Public Enemy Cultural Artifact

769 Words4 Pages
Cultural Artifact Premiering in 1931, The Public Enemy is one of the first gangster films to come out. It was directed by William A. Wellman and was soon followed by several others try to match its precedence. The opening scene takes place in 1909 in a Chicago urban area, keeping in mind that this is pre-prohibition. Two poor Irish boys, Tom Powers and Matt Doyle, are shown growing up in a rough area where they hang out at a supposed boys club, the Red Oaks Club. There they are introduced to and influenced by a character that goes by the name of Putty Nose. Putty Nose, much older, has a bad influence on the boys, despite the fact that Tom’s father was a strict police officer. Tom, along with Matt, are interested in making fast money unlike Tom’s brother, Mike, who has a steady job and goes to night school. In 1917, the United States enters World War I. Mike joins the Marine Corps and Tom is to stay home to look after their mother. 1920 strikes and prohibition is in effect. With this happening Tom and Matt join the bootleg business with partner Paddy. They are stealing alcohol from federal impound warehouses and distributing to secret, exclusive clubs. With their new found wealth, Paddy decides to go bigger and sign up with Nails Nathan, who is a crime boss. They are going to manufacture and distribute their own beer through a brewing company. Tom and Matt are to be the ‘signers and sealers’ meaning they are to make sure speakeasy’s sell their beer or no beer at all. Business, while brutal, was good for the guys. Well, it was until Nails died from falling off of a horse. A gang war broke out between competing bootleggers. It ends with Matt being shot in the back and Tom being kidnapped and killed shortly after. In the very beginning of the movie, it states, “It is the ambition of the authors of 'The Public Enemy' to honestly depict an

More about Public Enemy Cultural Artifact

Open Document