Public Enemy
by William A. Wellman
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VHS Tape Cover Information
Actor: Donald Cook, Edward Woods, James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Joan BlondellDirector: William A. Wellman
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Black & White, NTSC
Running Time: 83 minutes
Release Date: 1998-05-19
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: MGM (Video & DVD)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
VHS Movie Reviews of Public Enemy
Movie Review: The Ultimate Tough Guy
Summary: 5 Stars
Tom Powers (James Cagney) is a heel and has been ever since childhood when he and his friend Matt Doyle (Edward Woods) used to steal beer and torment the neighborhood. Now he's all grown up and he has moved on to bigger but not better things. From manhandling his women (Mae Clarke) to murdering old pals, Tom is nothing short of a terror. In spite of his nastiness, one can't help but like him and hope that he gets away with his terrible deeds.
The use of violence in the film is interesting. We never really see anything happening until the very end, which makes for more powerful scenes. The crimes committed are no different than those in modern gangster movies; the difference is the amount of the acts that we are allowed to see. In some ways, the subtlety is more moving, and William Wellman creates some beautiful scenes in spite of the seedy subject matter.
Also appearing are Joan Blondell and Jean Harlow who had spectacular careers after this film. By this time, Blondell had appeared in two movies with Cagney and was an expert actress. Harlow was just starting out and it shows. However, it is interesting to see her in this early role before she adopted the fast-talking persona that made her a star.
It is interesting to note that although this movie depicts and sometimes glorifies the life of a gangster through the charm of Cagney, it warns against it. Modern movies have dumped this part of the gangster film but have expanded on the other parts.
Summary of Public Enemy
Director 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 KeoghAction & Adventure VHS Video
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