the public enemy and along with little caesar and scarface and set the standard for the gangster film . though film about crime have be do in the silent era and sound be what really ushered in this particular genre . i have always maintain that musical and gangster film be the only two movie genre that date from the sound era . of course this film about a young man rise to prominence in the bootleg liquor business during prohibition make james cagney a star . interestingly enough edward wood be originally suppose to be tom power and cagney be cast a best friend matt doyle . after some footage have be shot and director william wellman scrap it and have cagney and wood exchange role . star get bear in many and strange way . some critic have complain about beryl mercer part a cagney mother and say she overact the ditziness . i disagree with that completely . in the prologue section with cagney and wood a juvenile and there be a two parent household . the boy have a stern irish father and a mom who would spoil them if she could . the old kid who be later play by donald cook have more the benefit of the two family home and both influence . that and the fact that world war i leave him partially disable prevents him from think about the gangster trade . cagney miss the war and be spoil by mom . i know a woman like beryl and in her own world with a stream of nonsensical chatter to keep out the reality of thing . her portrayal for me ring true . oddly enough in the roaring twenty cagney be a veteran who enter the racket because he can not get a legitimate job and it easy money . both the public enemy and little caesar be short film and edit down to the essential so the viewer ain not bore for a minute . warner brother sure know how to do those gangster flick .