REEL FACE: | REAL FACE: |
Johnny Depp
Born: June 9, 1963 Birthplace: Owensboro, Kentucky, USA | John Dillinger
Born: June 22, 1903 Birthplace: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA Death: July 22, 1934, Chicago (shot by FBI) |
Christian Bale
Born: January 30, 1974 Birthplace: Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK | Melvin Purvis
Born: October 24, 1903 Birthplace: Timmonsville, South Carolina, USA Death: February 29, 1960, Florence, South Carolina (self-inflicted gunshot) |
Marion Cotillard
Born: September 30, 1975 Birthplace: Paris, France | Evelyn 'Billie' Frechette
Born: September 15, 1907 Birthplace: Neopit, Wisconsin, USA Death: January 13, 1969, Shawano, Wisconsin (cancer) |
Stephen Graham
Born: August 3, 1973 Birthplace: Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK | Lester 'Baby Face Nelson' Gillis
Born: December 6, 1908 Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA Death: November 27, 1934, Barrington, Illinois (shot by FBI) |
Channing Tatum
Born: April 26, 1980 Birthplace: Cullman, Alabama, USA | Charles 'Pretty Boy' Floyd
Born: January 3, 1904 Birthplace: Adairsville, Georgia, USA Death: October 22, 1934, East Liverpool, Ohio (shot by FBI) |
Billy Crudup
Born: July 8, 1968 Birthplace: Manhasset, New York, USA | J. Edgar Hoover
Born: January 1, 1895 Birthplace: Washington, D.C., USA Death: May 2, 1972, East Washington, D.C. (heart failure while asleep) |
Branka Katic
Born: January 20, 1970 Birthplace: Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia | Anna Sage (Ana Cumpanas)
Born: 1889 Birthplace: Romania Death: April 25, 1947, Romania (liver failure) |
Stephen Dorff
Born: July 29, 1973 Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Homer Van Meter
Born: December 3, 1906 Birthplace: Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA Death: August 23, 1934, St. Paul, Minnesota (shot by police) |
Not exactly. The real John Dillinger did smuggle guns to the inmates but was not present during the escape. Dillinger had an agreement with fellow inmate Harry 'Pete' Pierpont to help prisoners escape after he was paroled in exchange for being in Pierpont's gang once they were out. On May 22, 1933, Dillinger was paroled from Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. He began a series of quick bank robberies throughout small towns in Ohio and Indiana to fund the escape.
In September 1933, Dillinger was able to have guns smuggled into a thread shipment to the shirt factory where the prisoners were working. The prisoners successfully escaped that day while Dillinger was sitting in a Lima, Ohio jail after being arrested while visiting his girlfriend. On October 12, 1933, former inmates Harry 'Pete' Pierpont, Russell Clark and Charles Makley posed as police officers and walked into the Ohio jail. After being asked for identification, Sheriff Jess Sarber was shot and beaten. Dillinger was freed and the sheriff's wife Lucy and Deputy Sharp were locked up. Sheriff Sarber died later that evening from his injuries. -Boston Herald
Yes. In researching how accurate is Public Enemies, we learned that Evelyn 'Billie' Frechette (portrayed by Marion Cotillard in the movie) met John Dillinger in a Chicago dance hall in November of 1933. The photo below displays an image of the real Billie Frechette and actress Marion Cotillard. -PBS
No. The shootout actually occurred at the Lincoln Court Apartments in St. Paul, Minnesota where John Dillinger and Billie Frechette were living as Mr. and Mrs. Carl Hellman. According to the book John Dillinger Slept Here by Paul Maccabee, the manager reported the couple as being suspicious after they insisted on using the rear entrance and stayed in most of the time. On the night of March 30, 1934, the FBI set up surveillance on the apartment and the next morning they knocked on the door. Billie Frechette greeted them, saying her name was Mrs. Hellman and that she needed to get changed before they entered the apartment. Soon after closing the door on the agents, Homer Van Meter came up the stairway and started shooting at the men. Dillinger followed by shooting through the apartment door and then into the hallway, before escaping with Billie down a back stairwell and fleeing in a getaway car.
Yes. After Dillinger was caught in Tucson, Arizona, it was decided that he would be extradited to Indiana to stand trial for the murder of Officer William Patrick O'Malley, who was killed during the First National Bank robbery in East Chicago, Indiana. He was greeted by throngs of fans and photographers at the Chicago Municipal Airport when he landed.
