The Public Enemy

"All his life he took what he wanted...Why not women?"

May 15 1931 Passed 1h 23m
Crime, Drama

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.

Plot

Tom Powers and Matt Doyle are best friends and fellow gangsters, their lives frowned upon by Tom's straitlaced brother, Mike, and Matt's straitlaced sister, Molly. From their teen-aged years into young adulthood, Tom and Matt have an increasingly lucrative life, bootlegging during the Prohibition era. But Tom in particular becomes more and more brazen in what he is willing to do, and becomes more obstinate and violent against those who either disagree with him or cross him. When one of their colleagues dies in a freak accident, a rival bootlegging faction senses weakness among Tom and Matt's gang, which is led by Paddy Ryan. A gang war ensues, resulting in Paddy suggesting that Tom and Matt lay low. But because of Tom's basic nature, he decides instead to take matters into his own hands.

Written by

Kubec Glasmon, John Bright, Harvey F. Thew

Directed by

William A. Wellman

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures, The Vitaphone Corporation

Languages

English

Awards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 1 win & 1 nomination total

Scores
# of Votes
23,757
Average Rating
7.6 out of 10
Metascore
80
Popularity
NA