JLRVancouver Ben Johnson is 'Melvin Purvis, G-man' and Warren Oates is 'public enemy number one' in this violent, fedora-rich biopic that takes some liberties with the facts. The film follows John Dillinger's rise from bank robber to criminal icon, portraying him as violent and vain, but also an anti-hero to some poor depression-era Americans (similar to the superior "Bonnie and Clyde", 1967). The rest of the gang is a bit of a 'who's who' of period gangsters: Pretty-boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, Machine Gun Kelly, etc. Oates and Johnson (the Gorch brothers in Peckinpah's great "The Wild Bunch", 1969) are quite good in their roles, as are the rest of the cast except for a hammy Richard Dreyfuss as Baby Face Nelson. As Billie Frechette, Dillinger's moll, Michelle Phillips (of 'The Mamas & the Papas' fame) seems like a bit of gimmick casting and she certainly does not look 'half Indian', which, as is mentioned several times in the film, Frechette was. Typical of the trend in late '60's/early '70's R-rated action films, lots of blood-squibs were used, so the shootouts are quite messy and 'realistic'. Many of the gang-members' demises are fictionalised to allow Purvis to be pulling the trigger (or at least be on hand), and while I appreciate that movies are not meant to be history lessons, I dislike it when they rewrite the past for simplistic dramatic effect. Not a great gangster film, but entertaining enough to warrant a viewing, especially by fans of the genre. One interesting side-note: Oates actually resembles Dillinger. No mention is made of Dillinger's mythic monstrous member, which urban-legend states is in the custody of the Smithsonian.

videorama-759-859391 Dillinger is another example of great 70's American filmmaking. This is a well made pic and when you've got actors of great stature like Oates and Johnson, this somehow guarantees you're in for a great ride and the strong performances don't stop here. Even Dallas's Steven Kanaly as one of Dillinger's gang impresses in what is a very violent film, the likes of a similar film, Boxcar Bertha. Many films have been made of John Dillinger, this one the only one I've seen. Dillinger was one of the most feared bank robbers who just kept robbing. It was in his blood. No way in hell, could you make a guy like this stop. From the movie's start that has him robbing a teller, he pre warns the clerk, as not to get ideas, saying "This is the greatest moment in your life, don't make it your last". Oates depicts a range of emotions of the famous John Dillinger, his flaws, etc. He had a baby like nature, about him, someone who refused to grow up. The same could be said for Richard Dreyfuss who shines, in his much younger days as the smart alecky, cocky, Babyface Nelson, if stealing the scenes from the great Oates, who's performances are always of high accolade quality. Of course, it ends bloodily of course, with his execution out front of a cinema, in front of many shocked public. Dillinger openly admits how his mates wanting out careers, while he wanted to steal people's money, and here again is a prime example of how crime doesn't pay. Kanaly's running, slowly dying scene is memorable.

telegonus The 1973 film version of the (criminal) life of notorious bank robber John Dillinger, not really a remake of the 1945 film of the same title but a re-imagining of its eponymous character's career in crime, is hugely entertaining, featuring a star turn performance from Warren Oates that shows that the actor had major star potential, hampered, sadly, by his short stature, which doesn't really figure in the film as its director, John Milius, manages somehow to make Oates look taller than he was.Allegedly made on the cheap by American-International, it doesn't look cheap to me. It has, in its modest way, a kind of epic sweep, as we see Dillinger and his gang move through the Midwest like a tornado. The supporting roles are mostly played by young, at the time unknown players, one of which, Richard Dreyfuss, strangely well cast as Baby Face Nelson, went on to a starring career. As Dillinger's squeeze, Michelle Phillips is surprisingly effective and very sexy. There's good work, too, from Steve Kanaly and, especially, Harry Dean Stanton, who plays the most likable of the Dillinger gang.A problem I have with the film, and it's a fairly big one, is Ben Johnson's performance as FBI man Melvin Purvis. A former stunt man, Johnson became an accomplished player in western films, had a fine, mellow voice and a pleasing presence. He was not, however, a versatile actor, and this hurts Dillinger, as Johnson has the second biggest part in the film, and director Milius seems to favor him. Johnson looks his age, well past fifty at the time, and doesn't strike me as trim enough to be an FBI man. But if he was otherwise good casting this could be overlooked. Johnson simply lacks the authority, the heroic presence, to be Dillinger's nemesis, especially Dillinger as electrifying played by Warren Oates. Johnson was an actor who could steal scenes from major stars, hold his own with the best of them; and yet when "handed" scene after scene in Dillinger he just doesn't measure up. Worse, he often comes off as smug when what he should really be conveying is confidence, competence at what he does.With better casting in the Purvis role this Dillinger might have been a classic. As it is, it's excellent. The action scenes are done to perfection, nearly choreographed, I suspect, and yet they feel real none the less. There isn't a wasted moment in the film. Indeed, it could have been longer and worked just as well, maybe even better. The characters could have been more fleshed out; and some sections in the film, the one in the gang's Little Bohemia retreat in particular, could, with more time, greatly enhanced this already very well made film. John Milius was on a roll when he made this one, never fulfilled his potential. I wonder what went wrong.

kenjha This film looks at the final years of the infamous bank robber. Ineptly written and directed by Milius, the story has no narrative flow. It's a series of vignettes that become repetitive and tiresome. There are a lot of shootouts but the action scenes are poorly executed, with overly dramatic deaths. The acting is mostly bad. Oates seems miscast in the title role. Although Dillinger died at 31, Oates was 45 when this was filmed but looked even older. Also, he plays Dillinger as something of a goof ball rather than a tough guy. Johnson does OK as G-Man Ellison. Oates and Johnson played brothers in the classic "The Wild Bunch," but this will never be mistaken for a classic.