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List Price: $68.98 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 12623
Released: March 25, 2008 |
| Our Price: $43.98 |
| Used Price: $45.00 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
The Public Enemy showcases James Cagney's powerful 1931 breakthrough performance as streetwise tough guy Tom Powers. When shooting began, Cagney had a secondary role but Zanuck soon spotted Cagney's screen dominance and gave him the star part. From that moment, an indelible genre classic and an enduring star career were both born.
As a psychotic thug devoted to his hard-boiled ma, James Cagney - older, scarier and just as elctrifying - gives a performance to match his work in The Public Enemy as White Heat's cold-blooded Cody Jarrett. Bracingly directed by Raoul Walsh, this fast-paced thriller tracing Jarrett's violent life in and out of jail is also a harrowing character study. Jarrett is a psychological time bomb ruled by impulse. It is among the most vivid screen performances of Cagney's career, and the excitement it generates will put you on top of the world!
In Angels with Dirty Faces, Cagney's Rocky Sullivan is a charismatic ghetto tough whose underworld rise makes him a hero to a gang of slum punks. The 1938 New York Film Critics Best Actor Award came Cagney's way, as well as one of the film's three Oscar nominations. Watch the chilling death-row finale and you'll know why.
"R-I-C-O, Little Caesar, that's who!" Edward G. Robinson bellowed into the phone. And Hollywood got the message: 37-year-old Robinson, not gifted with matinee-idol looks, was nonetheless a first-class star and moviegoers hailed the hard-hitting social consciousness dramas that became the Depression-era mainstay of Warner Bros.
Little Caesar is the tale of pugnacious Caesar Enrico Bandello, a hoodlum with a Chicago-sized chip on his shoulder, few attachments, fewer friends and no sense of underworld diplomacy. And Robinson - a genteel art collector who disdained guns (in the movie, his eyelids were taped to keep them from blinking when he fired a pistol) - was forever associated with the screen's archetypal gangster.
A rundown diner bakes in the Arizona heat. Inside, fugitive killer Duke Mantee sweats out a manhunt, holding disillusioned writer Alan Squier, young Gabby Maple and a handful of others hostage.
The Petrified Forest, Robert E. Sherwood's 1935 Broadway success about survival of the fittest, hit the screen a year later with Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart magnificently recreating their stage roles and Bette Davis ably reteaming with her Of Human Bondage co-star Howard. Sherwood first wanted Bogart for a smaller role. "I thought Sherwood was right," Bogart said. "I couldn't picture myself playing a gangster. So what happened? I made a hit as the gangster." So right was he that Howard refused to make the film without him...and helped launch Bogie's brilliant movie career.
In The Roaring Twenties, the speakeasy era never roared louder than in this gangland chronicle that packs a wallop under action master Raoul Walsh's direction. Against a backdrop of newsreel-like montages and narration, it follows the life of jobless war veteran Eddie Bartlett (James Cagney) who turns bootlegger, dealing in "bottles instead of battles." Battles await Eddie within and without his growing empire. Outside are territorial feuds and gangland bloodlettings. Inside is the treachery of his double-dealing associate (Humphrey Bogart). It would be 10 years before Cagney played another gangster (in White Heat), a time in which gangster movies themselves became rare. "He used to be a big shot," Panama Smith (Gladys George) says at the finale, marking Bartlett's demise...and signaling the end of Hollywood's focus on the gangster era.
Description of Warner Gangsters Collection, Vol. 1 (The Public Enemy / White Heat / Angels with Dirty Faces / Little Caesar / The Petrified Forest / The Roaring Twenties):
For a knock-out combination of timeless entertainment and vintage studio history, you can't do much better than The Warner Brothers Gangsters Collection. In the 1930s and '40s, Paramount specialized in glossy comedies, MGM popularized lavish musicals, Universal produced signature horror classics, and Fox scored hits with sophisticated dramas. But it was Warner Bros. that generated controversy--if not always box-office profits--with so-called "social problem" films, and that meant gangsters. When viewed in their pre- and post-Prohibition context and in chronological order (Little Caesar and The Public Enemy, 1931; The Petrified Forest, 1936; Angels With Dirty Faces, 1938; The Roaring Twenties, 1939; White Heat, 1949), these six films definitively capture Warners' domination of the mobster genre, and to varying degrees, they all qualify as classics.
