The Public Enemy

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The Public Enemy

Released Apr 23, 1931

1h 24m

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

100%

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35 Reviews

84%

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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Edwin Schallert

Los Angeles Times

If there are to be gangster pictures, let them be like The Public Enemy, hard-boiled and vindictive almost to the point of burlesque.

Apr 19, 2019

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Jake Hamilton

Empire Magazine

Still a classic of the gangster genre, showing neither glorifying the life nor pulling its punches.

Rated: 5/5

Oct 30, 2007

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Variety Staff

Variety

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.

Oct 30, 2007

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

James Cagney's charismatic turn perfectly lines up with William A. Wellman’s inventive direction and a risqué, pre-Production Code script.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 28, 2025

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

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.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 22, 2025

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

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.

Aug 19, 2023

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David F

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

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/05/24

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Deke P

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/11/24

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Steve D

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

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/24

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Jeff S

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

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/16/24

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Morvia 8thsin/ 3

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.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/30/24

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Georgan G

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.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/08/23

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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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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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