'' Scarface '' ( also known as '' Scarface : The Shame of the Nation '' and '' The Shame of a Nation '' ) is a 1932 American pre-Code gangster film directed by Howard Hawks and produced by Hawks and Howard Hughes . The screenplay , by Ben Hecht , is loosely based on the 1929 novel by Armitage Trail which was inspired by Al Capone . The film stars Paul Muni as gangster Antonio " Tony " Camonte violently rises through the Chicago gangland . Meanwhile , Camonte pursues his bosses ' mistress as Camonte 's sister pursues his best hitman . In an overt tie to the life of Capone , one scene depicts a version of the Saint Valentine 's Day Massacre
Saint Valentine 's Day Massacre
Saint Valentine's Day Massacre
Scarface (1932 film)