PUBLIC ENEMY, THE
William Wellman's classic pre-Code gangster tale, chronicling the rise and fall of its anti-hero from small-timer to kingpin to casualty, became the prototype for the entire genre. James Cagney plays the tenement-dwelling hood Tom Powers, clever and ruthless, who rises through the ranks to become a big-shot bootlegger during Prohibition. Kitty (Mae Clarke) is the girlfriend who bears the brunt of Tom's violent and mercurial temperament, including the controversial grapefruit-to-the-face incident; Gwen Allen (Jean Harlow) is the Texas temptress he throws her over for. DIR William A. Wellman; SCR Harvey F. Thew, from a story by Kubec Glasmon and John Bright; PROD Darryl F. Zanuck. U.S., 1931, b&w, 83 min. NOT RATED
AFI Member passes accepted.
CLICK HERE for the May 3 Double Feature of LITTLE CAESAR with THE PUBLIC ENEMY.
Run Time: 83 Minutes
Opening Date: Friday, April 28, 2023
Genre: Crime drama
