- Dillinger (1973 film)
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Dillinger
Promotional posterDirected by John Milius Produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff
Lawrence Gordon
Buzz Feitshans
Robert PapazianWritten by John Milius Starring Warren Oates
Ben Johnson
Harry Dean Stanton
Cloris LeachmanMusic by Barry De Vorzon Cinematography Jules Brenner Editing by Fred R. Feitshans Jr. Distributed by American International Pictures Release date(s) July 20, 1973 Running time 107 minutes Country United States Language English Dillinger is a 1973 gangster film about the life and criminal exploits of notorious bank robber John Dillinger.
It stars Warren Oates as Dillinger and Ben Johnson as his pursuer, FBI Agent Melvin Purvis. The film, narrated by Purvis, chronicles the last few years of Dillinger's life (depicted as a matter of months) as the FBI and law enforcement closed in. The setting is Depression era America, 1933-34.
The film features largely unromanticized depictions of the principal characters. It was written and directed by John Milius for Samuel Z. Arkoff's American International Pictures.
Retired FBI Agent Clarence Hurt, one of the agents involved in the final shootout with Dillinger, was the film's technical advisor. It includes a verbal renouncing of gangster films written by FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover: he was scheduled to read it, but died before the film's release. The written words of Hoover are read at the film's close by Paul Frees.
The film was followed by two made-for-TV spin-offs: Melvin Purvis: G-Man (1974) (teleplay written by Milius) and The Kansas City Massacre (1975), both directed by Dan Curtis and each starring Dale Robertson as Purvis.
Cast
- Warren Oates as John Dillinger
- Harry Dean Stanton as Homer Van Meter
- Geoffrey Lewis as Harry Pierpont
- Steve Kanaly as Pretty Boy Floyd
- John P. Ryan as Charles Makley
- Richard Dreyfuss as Baby Face Nelson
- Frank McRae as Reed Youngblood
- Ben Johnson as Melvin Purvis
- Michelle Phillips as Billie Frechette
- Cloris Leachman as Anna Sage, "The Lady in Red"
- John Martino as Eddie Martin
- Roy Jenson as Sam Cowley
- Read Morgan as Big Jim Wollard
- Richard Eschliman as Machine Gun Kelly
External links
- Dillinger at the Internet Movie Database
- Dillinger at AllRovi
- Sample frames by cinematographer
Films directed by John Milius 1970s 1980s 1990s Flight of the Intruder (1991)Categories:- 1973 films
- American films
- English-language films
- 1970s crime films
- American crime drama films
- Crime thriller films
- Films directed by John Milius
- Films set in Chicago, Illinois
- Films set in Indiana
- Films set in the 1930s
- Gangster films
- Heist films
- American International Pictures films
- 1970s drama film stubs
- Crime film stubs
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