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Crime Family Drama – Movies, TV by the Decade

Here is a comprehensive, decade-by-decade breakdown of significant films and television shows about the American underworld.

1930s

The Golden Age of the gangster film began in this decade, often reflecting the public’s fascination with the Prohibition era and its figures.

Films:

  • Little Caesar (1931): Starring Edward G. Robinson, this film set the template for the rise and fall of the gangster archetype.
  • The Public Enemy (1931): James Cagney’s career-defining role as a ruthless bootlegger.
  • Scarface: Shame of a Nation (1932): An unflinching look at Al Capone’s Chicago, with Paul Muni in a fierce lead performance.
  • G-Men (1935): A shift in focus from the mobsters to the law enforcement agents (FBI) who hunted them, starring James Cagney.
  • Angels with Dirty Faces (1938): A powerful story of a gangster (Cagney) and a priest (Pat O’Brien) from the same neighborhood.

1940s

The genre became less prevalent due to the Hays Code’s restrictions, with crime films often taking on a more noir, psychological approach.

Films:

  • The Roaring Twenties (1939): While on the cusp of the decade, this film is a seminal retrospective on the Prohibition era, starring Cagney and Humphrey Bogart.
  • White Heat (1949): A classic blend of gangster film and psychological thriller, featuring James Cagney as the deranged mobster Cody Jarrett.

1950s

Organized crime was often a backdrop for other genres, such as film noir and courtroom dramas, or focused on the corruption of labor unions.

Films:

  • On the Waterfront (1954): While more of a drama about union corruption, Marlon Brando’s iconic performance as a former boxer navigating the mob-run docks is a cornerstone of the genre.

1960s

After a lull, the genre began to make a comeback, often with a grittier, more modern sensibility.

Films:

  • The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960): A stylish biopic about the real-life gangster Jack “Legs” Diamond.
  • The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (1967): Roger Corman’s docudrama-style film that reconstructs the infamous 1929 event.
  • The Brotherhood (1968): A drama starring Kirk Douglas that explores the conflict between a veteran and a younger generation of mobsters.

1970s

This decade saw a massive resurgence in the genre, defined by its epic scale and deep character studies.

Films:

  • The Godfather (1972): Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece that redefined the gangster genre.
  • Black Caesar (1973): A key blaxploitation film starring Fred Williamson as a gangster rising to power in Harlem.
  • Mean Streets (1973): Martin Scorsese’s breakthrough film, introducing his signature style to a story of small-time mobsters.
  • The Godfather Part II (1974): Widely considered one of the greatest sequels ever made, expanding the Corleone saga.
  • Dog Day Afternoon (1975): While not a Mafia film, this Sidney Lumet classic about a bank robbery is a perfect example of how the ’70s crime film explored real-world criminal behavior.

1980s

The genre continued to evolve with stylish remakes and biopics, often focusing on the extreme violence and excesses of the criminal lifestyle.

Films:

  • Once Upon a Time in America (1984): Sergio Leone’s epic, sprawling tale of Jewish gangsters in New York.
  • Scarface (1983): Brian De Palma’s a modern, hyper-violent remake that became a cultural phenomenon.
  • The Untouchables (1987): A highly stylized and fictionalized account of Eliot Ness’s pursuit of Al Capone.

1990s

This was a major decade for the genre, with iconic films and the birth of a groundbreaking TV show.

Films:

  • Goodfellas (1990): Martin Scorsese’s masterful biopic of Henry Hill.
  • The Godfather Part III (1990): The final chapter in the Corleone saga, which explores Michael’s attempt at legitimacy.
  • Mobsters (1991): A period piece following the early lives of real-life gangsters like Lucky Luciano and Bugsy Siegel.
  • Bugsy (1991): The biographical film about Bugsy Siegel.
  • Carlito’s Way (1993): Al Pacino stars as a former gangster trying to go straight.
  • Casino (1995): Scorsese’s epic about the mob’s control of Las Vegas.
  • Donnie Brasco (1997): The true story of an undercover FBI agent who infiltrates the Bonanno crime family.

TV Shows:

  • The Sopranos (1999–2007): The series that changed television. It blended the gangster genre with a psychological drama, following a New Jersey mob boss in therapy.

2000s

The genre became more fragmented, but still produced several significant, high-profile works, often with a global or psychological focus.

Films:

  • Gangs of New York (2002): A sprawling historical epic about 19th-century gang violence.
  • Road to Perdition (2002): A stylized period drama about a hitman and his son.
  • A History of Violence (2005): A more psychological thriller about a man trying to escape his mob past.
  • The Departed (2006): Martin Scorsese’s take on the Boston Irish mob, a remake of a Hong Kong film.
  • American Gangster (2007): A biographical film about drug lord Frank Lucas.

TV Shows:

  • Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014): A visually stunning period piece about Nucky Thompson, a powerful political figure with mob connections in Prohibition-era Atlantic City.

2010s

The genre thrived on television and in independent films, exploring different eras and perspectives.

Films:

  • Black Mass (2015): The biopic of Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger.
  • Live by Night (2016): Ben Affleck’s film about a Boston gangster who relocates to Florida.
  • The Irishman (2019): Martin Scorsese’s grand summation of the mob film, a lengthy biopic of hitman Frank Sheeran.

TV Shows:

  • Peaky Blinders (2013-2022): While a British series, its international popularity is a testament to the continued fascination with the gangster genre.
  • Godfather of Harlem (2019–Present): A series about real-life crime boss Bumpy Johnson in the 1960s.

2020s

Recent works continue to explore the genre, often through biopics or by revisiting past events.

Films:

  • Capone (2020): A look at the final years of Al Capone’s life.
  • The Many Saints of Newark (2021): A prequel film to The Sopranos.
  • Mob Cops (2025): A film about the mob’s influence on the police.

TV Shows:

  • Tulsa King (2022–Present): A show that puts a comedic twist on the genre, starring Sylvester Stallone as a New York mob capo exiled to Oklahoma.

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Artistic Director Walt Frasier

With over 30 years of experience in theater, comedy, and television, Walt Frasier is the Artistic Director of Improv Theater LLC, a leading edutainment center known for its high-impact comedy shows and workshops. His extensive career includes performing comedy sketches on MTV’s Stankervision, Late Nite with David Letterman, TruTV’s Friends of the People, and HBO’s Pause with Sam Jay. As an actor, Walt has appeared on NBC’s Blacklist, CBS’s Blue Bloods, USA’s Royal Pains, Netflix’s Lilyhammer, and NICK’s Naked Brothers Band, in addition to numerous commercials, industrials, and live performances worldwide.