The Public Enemy
“All his life he took what he wanted...Why not women?”
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.
Your rating
Your review
Cast
35 people
James Cagney
Tom Powers
Known for
White Heat
One, Two, Three
Jean Harlow
Gwen Allen
Known for
Libeled Lady
Bombshell
Edward Woods
Matt Doyle
Also in
Tarzan the Fearless
Hot Saturday
Joan Blondell
Mamie
Known for
Grease
Gold Diggers of 1933
Donald Cook
Mike Powers
Known for
Baby Face
Show Boat
Leslie Fenton
Samuel 'Nails' Nathan
Known for
Boys Town
Beryl Mercer
Ma Powers
Known for
All Quiet on the Western Front
Cavalcade
Robert Emmett O'Connor
Paddy Ryan
Known for
A Night at the Opera
Blonde Venus
Murray Kinnell
Putty Nose
Known for
Grand Hotel
Clark Burroughs
Dutch (uncredited)
Also in
Branded
Mae Clarke
Kitty (uncredited)
Known for
Frankenstein
The Front Page
Frank Coghlan Jr.
Tom as a Boy (uncredited)
Also in
Adventures of Captain Marvel
Pardon My Pups
William A. Wellman Director · Kubec Glasmon Writer John Bright Writer
Worldwide gross $557K · Budget $151K · United States release April 23, 1931
Box office
Budget
$151,000
Worldwide gross
$557,000
Gross vs. budget
3.7×
Production
The Vitaphone Corporation
Production
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production · Studio
United States
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English
Release dates
United States · April 23, 1931
Limited theatrical · New York City, New York
United States
May 15, 1931 · Theatrical
Brazil
June 8, 1931 · Theatrical
Ireland
June 3, 1932 · Theatrical
Japan
November 6, 1931 · Theatrical
United Kingdom
November 7, 1932 · Theatrical
More from William A. Wellman
Other films they directed, best known first.
If you liked The Public Enemy
Picks that share its genres, themes, cast and crew.
Some details come from TheTVDB.