Dillinger (1973 film)

Dillinger
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Milius
Written byJohn Milius
Produced byBuzz Feitshans
Starring
CinematographyJules Brenner
Edited byFred R. Feitshans Jr.
Music byBarry De Vorzon
Production
companies
Distributed byAmerican International Pictures
Release dates
  • June 19, 1973 (1973-06-19) (Dallas, Texas)[1]
Running time
107 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1 million[2]
Box office$2 million (US and Canada rentals)[3][4]
Michelle Phillips and Warren Oates

Dillinger is a 1973 American biographical gangster film, dramatizing the life and criminal exploits of notorious bank robber John Dillinger. It is written and directed by John Milius in his feature directorial debut, and stars Warren Oates as Dillinger, Ben Johnson as FBI Agent Melvin Purvis, and Michelle Phillips in her first film performance as Dillinger's moll Billie Frechette. Other actors in the film include Cloris Leachman, Harry Dean Stanton, and Richard Dreyfuss.

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 it started production. Hoover's text is read at the film's close by voice actor Paul Frees.

The film was released by American International Pictures on June 19, 1973. It was well-received by critics and was a commercial success. It 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.

  1. ^ "Dillinger – Details". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  2. ^ Haber, Joyce (13 June 1973). "A Million-Dollar 'Dillinger' by AIP". Los Angeles Times. p. g18.
  3. ^ 'Big Rental Films of 1973', Variety, 9 Jan 1974 p19
  4. ^ Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 301. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada