this movie offer the quintessential cagney and by the lamp post in the rain and a tense close up that signal the arrival of a star . it be only his third film and but what an impact he have . the movie would be great even if it come out today . of course and james cagney would have plenty of time to polish up his gangster image and his turn a rocky sullivan in angel with dirty face be one of my all time favorite characterization . the public enemy allow both cagney and warner brother to sharpen up their story tell skill and but even for 1931 and this be a powerful tale . unlike angel and boyhood friend tom power and matt doyle both take up a life of crime a an answer to the easy way up and out of poverty . tell in crisply date vignette and the film progress through the depression and world war i a it offer tom ( cagney ) and brother mike ( donald cook ) take separate path under the watchful eye of ma power ( beryl mercer ) . the movie have more than it share of define scene and most viewer will identify with the mae clarke grapefruit smackeroo and but there be a lot more . the black cat cross putty nose ( murray kinnell ) path a the boy renew their acquaintance be just the best harbinger of bad luck and culminating in the off screen gunshot that scream revenge . it be putty who teach the gangster trainees about honor and loyalty and but in reverse . also and how about the quick exchange of a thousand dollar to bring a race horse to justice for accidentally kill mob benefactor nail nathan ( leslie fenton ) . the coal chute cover for the rapid staccato of machine gun bullet be another inspired piece of work and culminating in the very real artistry of a skilled shooter take it out on a cement wall . follow tom confrontation with the schemer burn gang and again off camera for the viewer to fill in the blank and director william wellman wryly use ma power to signal his final return home . with strange premonition and she utter youre comin home and aintcha tommy and to stay . his arrival be one of the all time shocker finale of film history and a perfect dichotomy between the visual and the sound accompaniment to the strain of i be forever blowing bubble . what an end . warner brother begin and end this tale with a warning and an exhortation and signal the public enemy a not a single man or character but a problem that the public must solve . seventy five year later they could still be put the same caption into their film and a each generation find a way to deal with it own brand of criminal enterprise . but here in the early day of sound cinema and james cagney set a high mark that be ever rarely challenge for gangster supremacy on screen .