Gangster films are genre films that are centered on an individual rather than a concept unlike other genres, for example, action adventure films (Wilson, 2015, pg. 3). Furthermore, the gangster as an individual becomes part of the genre itself, especially the American culture and values. The gangster films script was influenced by headlines, topical events, and crimes written in newspapers (Wilson, 2015, pg.3). Since the gangster films are influenced by the headlines, they reflect the lives of people who lives of people in the poor community. Warner Bros.’ wanted to produce stories that were based on the time period and touch on subjects that were important to the public (Wilson, 2015, pg.3). Especially, in the 1930s the time period where the Great Depression which is reflected in the gangster films. Between 1820s-1930s about 32 million of Europe immigrants enter the United States which most were poor and non-Anglo-Saxon backgrounds (Munby, 1999, pg. 27). The gangster films in the 1930s show the gangster living in the poorer areas of the cities which connect to the audience who went to see those movies. Gangster films from the 1930s stereotype the gangster as a violent, aggressive, and powerful man; however, the audience saw them as heroes who fight against the prejudices and injustice of the government.

In the 1920s, the gangster was often stereotyped as corrupt and overly feminized men who lost their way in the capitalist society (Gardaphe, 2006, pg. 4). The gangster in the earlier films were individuals who were not part of the community and choice the life of crime. Additionally, the silent era the protagonists from the gangster films were from the middle-class who move away from the virtue path (Munby, 1999, pg.24). The gangster films question the morality in which affected the audience views on taboo subjects. According to Munby, the silent film dramas stimulated public fascination with taboo subjects and forbidden norms or rules. The films show the gangster as a person who spends their time with a woman, gambling everything, and committing crimes that were against the society norms (1999, pg.24). These forbidden rules where still push to the gangster films of the 1920s and 1930s with a few minor changes. The gangster goals change to fight against the law and gain success. Films from the 1920s brought more issues about the morality where the gangster focus on materialism and freedom from the legislative. The gangster was an individual who was against the authority and was interested in the material. The films show the gangsters world as a thrilling taboo place where morality did not exist (Munby, 1999, pg.25).

The 1920s gangster film main positions are between the demands of civic duty and desire for individual success (Munby, 1999, pg. 25). Furthermore, films focus on the gangster vs capitalists, politicians vs. gangsters, and judicial corruption. The gangster would expose the corruption within the society which helps the audience to have a connection with the gangster. However, the most controversial silent films from the 1920s did not directly represent the concerns of the ethnic minority group.

In the 1930s, the gangster became an example to the ethnic community about the consequences of choosing a path of crime. Where their criminal actions lead to spending their lives in jail or death. Furthermore, the gangster became to be more masculine and aggressive. Munby (1999, pg.40) states the radical upheavals from the Depression were an experience most by the audience. Hollywood’s success came from the development of these social realist dimensions. The gangster films represented what Hollywood saw of the minorities who live in rough neighborhoods. The ethnic identity of the gangster plays an important role in the narrative. The gangster films demonstrate how ethnic characters bring about corruption to American ideals (Cavallero, 2004, pg. 53). As a result, ethnic minorities are accused of the failure of American myths during the Depression. These myths are seen to impact the identity of the ethnic groups, for example, the Italian American.

Cavallero explains that within the Italian American community, the new generations would separate themselves from their cultural norms that identify with their parents. The new generations would fight back the prejudices and injustice their parents just accepted and started a conflict between the new and old generations (Cavallero, 2004, pg.52). The new generations would feel out of place within their own families and society.  These social prejudices toward Italians were an effective tool used by Hollywood films to distance the audience from their culture and identity. Films such as Little Caesar (made in 1930), demonstrate the American mythology about how their failure came from the corruptions caused by the ethnic characters instead of blaming themselves (Cavallero, 2004, pg.53). Additionally, Munby writes about how America suppressed the diverse language, history, culture, and land from the immigrants to a program of ‘naturalization’ (1999, pg. 29). The United States suppress the identity of a subgroup that was displayed on the gangster films.

The 1930s Hollywood focus their gangster film on young, usually ethnic, man, who use to overcome poverty and reach wealth. They stereotype the Italian immigrant as criminals and the minority neighborhood as dangerous (Rollins, 2003, pg. 258). Italian gangster was stereotyped as dangerous to influence the audience about how their ethnic identity would lead them to a path of corruption and evil. For example, in Scarface, as Tony rises through the gang hierarchy, he changes by improving his presence, living condition, and vocabulary. He strikes away from his mother traditional ethnic principles because through her eyes he is a bad man (Munby, 1999, pg56-58). However, Tony has no place within his own family and it not fully accepted by the society which leaves him to be in the margins. The audience sees that connection about being placed in the margins and criticized. As the gangster filmed warned Italian Americans about the consequences of sacrificing family for wealth (Rollins, 2003, pg. 258). Additionally, he states there are three stereotypes of the Italian immigrant male: the violent criminal, victimized working-class family man, and the Latin lover.

