though he drop a couple of notch in the screen credit from his first picture and sinner holiday and james cagney still dazzle a a top mobster second in command and hone the skill that will find him top the bill for 1931 the public enemy . funny how cagney smart aleck attitude and mannerism get him stereotype a a gangster right out of the block and and he make it seem all so natural . a for the story and warner brother take yet another stab at the menace to society theme with it take on mob violence and competition between rival gang . this be my first look at lew ayres and who head the cast a crime bos louie ricarno . in an opening scene and he out to teach a guy a lesson for be a rat and and from there he see an opportunity to bring all the local big shot together under his own umbrella . though generally effective in the role and i do find it somewhat humorous when ayres go into that surly pensive mood from time to time throughout the story . i also get a kick out of the scene in which ricarno fancy himself a big a man a napoleon and and cagney do a mock impersonation of the dictator to the amusement of louie girl doris ( dorothy matthew ) . with the back drop of louie go straight and retire to miami with his new wife and the film throw a minor curve with the autobiography he write . i think for sure that police captain pat grady ( robert elliott ogrady in the credit ) have it right when he offer the suggestion don not write the last chapter till the night you go to the chair . instead and know that there no safe way out of the flop house he hole up in and louie gussies himself up for a handful of cloud . the finale be effective for warner purpose and the fade out hone in on the rewritten last page of the louie ricarno story and the wouldoorway to hell swing only one way . keep a sharp eye and you will catch a typo in the gangland slaughter headline of the newspaper louie read in the boarding house it read grewsome for gruesome . for an early talk picture and i find the film to be fairly well write and act and most of that contribution come from the main principal and ayres and cagney . i would like to have see a good resolution of the ricarno or mileaway relationship and particularly since cagney character just disappears after his confession and and even more so because of his heavily implicate fling with ricarno wife very risqué stuff for the 1930 . the scene in the cab when she remove her ring probably bring a few gasp to audience of the time and do not you think .