Public Hero No. 1 backdrop

CRIME . 1935 . 1h 29m . 6.1/10

Public Hero No. 1_

"FACTS!...NEVER BEFORE TOLD!"

G-Man Jeff Crane poses as a crook to infiltrate the notorious Purple Gang, a band of hoodlums which preys upon other hoodlums. Orchestrating the jailbreak of the gang's leader, Crane joins him in a Dillinger-like flight across the country.

Starring Lionel Barrymore, Jean Arthur, Chester Morris

6.1/10

Rating

1h 29m

Runtime

1935

Year

Updated Feb 16, 2026

Public Hero No. 1 poster

FACTS!...NEVER BEFORE TOLD!

G-Man Jeff Crane poses as a crook to infiltrate the notorious Purple Gang, a band of hoodlums which preys upon other hoodlums. Orchestrating the jailbreak of the gang's leader, Crane joins him in a Dillinger-like flight across the country.

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Cast

Lionel Barrymore stars as Dr. Josiah Glass in Public Hero No. 1.

Lionel Barrymore →

Year context

Public Hero No. 1 was released 91 years ago in 1935.

Overview

G-Man Jeff Crane poses as a crook to infiltrate the notorious Purple Gang, a band of hoodlums which preys upon other hoodlums. Orchestrating the jailbreak of...

Public Hero No. 1 is a Crime, Drama film with a runtime of 1h 29m.

CAST (20)

Lionel Barrymore

Lionel Barrymore

Dr. Josiah Glass

Jean Arthur

Maria Theresa 'Terry' O'Reilly

Chester Morris

Joseph Calleia

Sonny 'Dinkie' Black

Paul Kelly

Paul Kelly

Special Agent James Duff

Lewis Stone

Paul Hurst

Paul Hurst

Rufe Parker

George E. Stone

George E. Stone

SB

Sam Baker

Mose Jones

William Bailey

William Bailey

Federal Agent (uncredited)

Brooks Benedict

Brooks Benedict

Bar Patron (uncredited)

Ed Brady

Convict in Prison (uncredited)

Lane Chandler

Train Conductor (uncredited)

Cora Sue Collins

Cora Sue Collins

Little Girl (uncredited)

Helene Costello

Helene Costello

Convict Wife (uncredited)

Nell Craig

Duff's Secretary with Telegram (uncredited)

Frank Darien

Dr. Hale - Plastic Surgeon (uncredited)

James Flavin

Flavin - Federal Agent (uncredited)

HG

Harry Geise

Convict (uncredited)

John George

Convict (uncredited)

DETAILS

Release

May 31, 1935

Status

Released

Runtime

89 min (1h 29m)

Country

United States

Rating

6.1/10 (9 votes)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Public Hero No. 1 about?

G-Man Jeff Crane poses as a crook to infiltrate the notorious Purple Gang, a band of hoodlums which preys upon other hoodlums. Orchestrating the jailbreak of the gang's leader, Crane joins him in a Dillinger-like flight across the country.

How long is Public Hero No. 1?

Public Hero No. 1 has a runtime of 89 minutes (1h 29m).

Who stars in Public Hero No. 1?

The cast of Public Hero No. 1 includes Lionel Barrymore, Jean Arthur, Chester Morris, Joseph Calleia, Paul Kelly.

What is the rating of Public Hero No. 1?

Public Hero No. 1 has a rating of 6.1 out of 10 based on 9 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (2)

Crime Drama