Additionally, the gangster films were not the only ones who had to suppress their ethnicity. Italian directors and writes had to suppress their ethnicity in order to follow the Hollywood studios system. One of the directors was Sicilian immigrant Frank Capra who begin making films in 1922 (Rollins, 2003, pg.258). The directors and writers showed how the poor community felt when they did not have a place to identify themselves which was shown through the gangster. Shadoian speaks about how the gangster is the version of a human being who moves away from the norms is observed as a separate individual from society (2003, pg. 31).

In the 1930s, the sound brought a new perspective to the world Hollywood put on the gangster and change the stereotype of the gangster. The sound made gangster films popular within the audience by the gangster having a voice to fight against the frustrations and equality toward the ethnic subgroup (Munby, 1999, pg. 83). Between the 1930-1932 the classic trio Little Caesar (1930), Public Enemy (1931), and Scarface (1932) feature cultural conflicts of language battles between street talk and official discourses (Munby, 1999). The sounds of the city, cars, guns, and speech put the audience closer to the gangster. They would imagine themselves as the heroic gangster who fights for a better life. Adding sound to the gangster film made the dialogue less theatrical and more realistic.

Censorship on gangster films had an impact on the stereotyping of the gangster for the fear of the audience being influences to behave in criminal actions. The censorship on the films shows the gangster more aggressive for the audience to see them as evil. However, the audience’s view of the gangster was the opposite of evil. According to Springhall (1998), young men from Britain and the United States enjoyed watching gangster movies in the 1930s. Which emphasis on how the government saw gangster films as an inspiration for committing to breaking the law. The gangster film changes to portrayed what the censorship was implanted for to send the message of “crime does not pay” (Springhall 1998). The films made the message appear by either killing the gangster or throwing him into prison. However, the public would cheer the gangster. The gangster places the audiences outside the boundaries of the traditional and normal society (Gardaphe, 2004, pg. 139).

Hollywood manipulates the gangster character by implanting rules or codes which are shown in many of the gangster films. The gangster is obsessed with following rules such as respect for the leader, gang members cannot speak to officers or competing from each other’s women, and problems must be solved within the gang (Leitch, 2002, pg. 103). For example, in Scarface Tony Camonte had his own code that he follows: “Do it first, do it yourself, and keeping on doing it” (pg. 104). Tony quotes describe a person who will do anything to accomplish his goal to be someone in this world. As a gangster, Tony breaks one of the codes, he had an interest in the boss wife. Tony does a job to meet the boss where he has an attraction to Frank’s wife, Elvira. Tony takes it further by marrying Elvira after Tony kills Frank. Tony as a gangster goes against the social norms and the gangster code about wanting a married woman. This shows how Tony only cares about himself and to become the powerful boss with a beautiful wife no matter what it takes. According to Leitch, the gangster scheme against each other through each other’s women, keeping control of the money, killing each other, and double-crossing (2002, pg. 104). The gangster is stereotyped as a violent man who would kill anyone who gets on their path of moving up in being the power.

Gangsters in the 1930s films where individuals who use aggression to move up and change their style of clothing to appear graceful. In Scarface, Tony shows his aggression by killing his sister-lover because he had feelings for her (Munby, 1999, pg. 57).  Additionally, De Stefano states how Scarface has more violence than Little Caesar with fifteen killings (pg. 73). The gangster tries to be part of the upper class by dressing in fancier clothes, suits, hats, and jewelry, but the clothes made them look effeminate. Which relates to how the gangster masculinity is always questioned. The fancy clothes were one reason the audience had an interest in the gangsters (Gardaphe, 2006).

Society had an interest in the gangster because of the origin the gangster comes from, the fancy clothes, and how the gangster questions the boundaries of the separate social class (Gardaphe, 2006). The public had a connect with gangster because he came from the same place they did. Furthermore, the gangster fought against the government that was trying to control them. From the audience’s view, the gangster was stereotyped as a hero. Shadoian explains how the gangster is a strong figure who is cursed by their environment and heritage which find their goals overwhelm by uncontrollable forces. The power the gangster holds over the audience relates to the strength of the audience within the disintegration of the depression (Shadoian, 2003, pg. 29). The audience notices how the gangster becomes a criminal because society has pushed him to the world of crime.

The gangster becomes powerful by breaking the law and contradicts the society that sees him as a nobody. Public Enemy is an example of how the environment where the gangster is rise lead him to a path of crime. Public Enemy’s storyline starts in 1910 where the gangster as a kid is growing up in a tough Irish ghetto behind Chicago. The kid becomes part of organized crime and making a profit in the Prohibition era (Munby, 1999, pg. 51). In the Public Enemy, the wrong going of the gangster is put at false to the society he is born in. Additionally, the gangster is seen as a “social problem” that people needed to find a solution. As a result, the criminal actions done by Power is justified because he was made a criminal by the society, he was placed in. Secondly, the movie Underworld (1927) directed by Josef Van Sternberg was made during the Prohibition era as well. In this movie, the politicians became gangsters and the gangster to legends. Society broke the law by selling illegal alcohol. Underworld portrays criminals who help the community by providing alcohol that has been outlawed by the government (Phillips, 2014, pg. 4). The gangster became the seller of alcohol to the public which makes them supporters of the community while the government is villains who control the public.

