The Public Enemy

Showcasing James Cagney's powerful 1931 breakthrough performance as streetwise tough guy Tom Powers, but only because production chief Darryl F. Zanuck made a late casting change. When shooting began, Cagney had a secondary role but Zanuck soon spotted Cagney's screen dominance and gave him the star part. From that moment, an indelible genre classic and an enduring star career were both born. Bristling with style, dialogue and desperation under the masterful directorial eye of William A. Wellman, this is a virtual time capsule of the Prohibition era: taut, gritty and hard-hitting. Contains several restored scenes (deleted from subsequent reissue versions due to enforcement of the Production code) from the original release version of the film, unseen since 1931.

Special Features:

• Leonard Maltin Hosts Warner Night at the Movies 1931 with Newsreel Comedy Short: The Eyes Have It, Cartoon Smile, Darn Ya, Smile and 1931 Trailer Gallery
• New Featurette Beer and Blood: Enemies of the Public
• Commentary by Film Historian Robert Sklar
• 1954 Re-release Foreword

Critic Reviews:

• " Still a classic of the gangster genre, showing neither glorifying the life nor pulling its punches. " – Jake Hamilton

• " Now a classic, this is the movie in which Cagney famously crams a grapefruit into Mae Clarke's face. " – Marjorie Baumgarten

• " Cagney is so good here, in fact, that the picture would still be worth a look even if it were otherwise awful. " – David Nusair