Dillinger (1973 film)
| Dillinger | |
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Promotional poster
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| Directed by | John Milius |
| Produced by |
Samuel Z. Arkoff Lawrence Gordon Buzz Feitshans Robert Papazian |
| Written by | John Milius |
| Starring |
Warren Oates Ben Johnson Cloris Leachman Michelle Phillips |
| Music by | Barry De Vorzon |
| Cinematography | Jules Brenner |
| Edited by | Fred R. Feitshans Jr. |
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Production
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| Distributed by | American International Pictures (1973, original) MGM (2003, DVD) Arrow Video (under license from MGM) (2016, Blu-Ray) |
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Release date
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Running time
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107 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1 million |
| Box office | $2 million (US and Canada rentals) |
Dillinger is a 1973 gangster film about the life and criminal exploits of notorious bank robber John Dillinger. It stars Warren Oates as Dillinger, Ben Johnson as his pursuer, FBI Agent Melvin Purvis, and Cloris Leachman as the "Lady in Red" who made it possible for Purvis to kill Dillinger. It also features the first film performance by the singer Michelle Phillips as Dillinger's moll Billie Frechette. 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, from 1933 to 1934, with 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. The film includes documentary imagery and film footage from the era. It includes a verbal renouncing of gangster films written by FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover: he was scheduled to read it for the film, but died before the its release. The Hoover's text is read at the film's close by voice actor 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.
In the early 1970s, John Milius was one of the most sought after screenwriters in Hollywood, selling his scripts for Jeremiah Johnson and The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean for record sums. He was unhappy with the way both films turned out, however and wanted to turn director. Samuel Z. Arkoff said that AIP approached him with the offer to direct Dillinger if he would write the script "for a fraction of his usual price."
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Wikipedia