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72% Critic Match
The Public Enemy
“All his life he took what he wanted...Why not women?”
7.2 / 10• 1931• 1h 23m•NR• English
CrimeDrama
Storyline
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.
Cast & Crew
James Cagney
Tom Powers
Lead
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
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. William A. Wellman's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. The Public Enemy is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
