Dillinger

1973
R
1h 47m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

YOUR RATING

Ben Johnson, Warren Oates, and Michelle Phillips in Dillinger (1973)

John Dillinger and his gang go on a bank robbing spree across the Midwest, but one G-Man is determined to bring him down.

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Dark Comedy True Crime Action Biography Crime Drama

John Dillinger and his gang go on a bank robbing spree across the midwest, but one G-Man is determined to bring him down.John Dillinger and his gang go on a bank robbing spree across the midwest, but one G-Man is determined to bring him down.John Dillinger and his gang go on a bank robbing spree across the midwest, but one G-Man is determined to bring him down.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination

Mary
(uncredited)

David Dorr

Leroy
(uncredited)

Roland Bob Harris

Ed Fulton
(uncredited)

George O. Heath

John Dillinger, Sr.
(uncredited)

J. Edgar Hoover

Self (post-end credits speech)
(voice)
(uncredited)

Director
- John Milius
Writer
- John Milius
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
J. Edgar Hoover protested this film being made and demanded that changes be made to the script to depict the FBI in a better light (see below). Shortly before his death he recorded a disclaimer to the film; it can be heard (spoken by an imitation voice) after the closing credits. The film depicts John Dillinger being shot outside the Biograph after he pulls his gun; in fact, Dillinger never pulled a gun that night. The FBI decided they were going to kill Dillinger rather than attempt to take him alive; they announced their presence, he turned to run, and was shot six times in the back.

Goofs
Notes at the end of the movie claim that Melvin Purvis shot himself with the gun he killed John Dillinger with. In fact, the gun used to self-inflict his fatal wound was given to him by his colleagues at the FBI when he retired in 1935, the year after Dillinger was shot.

Quotes
[repeated line]
Homer Van Meter: Goddamit! Things ain't workin' out for me today!

Crazy credits
After the closing credits a verbal renouncing of gangster films written by FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover is heard: he was scheduled to read it for the film, but died before it started production. Hoover's text is read at the film's close by voice actor (Paul Frees) decrying the film and calling it a source of corruption for children.

Alternate versions
Two different versions with different main title music exist_ The original version features the song "We're in the Money" being played while snap shots of homeless and poor people are shown on the screen. The alternate version has the same visuals but with a simpler instrumental cue (called "Theme from Dillinger" on the soundtrack LP).

Connections
Featured in Breakaway (1990)

Soundtracks
The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Al Dubin
Sung during the opening credits

User reviews80

Review

Featured review

7/10

Fearless. Relentless. Public Enemy #1.

Director John Milius also takes writing credit for this very colorful look at the most famous bank robber John Dillinger(Warren Oates). This story begins in the middle of his criminal career ending in his death at the Biograph Theater. This is a very romanticized tale complete with Baby Face Nelson(Richard Dreyfuss) and Pretty Boy Floyd(Steve Kanaly). Ben Johnson plays FBI agent Melvin Purvis who has an ego to match Dillinger's. Cloris Leachman plays Anna Sage, the infamous Woman in Red. Throw in Michelle Phillips as a girlfriend and Harry Dean Stanton as minion Homer Van Meter and you have the key players in this very colorful and violent movie. Liberty is taken with history for entertainment sake and besides the profanity filled script is not the selling point...the manic gun battles get most of the attention. The gun play is bloody and frequent; some of the roughest ever filmed. For a less colorful, but very interesting version check out DILLINGER(1945)starring Lawrence Tierney.