The Public Enemy - James Cagney

Seen for the first time in July 2013.

James Cagney may not seem like much of an actor in "The Public Enemy" - his lines sometimes come off as stiff and wooden - but his presence is undeniable. He pops right off the screen and his charisma overwhelms the performances of the rest of the cast, the rest of the film too as a matter of fact, which is a diverting 80 odd minutes but underwhelming when put against the pace of modern gangster fare. It's a probable influence on "A Clockwork Orange" and Cagney is an enjoyably funny scumbag, sort of a proto-Pesci, if you will. Nonetheless, the film is more dusty and cobwebbed than finely aged, though nonetheless entertaining. It certainly illustrates how stars become stars, by virtue of presence and charisma. Cagney has both to spare. Grade B-.