| Release Date: | Apr 1931 |
|---|---|
| Genres: | Drama / Crime / Action |
| Awards: | Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win |
| Runtime: | 83 min |
| Cast: | James Cagney (Tom Powers), Jean Harlow (Gwen Allen), Edward Woods (Matt Doyle) Joan Blondell (Mamie) Donald Cook (Mike Powers) Leslie Fenton (Nails Nathan) Beryl Mercer (Ma Powers) Robert Emmett O'Connor (Paddy Ryan (as Robert O'Connor)) Murray Kinnell (Putty Nose) Clark 'Buddy' Burroughs (Dutch (uncredited)) Mae Clarke (Kitty (uncredited)) Frank Coghlan Jr. (Tom as a Boy (uncredited)) George Daly (Machine Gunner (uncredited)) Frankie Darro (Matt as a Boy (uncredited)) Snitz Edwards (Miller (uncredited)) Rita Flynn (Molly Doyle (uncredited)) Dorothy Gee (Nails' Girl (uncredited)) Douglas Gerrard (Assistant Tailor (uncredited)) Dorothy Gray (Little Girl (uncredited)) Ben Hendricks Jr. ('Bugs' Moran as a Boy) Robert Homans (Officer Pat Burke (uncredited)) Eddie Kane (Joe - Headwaiter (uncredited)) Mia Marvin (Jane (uncredited)) Sam McDaniel (Headwaiter (uncredited)) Helen Parrish (Little Girl (uncredited)) Lee Phelps (Steve - Bartender (uncredited)) Russ Powell (Bartender (uncredited)) Purnell Pratt (Officer Powers (uncredited)) Nanci Price (Little Girl (uncredited)) Landers Stevens (Doctor (uncredited)) William H. Strauss (Pawnbroker (uncredited)) Charles Sullivan (Mug (uncredited)) Lucille Ward (Larry Dalton's Weeping Mother...) Adele Watson (Mrs. Doyle (uncredited)) |
Tom Powers and Matt Doyle are best friends and fellow gangsters, their lives frowned upon by Tom's straight laced brother, Mike, and Matt's straight laced sister, Molly. From their teen-aged years into young adulthood, Tom and Matt have an increasingly lucrative life, bootlegging during the Prohibition era. But Tom in particular becomes more and more brazen in what he is willing to do, and becomes more obstinate and violent against those who either disagree with him or cross him. When one of their colleagues dies in a freak accident, a rival bootlegging faction senses weakness among Tom and Matt's gang, which is led by Paddy Ryan. A gang war ensues, resulting in Paddy suggesting that Tom and Matt lay low. But because of Tom's basic nature, he decides instead to take matters into his own hands.
