James Cagney became a star, Mae Clark took a grapefruit to the face and Jean Harlow made an impression. It’s an early “talkie” by William Wellman that’s both a blueprint for what would come later, and a uniquely brutal take on the gangster genre.

The Public Enemy

Shelly Brisbin with Dr. Drang and Nathan Alderman

The Movie: review/commentary on a single classic film

Next time, we’ll watch

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