With its stilted visuals and pulpy plot, Little Caesar remains stuck in the stiff, early-sound era, but it's still a prototypical powerhouse, with Edward G. Robinson's titular "Rico" setting the stage for all screen gangsters to follow. The Public Enemy made James Cagney a star (who can forget him smashing a grapefruit into Mae Clarke's face?), and Humphrey Bogart repeats his Broadway success in The Petrified Forest, a stagy adaptation of Robert Sherwood's play, still enjoyable for Bogey's ever-threatening malevolence. Then it's a Cagney triple-threat in Angels (with Pat O'Brien), racketeering in The Roaring Twenties (with Bogart), and especially the jailbird classic White Heat, with a fiery finale and an exit line ("Made it Ma! Top o' the world!") that epitomized Cagney's iconic, tough-guy image. In many ways Cagney was Warner Bros., and this Gangsters Collection pays enduring tribute to him and the important films that forged the studio's rugged reputation. --Jeff Shannon
Warner Gangsters Collection, Vol. 1 (The Public Enemy / White Heat / Angels with Dirty Faces / Little Caesar / The Petrified Forest / The Roaring Twenties) Reviews:
Asteal of a deal 
2009-08-31 - This is the collection i have been looking forward to. It contians the classic elements of good and evil clearly envisioned by the writers,directors and actors. They are career starters for Cagney, Robinson and Bogart. It is easy to see why they went on to great careers. A must for all to have in a DVD collection
a must own dvd set
2009-08-15 - I got it and i love it and for the pirce you cant beat it go get it before they go away again and you have to buy them single
great packaging and all in great condition
Fun collection 
2009-08-14 - If you like some of the old movies you will like this collection. Very entertaining without a lot of explicit blood and guts and irrelevent sex in the new movies. Brings you back in time.
One of the Most Well Rounded Films Sets Out There
2009-08-07 - Let me start off by saying that when I purchased this item it was on sale, at a price around 30 dollars.
The set contains all six DVDs in their own case. The cases are regular size, not the miniature ones that sets sometimes come in.
Most collections like this usually contain one or two filler films, that are not all that good but complete the set. This one does not. There is not a bad film in the bunch, which makes the collection. Possibly the worst film in the collection is The Petrified Forrest, however because it was the role that helped make Humphrey Bogart it is a treasure for his fans.
James Cagney is in four of these films (all but Cesar and Forrest) and I had never seen him in any before these. He is really good. Bogart is is three of the films, although in a small supporting role (Angels, Forrest, Twenties). Finally these 6 films are arguably 6 of the 7 best gangster films of the era. (If you purchase the original Scarface Scarface (Universal Cinema Classics) you will have the best of the 30's gangster film). Those are the three most compelling reasons to purchase this set, Cagney, Bogie and the fact they are all highly regarded classics.
Once again for the price of 30 dollars you get 6 films. At that price with the quality of the films you can't pass it up.
The Crooks come home to Roost!
2009-07-10 - Warners has put six of its' best gangster flicks into this first volume of "Gangsters",and many still pack a mean wallop.
"The Public Enemy"(4 stars),referred still mistakenly by many today as just "Public Enemy",stars James Cagney as Tom Powers,his two girlfriends Mae Clarke as Kitty and Jean Harlow as Gwen,Ed Woods as his buddy Matt Doyle,his girlfriend Joan Blondell as Mamie,and others.The movie involves the story of Tom and Matt as two boys growing up on the mean streets of the big city and their first brushes as young kids with petty criminals and crime.As they grow up we see their graduation into the big time and their climb to success during prohibition as two of its' biggest hustlers in the illegal distribution of homemade booze.Of course crime doesn't pay and Tom gets his,in the end.Skillfully directed by William Wellman(Wings),this was Cagneys' breakthrough part and put him solidly on the path to major stardom in short order.Originally Woods had the Cagney role but they were reversed due to Cagney's powerful presence.This version has two minutes of restored footage re-inserted into it.It is definitely pre-code(/34)and is violent,with(still)quite shocking overt sexual moments and has the famous grapefruit in the kisser scene.
"Little Ceasar"(4 1/2 stars)released in August of /31,was Edward G.Robinson's breakthrough role also.Robsinson gives a rivetting performance as Enricco Bondello who as a petty thief longs to be the number one man and one day starts on the path to become so.It is a slow climb up the ladder as he steps on many toes,displaces bosses and makes many enemies.When you're at the top there is only one way to go and down and out Bondello goes in a hail of bullets;the only fitting end.Director Mervyn LeRoy(Wizard of Oz,Mister Roberts)nicely directs this taut gangster flick and Robinson gives an Oscar-caliber performance.It is absolute lunacy that Robsinson was never nominated for an Oscar in his entire career.He received an honourary one in /73 but died before getting it.
