The Public Enemy
by Alfred J. Goulding, William A. Wellman
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Donald Cook, Edward Woods, James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Joan BlondellDirector: Alfred J. Goulding, William A. Wellman
Brand: Warner Brothers
Cinematographer: Devereaux Jennings
Cinematographer: Edwin B. DuPar
Producer: Darryl F. Zanuck
Writer: Harvey F. Thew
Writer: John Bright
Writer: Kubec Glasmon
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 84 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-01-25
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Warner Home Video
Movie Reviews of The Public Enemy
Movie Review: Life and Death in Chicago
Summary: 5 Stars
This film opens with scenes and music that recall the 1920s. This story is essentially true, the names and characters are purely fictional. They show a busy city street said to be 1909. People buy beer by the bucket. Two boys are up to no good. Tom Powers is the meanest boy in town. "You'll be in prison some day!" Tom's character is formed by his actions. Tom and Matt get toys for the New Year, and things go very bad. "Larry was a good boy" but he was involved with a bad crowd. Still true today? We see how the underworld works by having friends. Older brother Mike warns Tom about his friends, to no avail. Prohibition made selling liquor illegal - but not buying it. The shortages cause the price to skyrocket, and an opportunity arises. This brings in men who can get things done.
Tom becomes a forceful salesman for Paddy Ryan's gang. Mike won't drink beer (what did he learn in the military?) "Nails" Nathan wants his debts collected. Tom meets a new friend on the street; she is from Texas. Tom sees "Putty Nose" and follows him to talk about old times, and settle the score. There are conflicts at Tom's mother's home. Gwen likes a man like Tom. The accidental death of "Nails" Nathan upsets the established order. Paddy Ryan makes plans to re-establish order. [Note the use of revolvers rather than modern automatics.] But somebody sees Paddy and calls a number. "Only a coal truck." Will there be an ambush? Tom takes steps to get his revenge afterwards. Shots are fired during a heavy rain, then Tom falls into the gutter. Is he sorry now? Will he be coming home to stay? The ending is as ironic and shocking as eighty years ago.
The XVIII Amendment gave the Federal Government the right to regulate the sale of alcohol. It was a very broad mandate, and serves as a warning about any amendment with deceptively simple language designed to fool people (like the Equal Rights Amendment?). You can read a book on Prohibition to learn more about this "noble experiment". It wasn't "noble" for corporations to oppress people by taking away the taverns where they could meet. They promised it would lower crime and increase prosperity, but did just the opposite. Are the same arguments used for "Gun Control" today?
The clarity of this DVD is excellent.
Summary of The Public Enemy
A feisty punk hits women shoots men and runs beer during prohibition. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 01/25/2005 Starring: James Cagney Donald Cook Run time: 84 minutes Rating: Nr Director: William WellmanDirector William Wellman (Wings), a World War I veteran who turned his experiences in battle into an insistence on unpretentious violence in his films, made Public Enemy a particularly brutal account of the rise and fall of a monstrous gangster (James Cagney). Cagney delivers one of the most famous performances in film history as the snarling crook who--in one of the film's most famous scenes--smashes a grapefruit into the face of Mae Clarke. The film's a bit dated, but its action scenes still pack an unusual wallop. --Tom Keogh
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