The Public Enemy

Name: The Public Enemy
Genre: Crime, Drama
Released: 1931-04-23
Duration: 1 h 24 min
Rating: 7.3
Cast: James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward Woods, Joan Blondell, Donald Cook

1931·Movie·NR·84 min·★ 7.3(390)

Crime Drama More English titles

“All his life he took what he wanted...Why not women?”

Two young Chicago hoodlums, Tom Powers and Matt Doyle, rise up from their poverty-stricken slum life to become petty thieves, bootleggers and cold-blooded killers. But with street notoriety and newfound wealth, the duo feels the heat from the cops and rival gangsters both. Despite his ruthless criminal reputation, Tom tries to remain connected to his family, however, gang warfare and the need for revenge eventually pull him away.

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Where to watch The Public Enemy in United States

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Click a service to open The Public Enemy there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

Where is The Public Enemy streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, HBO Max	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Canada	—	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Australia	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Germany	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, MagentaTV
France	—	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Spain	Filmin	Amazon Video
Brazil	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Japan	—	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, FOD
South Korea	wavve, Watcha	wavve

About The Public Enemy

The Public Enemy is a 1931 English-language crime and drama film directed by William A. Wellman. The cast is led by James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward Woods. It has a runtime of 1h 24m. Viewers rate it 7.3/10 across 400 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, HBO Max.

The Public Enemy was produced by The Vitaphone Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures and made in United States of America. It was released on April 23, 1931, and carries a NR certification. Made on a budget of about $0 million, it went on to gross $1 million worldwide.

Director: William A. Wellman
Writers: John Bright, Kubec Glasmon
Release date: April 23, 1931
Original language: English
Age rating: NR
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $0 million
Box office: $1 million
Production: The Vitaphone Corporation, Warner Bros. Pictures

#gangster#anti hero#tragedy#organized crime#best friend#juvenile delinquent#pre-code#grapefruit#amused

The Public Enemy cast & crew

The Public Enemy was directed by William A. Wellman and written by John Bright and Kubec Glasmon.

The cast features James Cagney as Tom Powers, Jean Harlow as Gwen Allen, Edward Woods as Matt Doyle, Joan Blondell as Mamie, Donald Cook as Mike Powers, and Leslie Fenton as Samuel 'Nails' Nathan.

Behind the camera, cinematography is by Devereaux Jennings and it was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck.

Is The Public Enemy worth watching?

The Public Enemy holds an audience score of 7.3/10 from 390 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed crime films.

At 1h 24m, it's an easy, time-light watch.

If you enjoy crime and drama, The Public Enemy is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Public Enemy

In United States, you can stream The Public Enemy on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, and HBO Max, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.