The Public Enemy
(a.k.a. "Enemies of the Public" -- UK)

US (1931): Crime

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 The 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 Tom Powers 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. And it made Cagney a star. (Tom Keogh, Amazon.com)

 Use this link to view the original theatrical trailer for The Public Enemy on TCM.com.

1 nomination