Released in 1932, Scarface was one of the most violent of the early mafia films. The movie was finished in 1930, but took two years to pass censors. Starring Boris Karloff, directed by Howard Hawks and produced by Howard Hughes, the film would later be adapted in 1983 by Oliver Stone to star a young Al Pacino.
A 1931 film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Little Caeser was one of the first gangster films to focus on the perspective of of the villain, in this case a mob criminal. Little Caeser was partially based on the figure of Al Capone.
A 1949 film noir, White Heat starred James Cagney and was directed by Raoul Walsh. The movie is now considered a classic, and was added to the National Film Registry in 2003. The story was inspired by the infamous Ma Barker.
A 1938 film starring James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart, Angels With Dirty Faces earned three Oscar nominations. The film depicts white-collar crime at its worst: crooked lawyers, corrupt politicians and dirty contractors rub elbows with gangsters and crime lords. Cagney's portrayal of Rocky, most notably his acting in the execution scene, is considered one of his best gangster roles.
Another James Cagney gangster film, The Public Enemy is credited with jump-starting the actor's career. Produced in 1931, the film depicts organized crime in the Prohibition Era. The Public Enemy was one of the first films to target specifically working class audiences, something that would be common in later gangster films.
Filmed in 1931 and starring Gary Cooper, City Streets explored tensions between a life of mob racketeering and honest living. As in The Public Enemy, Prohibition provides a means for the mob to make its money. Filled with blackmailing, extortion and false murder charges, City Streets had all the elements of a classic mafia flick.
This 1930s film is credited with beginning Humphrey Bogart's career. The title comes from the movie's Arizona setting, but true to the mafia genre, the bad guys are a group of imported urban gangsters fleeing the cops. The Petrified Forest is a hostage drama that blends the genres of Western and Mafia.