HOW TO SUCCEED AS A GANGSTER

our story begins not with the movie but in real life with prohibition for it is for vision in the 1920s that triggers an era of lowest in America and it is this era that Hollywood will portray in its extraordinary cycle of gangster picture first the public itself rebels against the government's attempt to legislate morality Chicago alone boasts of having 20,000 speakeasies millions of Americans find that breaking the law can be five the law however now finds itself fighting not only bootleggers but those who have come in their wake Kemp racketeers and hired killers the gangster soon becomes a national menace and the public finds him a mysterious and dramatic figure the most powerful man in the underworld is Scarface Al Capone now barely 30 he controls policemen judges and mayors and he openly runs a vast network of bootlegging gambling protection and fights his annual revenue is reported at over 100 million Capone is a new breed of gangster who appears proudly in public who doesn't have to run from the law because he is the law in Florida Capone even luxuriate in a palatial estate where he flaunts his riches in the face of society violence is the foundation of Capone's kingdom his gangland rifles are machine-gunned in broad daylight and during the Prohibition era more than 500 Chicago gangsters are slain by their own kind in the big cities the gangsta funeral becomes a major social event the mourners frequently include city officials in Congress and the funeral of racketeer Deanie O'Banion is attended even by the men suspected of killing him among them Al Capone these spectacles intrigued rather than outraged the public after all it's just one gangster killing another the most notorious criminal of the era is John Dillinger says when writer Dillinger robbed banks not people and became too many as sort of Robin Hood of the depression his exploits fascinate America he escapes from jail and machine guns his way out of FBI traps and the public conveniently overlooks the fact that Dillinger is involved in the killing of some 20 people Dillinger himself revels in his reputation as an American folk hero Hollywood soon decides to cash in on the public's fascination with public enemies in the 1930s studios grind out dozens of gangster pictures and immediately the census protest that Hollywood is glorifying crime audiences Harbor flocked to see this new kind of movie for as the Great Depression grips America the public feels helpless in this national calamity but in the darkness of a theater they can escape they can live vicariously in the forbidden adventures of men who take the law into their own hands for a screen counterpart to John Dillinger Hollywood finds an actor with the remarkable resemblance Humphrey Bogart Al Capone is probably flattered when he sees the menacing portrayals by his counterpart edward g robinson Capone's archrival in the underworld Deanie O'Banion finds his likeness in James Cagney and then there are artists John Garfield the rebellious child of the depression Spencer Tracy the flamboyant big-city racketeer George Raft the cold I'd triggerman paul muni who is the sensations coffees and before he is to Finland William Powell plays the gentleman jewel T Hollywood bases its crime films on stories fresh from the morning headlines and a go audiences now feel that they're getting the lowdown on life in the underworld in a make-believe way the gangster film becomes an extension course in crime in how to succeed as a gangster and the public's first lesson is that to be a gangster you first have to think like one in Hollywood dies if you're lucky enough to be born in the slums you have an advantage everyone knows that when you grow up without tennis courts and swimming pools you're entitled to become a cinnamon and early in life to develop rather antisocial attitudes everybody got lost Nina's heart everybody's looking for something for nothing honest men are scared and headed on a frog take a look at those Nets you don't see any calluses on a beer only saps work I got to get from rags to riches quick you got any suggestions yeah mine is our habitat ain't everything yeah be somebody to look hard at a bunch of guys know they'll do anything you tell them have your own way or nothing me somebody listen nobody pushes me around if I take chances because I want to take it I'm on my way to the top and I'm gonna get there I would wait for this day for a long time I got plans and I got organization nothing's gonna stop me I'll make this whole town pay off to me but bootblacks to bank it every guy for themselves pushing shoving trampling each other shore city full of them crooked streets and close fight cheap deal from the lung that's what it takes to make good here if they want rest now be a rat but daddy of all rats I'll show them once you're a successful gangster the benefits of staggering women find you irresistible if you handle them with care the master of this art the man to follow is james cagney women have succumb to his charms ever since public enemy when he introduced them to a new style of lovemaking I didn't ask you any lip I as you got a drink I know Tom but yeah I'm wish snail gordo wishest up again I wish you with a wishing well but I like a tire [ __ ] in sing it may be found someone you like better I know you couldn't hold off forever need a girl like me yeah you got what it takes to get a baby over why give you a break you know if we got this alone you live oh you had me that's low oh that's low darling you're so considerate why are you you're the sweetest guy in the world I think you're fat but to be a successful gangster you must also know how to handle men dangerous men cunning men there is no better coach in the art of leadership than edward g robinson king of the snarl ins boys I want you to meet a new guy what's going to be with us this is cesar and rico vandella little caesar earth yes sure and now listen you mugs no he was chicken scratching around I got something to say to you especially to you Sam you can dish it out but you get until you can't take it no more yes through Ernie get through nobody ever quit me you're still am I gank you got that if you ain't out of town by tomorrow morning they will never leave it except in a pine box if anybody turns yelling squeals my guns gonna speak a speech how to see a last chance you're gonna spill it do i start work who's the wise guy come on we got you don't I'll bring every guy's head in this room is here to renew some being scared many of these big guys the bigger they come the harder they fall yeah thank him so bad in this business so far you in the underworld talk must be backed up with action and if you're the boss you have to prove it with a variety of techniques that have taken long years of diligent study since the big time gangsta is by nature a sensitive man he prefers to start off gently I don't expect to get the sucker like you every night don't you ever say that to me again to get here never violence however leads to violence that is part of the fun in being a gangster and what will eventually separate the men from the boys are not this but gunplay when the heat is on the high-powered limousine is the gangsters best friend a swift and lethal plaything you really haven't succeeded as the gangster until you make headlines as a public enemy and assure its way to do this is personally to take on a major cities entire police force indocin Valentine's Day Massacre during the reign of Al Capone seven men were slaughtered but you will have to do better than that to meet Hollywood standards for success as against