Jimmy Cagney: The First Public Enemy

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Universal, Action, Adaptation, Drama, Period, Casting, Filmmaking, Upcoming Releases

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Though gangster activity had been used in film before the 1931 release of The Public Enemy, no actor did it as convincingly as the somewhat short, fast-talking kid from New York’s lower east side: James Cagney. The film was his seventh and became one of his most successful, propelling Cagney to stardom that would last for decades in Hollywood’s golden age. Playing Tom Powers, Cagney personified the charismatic villain audiences wanted to love and hate at the same time. At five feet, five inches tall, he was by no means the talk, dark and handsome leading man who Hollywood normally cast…but after playing Tom Powers, he solidified himself as the reigning king of all gangster movies forevermore.

The success of the film, and the public reaction to Cagney, led to a new era in Hollywood. Suddenly, it was cool to be on the wrong side of the law. Films like Scarface, G Men, Little Caesar and Angels with Dirty Faces marked the movies of the 30s, which saw a huge rise in crime-related drama films. Hollywood and audiences would carry on this obsession in subsequent decades, the list of gangster movies growing in each successive ten year period.

The Public Enemy era that made criminals like Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde and John Dillinger famous has long since passed, but still remains fascinating for moviegoers and movie-makers. Perhaps the Hollywood gangster revolution would have happened even without the powerful acting force known as Jimmy Cagney…but perhaps, it wouldn’t.