The gangster becomes the powerful man, but his actions have consequences that bring down his glory. Hollywood wanted the audience to see how crimes bring death, loneliness, and betrayed by representing the gangster as professional criminals whose purpose of committing crimes is rough, unethical, and fearsome (Leitch, 2002, pg. 103). Furthermore, the typical gangster films follow a structure where the gangster presents steady upward progress then takes turn to a precipitate fall (Silver, and Ursini, 2007, pg. 15). As a result, the gangster as the powerful man notices how no matter what he does, he will be a failure.

In the 1930s, the gangster is stereotyped as more human than just a killer which builds a relationship with the audience. Between the film and the audience, a contact is built where they both agreed about the concept of human life: that humanity is beings with possibilities of success or failure (Silver and Ursini, 2007, pg.15). Munby adds how the gangster’s issues reveal more than a piece of share information, but he became an inspiration to the audience (1999, pg.55). To the audience, the gangster narrative touches many themes from injustice to manipulation and how immigrants are seen as dangerous people. People respond to the gangster film is mostly universally a response to sadism. They gain the satisfaction of being a participant with the gangster prosperity and they imagine themselves as the gangster (Silver and Ursini, 2007, pg.13). The gangster who is above the law and wield power through sexuality and guns (Gardaphe, 2013). The gangster is the loud voice to the minority’s groups go suffer from what they go through the prejudices and injustice of the upper class.

The gangster and the audience have the same issues about how they work hard to achieve improvement and success but is pushed down by the upper community and the government. According to Mason, the gangster transcends on achieving the American dream to have an economic success but is brought down by the larger system. His version of the American dream challenges the official ideology (2002, pg.7). The gangster as the same dreams of the people who are watching him to find his individuality and be part of society. He moves on to doing crime because that the only way he knows he’s going to achieve success. 

The gangster is label as the tragic heroes because his hard work ends in tragedy. Mason explains the gangster tries to achieve individuality that is promised by American Ideology to the citizens but is destroyed by the ideology itself. Since the gangster action puts tightness to the system (Mason, 2002, pg. 7).  The gangster ideology is acceptance or simple survival while their cultural identity is discriminate and blame for their failure. Furthermore, the gangster struggles of being marginalized by society create audience sympathies for his character because he is only trying to survive. Hollywood stereotypes the gangster as aggressive criminals; however, the audience stereotypes him as a victim and a tragic hero. Shadoian argues that America invents the gangster as a tragic hero against democratic ideals. His success is diverted by the positive, ambitious actions of a powerful man, but dies creating an inversion of the American dream (2003, pg.9). The inversion of the American dream is an ending of how the life of crime never ends in a happy ending for the gangster.

Overall, in the 1930s gangsters are stereotyped as aggressive individuals and violent criminals by Hollywood films. The audience felt a unity with the gangster because they identify their self with the ethnic gangster. The audience saw the gangster as a hero who persists against the prejudices of the government. Censorship put on the gangster films in the 1930s created a structure where the gangster was born poor, became successful, and lost it all in the end. Hollywood started to focus on the lower ethnic group community by making films of Italian gangsters who were stereotyped as dangerous, evil, and corrupt. The audience victimized the gangster since the environment causes the individual to commit crimes. The stereotypes place on the gangster are criminal, aggressive, and a hero with a tragic outcome.

Word Cites

Cavallero, J. J. (2004). Gangsters, Fessos, Tricksters, and Sopranos. Journal of Popular Film & Television, 32(2), 50. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=14933757&site=eds-live

De Stefano, G. (2007). An offer we can’t refuse: The Mafia in the mind of America. Faber & Faber/Farrar, Straus, Giroux.

Gardaphé, F. L. (2006). From wiseguys to wise men: The gangster and Italian American masculinities. Routledge.

Leitch, T. M. (2002). Crime Films. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.proxytr.wrlc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=112447&site=eds-live

Munby, J. (1999). Public enemies, public heroes: Screening the gangster from Little Caesar to Touch of Evil. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Rollins, P. C. (2003). The Columbia companion to American history on film: How the movies have portrayed the American past. Columbia University Press.

Shadoian, J. (2003). Dreams & Dead Ends: The American Gangster Film. Oxford University Press on Demand.

Silver, A., & Ursini, J. (Eds.). (2007). The gangster film reader. Hal Leonard Corporation.

Springhall, J. (1998). Censoring Hollywood: Youth, Moral Panic and Crime/Gangster Movies of the 1930s. Journal of Popular Culture, 32(3), 135. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.proxytr.wrlc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=1883340&site=eds-live

Wilson, R. (2015). The Gangster Film: Fatal Success in American Cinema. London: WallFlower Press. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=907243&site=eds-live