Crew

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William A. Wellman

Director

James Cagney

Tom Powers

Jean Harlow

Gwen Allen

Mae Clarke

Kitty

Edward Woods

Matt Doyle

Beryl Mercer

Ma Powers

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The Public Enemy

The Public Enemy (1931) The Public Enemy (1931) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Two young Chicago hoodlums, Tom Powers (James Cagney) and Matt Doyle (Eddie Woods), 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.
Director
William A. Wellman
Producer
Darryl F Zanuck
Screenwriter
Kubec Glasmon, John Bright, Harvey F. Thew, David Mendoza
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Production Co
Warner Brothers
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 23, 1931, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 24, 2014
Runtime
1h 24m
Sound Mix
Vitaphone
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