Forbidden Hollywood is a monthly series hosted by STL film critic Katie Carter celebrating the Pre-Code films of the early 1930s, when movies were wild, racy, transgressive, and tons of fun.

THE PUBLIC ENEMY: “That’s not a motion picture. It’s beyond a motion picture.” MGM producer Irving Thalberg spoke those words to Warner Brothers’ head of production Darryl F. Zanuck after Zanuck previewed for him the studio’s 1931 release “The Public Enemy.” Thalberg wasn’t wrong: director William Wellman’s tale of small-time Chicago hood Tom Powers’ (played by James Cagney in a star-making performance) rise to enforcer for a prominent bootlegger during Prohibition ended up becoming arguably the most influential of the onslaught of crime pictures that became incredibly popular at the box office circa 1931.

Whether or not “The Public Enemy” set a good example for audiences was hotly debated by morality groups, studio personnel, and moviegoers nationwide, with even Al Capone himself (the gangster whose exploits inspired the unpublished novel the film was based on) stating that, “These gang pictures— that’s terrible kid stuff. They’re doing nothing but harm to the younger element of the country.” “The Public Enemy” neither endorses Tom’s criminal lifestyle nor condemns it, portraying the ineffectualness of the police alongside the lucrativeness of Tom’s career, Cagney’s brazen charm and the addition of some family drama casting him as a largely sympathetic character. The film is rife with overt sexuality (the revolving door of Tom and his friend Matt’s women includes Joan Blondell, Mae Clarke, and Jean Harlow), extreme violence (with live ammunition used in several scenes), and one of the Pre-Code era’s most explicit depictions of a homosexual character, but it harasses all of that to ultimately craft a damning portrait of toxic masculinity. As frequently as the hallmarks of the gangster genre established in “The Public Enemy” have been referenced and parodied in Hollywood over the decades, the original film is as exciting as it was the day it was released, right down to its chilling final shot.

THEATER POLICIES

All seats are first-come, first-served.

The theater opens 30 minutes prior to showtime, except for “Happy Hour” events and pre-shows when the theater opens at the listed start time.

All ages are welcome at Arkadin except for Drinkolas Cage events, which are restricted to 21+. We follow the MPAA rating guidelines for all other films.

Tickets can be purchased using the BUY TICKETS link above. Upon ordering, you will receive a confirmation email from Square. Tickets may also be purchased on the day of the show at the concession counter.

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Tickets are returnable by sending a request through the contact form located on our About Us page prior to showtime.

When an event is sold out, we reserve the right to release open seats to customers on the waitlist. If you have a pre-purchased ticket and arrive late and there is no seat for you, your ticket will be refunded.

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Please respect your fellow movie-goers by remaining quiet and refraining from using your cell phone throughout the screening.