Before Johnny Depp and "Public Enemies," there was "The Public Enemy." James Cagney s 1931 portrayal of the Irish American gangster, Tommy Powers, set the standard for the Hollywood gangster and helped to launch a golden age of Irish American cinema. In the years that followed several of the era s greatest stars, such as Spencer Tracy, Bing Crosby, Pat O Brien, and Ginger Rogers, assumed Irish American roles as boxers, entertainers, priests, and working girls delighting audiences and at the same time providing a fresh perspective of the Irish American experience in America s cities....
Before Johnny Depp and "Public Enemies," there was "The Public Enemy." James Cagney s 1931 portrayal of the Irish American gangster, Tommy Powers, ...