The Public Enemy (1931)

1931 was a banner year for Warner Brothers cementing themselves in the genre of the gangster film. January would see the release of the Edward G. Robinson classic Little Caesar and shortly after in April James Cagney would hit the big screen as another tough guy in The Pubic Enemy. The film would make Cagney a star and label him as a "tough guy" for decades to come. The 1930s would be a time for Warner Bros. to produce numerous gangster films due to their success with both 1931 hits. It is amazing to consider that The Public Enemy would go down as one of the genre's all time best considering how quickly it was produced and how many last minute changes turned around the complete complexion of this cinema classic.

The Public Enemy is a crime drama set in underground mob crime world in a city, most likely Chicago though the film never says. We watch the rise Tom Powers (Cagney) and Matt Doyle (Edward Woods) up from two peddling boys stealing and selling watches to being involved criminal world of bootlegging after Prohibition is set in place. Tom becomes more powerful through making himself a more ruthless man than his competitors, which is even shocking to his longtime friend Matt. Despite his ruthlessness Tom never forgets his family and is always trying to help his mother despite the disapproval of his older brother, the clean living war hero Mike, knowing how tainted Tom's money is. Tom's world is slowly brought down, first with the gunning down of Matt, then through is own injuries when Tom, because of his own pride, takes on a rival gang all but himself. The ending is brutal as at first Tom lives and recovers in a hospital while his loving mother waits for him to be brought home. Eventually Tom is "delivered" home by the rival gang at the doorstep of his mother's house landing is a dead heap at the feet of his stunned brother who in the final shot of the film is seen in complete shock walking towards camera as he realizes he must give the heartbreaking news to his ever positive mother.

The picture is wonderfully shot. Director William A. Wellman, director of the Academy Award winning Wings, chooses some of the most interesting angles that serve the film with the correct drama and intrigue. The shot composition and creativity is well above average for its time. Shots included long tracking shots to introduce the setting of the film, to one where a hole was dug in the ground so a car can drive over the crane controlled camera it would sink just below the speeding vehicle, to the reveal of the deceased Tom Powers at the doorstep before be falls to the feet of his horrified brother. Wellman produces much of the films violence off screen making the film even more gruesome as much is left to the audience's imagination as people are hurt or killed. One of the best examples of off-screen action is when Tom is to kill a former mentor in front of his partner Matt. As Tom moves in to end the life of this man the camera turns to Matt as he walks to the door and we hear the shot, see emotional Matt jump, and watch as Tom walks out of the room without worries while Matt is shocked at the sight he saw. Wellman was masterful when making this film.

The picture would mark the beginning of stardom for James Cagney. Despite his smaller stature and the fact that he was a dancer not an actor somebody saw something in Cagney to cast him in this picture as Matt Doyle. You read that right. He was intended to be cast as Matt not Tom. You may notice this fact in the early flashback segments of the picture as the child playing young Matt shares the resemblance to Cagney and not Edward Woods. Wellman switch the roles for the two actors shortly into production when he saw Cagney in Millionaire where James plays a quick talking salesman. The way Cagney spoke and how he carried himslef made Wellman feel that James filled the role of Tom much better. Depsite the quick-paced talking Cagney brought with him sound production improved enough in its few short years to allow such speech to be recorded and play back wonderfully. So Cagney was Tom Powers for the two months of production in January and February of 1931 and history was set in motion. Jimmy Cagney would be known as a tough guy for the rest of his carrier making many pictures with the similar type of character, but it would be his natural skill as a dancer that would win him an Academy Award years later in Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Another important footnote in the history of this picture is that of the rise of Jean Harlow. Harlow would play a small role in the picture, but made a lasting impact that would help her become a star in the coming years. The platinum blond who played roles in pictures such as Hell's Angels was under contract with RKO at the time, but would be loaned out from time to time. There was something about her that attracted audiences. She did not play the usual roles of heroine, but rather as an attractive woman that brought men's attention to her. She was unconventional. Her Bronx accent was not that of the usual female star, but it didn't matter to movie goers. She had "it." Critics found her performances weak, but the people loved her. Her short time on screen made an impact in her future as a movie star.

If there was anything that is remembered the most from this picture besides the rise of Cagney it would be what is known now as simply "the grapefruit scene." Before the Hays code put restrictions on what Americans would see on screen studios tended to censor themselves. There was also censorship of the individual states with the exhibition of motion pictures which obliviously varied. Despite all that censorship was a bit more lax before the Hays code and this picture toed the line that was yet to be drawn. Wellman devised a scene where Powers mistreats a girlfriend of his while eating breakfast by forcefully shoving a sliced grapefruit into her face. This would be a shocking scene for its time as such a open mistreatment of a woman on screen was a taboo. The Hays code would censor out the act in the future release of the film. Today it would seem rather tame, but it was a groundbreaking moment with the grittiness of the picture.

There are several myths that follow the scene including:
-It was not staged. but Cagney acting in character. Shocking everyone on set.
-Wellman told Cagney the plan but not his co-star producing genuine surprise.
-Wellman wrote it in the script out of a fantasy he wanted to do to his wife.
-Tickets were sold just for the viewing of this scene alone.

... What is true? We are not quite sure, but it seems that the scene was staged and the myths are a mix with other stage stories that took a life of their own. The unplanned myth probably came from a mix from another story from the film's production, the scene where Cagney was to be hit by his brother. Wellman secretly instructed for Cagney to be hit with greater force for realism. Cagney did get hit hard and broke a tooth, but like a pro Cagney kept in character finishing the scene. Obviously movies are made differently now when it concerns the safety of its stars. One other disregard to the star's safety is when Powers is being shot at while diving behind a wall. There were no special effects, it was real ammunition fired at the wall Cagney dove behind. that was just how films were sometimes made. After all the film was shot in two months then two months later was out on the big screen.

The film was a sure success. Cagney was a star. Wellman would eventually win an Oscar in 1937 with A Star Is Born. The Public Enemy would be a classic for 1930s cinema and for the gangster genre, ranked as #8 on AFI's Top Gangster film list. Together with Little Caesar Warner Bros. found its calling during the 30s and would produce many gangster films throughout the decade, but it would be the two 1931 classics that set the standard. So much so that the two films would be re-released together in a double bill in 1954. The film had a message attached to it that crime was something that was needed to be fought and stopped. This was said mainly to save face that the film was in fact glorifying criminals, but all said and done it is just good cinema for people to enjoy.