The gangster genre of film has been on of the few genres which has evolved over time whilst still remaining close to the basic formula of each film

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The gangster genre of film has been on of the few genres which has evolved over time whilst still remaining close to the basic formula of each film. One of the firsts to mark the start of the gangster/crime genre was D. W. Griffith's "The Musketeers of Pig Alley" (1912). The earlier films were set in the silent era if film. Meaning the narrative would often be crude and lack depth, due to the lack of any true dialogue.

It wasn't until the 1927 film that the first modern gangster film was created, in the form of Josef von Sternberg's melodrama "Underworld". It held many of the standard conventions and filmed from the gangster's point of view, a first for the genre.

When the 1930's and the emergence of sound being used in the film dawned. So did the use of real-life crime bosses being used in the narrative for the crime/gangster drama. Many films were made about Al Capone. The films also because more appealing to the audience, as the added excitement of screeching tyres and gun shots. As the 30's continued, a wave of gangster films was released, each using the same narrative formula each time.