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Scarface vs The Public Enemy vs Little Ceasar

posted 19 years ago by Fenris Fil
19 replies | jump to latest

These are the origional Gangster flicks. So which is better?

They are all great films, but to me, despite the fact that The Public Enemy has Jimmy Cagney and Little Ceasar has Ed G Robinson, I couldn't help but feel that Scarface has stood the test of time better. Okay perhaps the fact that it was remade and that it's hard to watch the origional without recognising scenes from the remake may make it feel more ahead of it's time then it was, but I would still say Scarface was the better film of the three. It just seemed to have more of a cutting edge to it. I think perhaps the Warner Bro's got a bit too caught on the morale dilema of making Gangster films with the other two.

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[–] csu16387 19 years ago

I need to re-visit both The Public Enemy and Little Caesar. Personally, I have Scarface edging out The Public Enemy and Little Caesar as the best of the three.

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] terrythomas 18 years ago

I personally think SCARFACE is the best; THE PUBLIC ENEMY and LITTLE CEASAR both feel, in my opinion, a little bit "stagy".

[–] grampashab 18 years ago

Scarface is best, then Public Enemy, then Little Caesar. However, I'd have to say in general, Robinson is the best actor followed by Cagney and then Muni (don't get me wrong, all three movies and actors are amazing). What drives me crazy is that the Warner Bros. gangster DVD collection has The Petrified Forest, but no Scarface.

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[–] MrBigglesworth999 18 years ago

Add "White Heat" to the mix as well.

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[–] collin-reid 18 years ago

Scarface was the best. The Public Enemy and, especially, Little Ceasar are not as well directed as Scarface.

White Heat takes them all though.

[–] noirgirl 17 years ago

I love Scarface and Paul Muni, but I think Little Caesar is better because Tony Camonte was kind of a spoof. Rico was grittily scarier and more realistic. The flophouse scene was something! Public Enemy is my fav because James Cagney was the best of all and the sets were amazing. JMO.

[–] haruuj 17 years ago

Scarface would never be included in a Warner package of gangster films. Scarface is under the Universal Classics title, not Warner Bros.

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[–] morfeus 17 years ago

Scarface is the best.

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[–] kinnyhova 15 years ago

Love them all but my fav is

Little Ceasar

I just love EGR in it.

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[–] conorbowden7 14 years ago

Scarface definately.

[–] Fenris Fil 11 years ago

Seems most people agree with me. Though I guess I should take into account I posted the thread on the Scarface message board. Lol.

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I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.

[–] PussyCrusher_Principal 11 years ago

I'll have to go back and watch all three back to back to back to decide which I think is the best film.

As far as the acting - I absolutely love Cagney and Muni in just about anything I've seen them in. But what EGR was doing in Little Caesar was inventing the menace and the way that so many actors chose to play gangster roles, all the way up until right now. EGR invented gangster-acting, basically. He was absolutely scary and hair-trigger in Little Caesar. And utterly fearless.

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[–] Disardor 10 years ago

I like all three and of the three actors I prefer Robinson and Cagney to Muni, but as the OP said, Scarface is the better film and has aged much better. Little Caesar and The Public Enemy are mostly notable for the superb, iconic performances of their stars, while Scarface is a more complete film with better cinematography, better writing and a harder edge.

[–] schappe1 10 years ago

1) The Public Enemy
2) Scarface (Cagney over Muni)
3) Little Ceasar, which is well behind the other two. The "Gangsters" are apparently just robbers.

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