"Petrified Forest"(4 stars),released in Feb/36,stars wonderful British Actor Leslie Howard as Alan Squier who is hitchiking westward through Arizona when his journey brings him to a small cafe.Bette Davis as Gabrielle works as a waitress for her father,who dreams and longs to go to her mothers' homeland of France.The two strike up a quick bond,much to the chagrin of her boyfriend Dick Foran(Boze).Enter Duke Mantee(Humphrey Bogart)as an arch criminal on the run trying to get to Mexico,who decides to use the cafe as a temporary lay over.In the end the law gets its' man and Gabrielle gets her wish,with the help of Alan;in spirit.The film was originally a successful play starring Howard and Bogart.Howard retained the rights to the property and when Warners wanted Edward G. Robinson in the Mantee role he stubbornly balked and in the end won the day for Bogie.The mise en scene for the most part revolves around the cafe and a wonderful tension and atmosphere prevails the entire film.This was Bogies' breaktrough film who literally dominates every scene he is in.
"Angels with Dirty Faces"(3 1/2 stars),released in Nov/38,stars James Cagney as Rocky Sullivan and Pat O'Brien as his buddy Jerry Connelly.We again see the rise of two friends during lean times as petty thieves.As Rocky continues on the path of crime doing major jail time over the years,his friend Jerry pursues a different course and becomes a priest in their old neighbourhood.Rocky returns to his old haunt and is looked up to by a local gang of youths(The Dead End Kids with Huntz Hall,Leo Gorcy,Gabriel Dell,et al).In the end Rocky gets caught and is sentenced to death in the chair.Jerry asks Rocky to act a coward in his final moments to turn the lives around of the admiring local kids.He does so and the final scene shows Jerry leading the boys off to Church.The film has top acting throughout and is well directed by Michael Curtiz(Casablanca).I have always had a major problem with this films ending.I just cannot see any justification in the script for anything that would remotely suggest in Rocky's personality, that he'd turn yellow at the end just for the kids sake.See what you think.
"The Roaring Twenties"(4 stars),released in Oct/39,stars James Cagney as Eddie Bartlett,an out of work WW1 vet.Unable to get his old job back or ANY employment he eventually turns a burgeoning cab business into hauling bootleg booze.He hires his WW1 buddy Jeff(Lloyd Hart)as his lawyer.Along the way he meets up with another WW1 pal George( Humphrey Bogart),who comes into business as a partner.George gets other ideas along the way and double deals Eddie.Priscilla Lane stars as Jeannie,the girl who can never return Eddies'love and Gladys George as Panama Smith,who loves Eddie but again never in turns receives the love she wants from him.In the end,Eddie goes out in a blaze of glory.The movie almost runs like a documentary and is a telling comment on the times and how such behaviour amongst other wise good people could have developed.Skillfully directed by Raoul Walsh(Sadie Thompson) the movie really packs a powerful punch in its' portrayals and Gladys George is an especial stand out.
Finally "White Heat"(4 stars),released in Sept/49,stars James Cagney as Cody Jarrett.He leads a rag tag bunch of criminals who loyalties are suspect to say the least.Cody is married to Verna(Virginia Mayo)who doesn't love him and is coddled by his dominant mother(Margaret Wycherly).The gang opens the film by pulling a train heist and spends the rest of the movie fleeing from the law.The law is persistant and when they threaten to capture Cody he gives himself in in another state on a lesser(time)indictment.While in the pen a plant by the name of Eddie(Edmond O'Brien) befriends Cody.Suspicious at first Cody finally comes to trust him.In the end Cody is surrounded on top of a gas storage tank,now completely out of his mind, with his mother dead and the truth about Eddie now revealed.Raoul Walsh again directs this gangster flick and Cagney plays a wide range of character personality quirks to a tee.His last gangster flick had been ten years before and it was "The Roaring 20s".
Technically, although many of these films do show their age,they have been transferred very well by Warners.All the DVDs contain the same general line up of extras which include things like the trailers,snippets of vintage newsreels,featurettes,commentaries and of course those wonderful vintage cartoons.
All in all this is a collection worth owning.It helps,but you do not have to be a gangster fan to enjoy the offerings here.The acting is all first rate and historically speaking they are important for it shows three of Hollywood's biggest names,Cagney,Bogart and Robinson in their breakthrough roles.A fine collection on anybody's shelf.
