classic gangster film show how a young man ( james cagney ) become a gangster and killer . this film make cagney and deservedly so . it move quickly ( it 82 minute long ) and be never dull and have good acting and contain many classic sequence represent cagney smack mae clarke in the face with a grapefruit while a massacre that you hear but do not see while cagney stumble through a rainstorm . the film also open and end with a silly statement condemn gangster it be probably put in to pacify censor this film be consider extremely violent for 1931. also the end be horrify and even by today standard . a must see . also a nice showcase for a very young jean harlow .