Yes. In answering the question, "How accurate is the Public Enemies movie?" we learned that in April of 1934, Warner Brothers began showing a newsreel about Dillinger's criminal life and the ongoing hunt for him in hopes of sparking some tips. Audiences often cheered for Dillinger and showed disdain for the special agents. -PBS
Yes. The shootout took place at the Little Bohemia Lodge in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin on the night of April 22, 1934. As the FBI agents were closing in on the Little Bohemia Lodge, the owner's dogs began to bark but Dillinger's gang thought nothing of it. Three civilian men who had just finished dinner stepped outside with rifles in their hands and got into their car. Since the FBI believed the barking had sparked the gang to leave, they assumed these men were their suspects and began firing after the car failed to stop when asked. (It was later determined that the men did not hear the FBI due to the car radio.) One of the civilians in the car was killed. The gunfire prompted Dillinger's gang to start shooting from a second-floor window. The three innocent men in the car were most likely hunters, which would explain their rifles. -LittleBohemiaLodge.com
Yes. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a number of laws that Congress passed during Dillinger's crime spree. On May 18, 1934, laws were created with regard to the killing of federal officers, crossing state lines to avoid prosecution, prison employees assisting prisoner escapes, and the death penalty for bank robbers. On June 6, 1934, they added the ability to offer reward money for capturing criminals. Additionally, federal agents were given the right to carry weapons and make arrests. -PBS
During her trial, the real Billie Frechette testified that she was slapped and deprived of food and water for two days during her interrogation (PBS). The FBI vehemently denies this and claims that while she was interrogated for two days straight, she was never struck. The FBI believes that Ms. Frechette said this to get sympathy during her trial. -FBI.gov
Yes. On October 11, 1934, Anna Sage, whose real name is Ana Cumpanas, received a $5,000 cash reward for her help in locating Public Enemy Number One. -FBI.gov
Yes. Although Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) tried to keep Anna Sage from being deported, it was out of his jurisdiction and the Immigration and Naturalization Service continued with the deportation proceedings. On April 15, 1936, Anna was deported back to Romania for being considered an "alien of low moral character". -PBS
Yes. It has been reported that John Dillinger accompanied Polly Hamilton to the police station four times for her health examinations without being noticed (FBI.gov). In an interview with Melbourne's The Age newspaper, Public Enemies movie actor Johnny Depp confirmed that Dillinger did see photos of himself on the police station wall. Furthermore, Depp also corroborated that Dillinger asked an officer the score of the baseball game on the radio. Depp did not name the source behind these details.
At the end of the John Dillinger movie Public Enemies, Charles Winstead visits Billie Frechette in jail and confirms that he is one of the agents who shot Dillinger. In real life, Winstead was one of three FBI agents who shot at Dillinger that night. Charles Winstead, Clarence Hurt and Herman Hollis were all recognized by J. Edgar Hoover for their actions but none were credited with his death. -FBI.gov
No. According to FBI reports, Dillinger had no last words. However, this remains highly disputed. It is rumored that he said, "You got me," after he was shot. Either way, Johnny Depp's last words of "bye bye blackbird" were added by director Michael Mann for dramatic effect to tie Dillinger's death to his first meeting with Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard).
Yes. According to FBI reports, two women in the crowd were also injured during the Biograph Theatre shooting. Ms. Theresa Paulus received a slight flesh wound to the hip and was taken to Grant Hospital, while Mrs. Eta Natalsky received a bullet wound between the knee and thigh and was taken to Columbus Hospital. Both women were treated and released without permanent damage. -FBI.gov
Watch video featuring footage of the real John Dillinger, Sheriff Lillian Holley and an eyewitness to John Dillinger's death. Watch all three parts of a Dillinger documentary that explores the gangster's rise to and tragic fall from his status as Public Enemy Number One. Finally, watch a 1945 John Dillinger movie that offers a different perspective than the 2009 Johnny Depp Public Enemies movie.
WATCH John Dillinger Death News ReelThis vintage news reel recounts the
criminal life and death of John Dillinger,
from his numerous escapes to crossing the
Indiana state line, which put the FBI on
his tail. We learn that the notorious
bank robber, who became Public Enemy #1 in
the early 1930s, tried to alter his
fingerprints with acid. A John Dillinger
morgue photo is shown towards the end of
the video. |
WATCH Footage of John Dillinger and Sheriff Lillian HolleyVideo of the real John Dillinger and
Sheriff Lillian Holley being overly
cordial to one another is shown. It is
followed by an interview with an
eyewitness, who saw John Dillinger's death
and tried to help him. |
WATCH Eyewitness Describes Dillinger's DeathA man who had been working the night shift
at a garage across the street from the
theater describes seeing Dillinger lying
bleeding and dead. The man in the
interview had stepped outside for some
fresh air during a food break when he
witnessed the shooting. He holds nothing
back in describing the graphic scene. |
WATCH Manhattan Melodrama TrailerWatch the Manhattan Melodrama movie
trailer for the 1934 film starring actors
William Powell, Clark Gable and Myrna Loy.
Gable and Powell portray two brothers who
grow up on opposite sides of the law.
There differences collide when they both
fall in love with the same woman. The
movie is best known for being the film
that bank robber John Dillinger watched
before being shot dead outside of the
theater by the FBI. |
WATCH John Dillinger Shot Dead by Federal Agents - News ReelIn the wake of John Dillinger's death,
this celebratory news reel describes how
Dillinger tried to disguise himself on the
night of his demise, but couldn't outsmart
the G-Men. His gun, hat, glasses and fake
moustache are shown. At the beginning of
the video, we observe him lying in the
morgue deceased. |
WATCH John Dillinger Documentary - Part 1 of 3Part 1 of 3, this documentary includes
some great footage as it explores the life
and criminal ways of America's original
"Public Enemy #1". Part 1 of the
documentary chronicles Dillinger's
childhood and his evolution into a life of
crime. |
WATCH John Dillinger Documentary - Part 2 of 3Part 2 of 3 parts, this segment of the
John Dillinger documentary focuses in part
on the controversy that arose when the
county prosecutor and Sheriff Lillian
Holley posed for photos with Dillinger, in
which the prosecutor's arm can be seen
resting affectionately on Dillinger's
shoulder. |
WATCH John Dillinger Documentary - Part 3 of 3Part 3 of 3, this installment of the
documentary chronicles the shootout at the
Little Bohemia Lodge in Wisconsin. After
the shootout, Dillinger undergoes plastic
surgery to disguise his appearance before
committing his final bank robbery. Chief
of the FBI J. Edgar Hoover then puts a
price of $10,000 on Dillinger's head. |
WATCH Dillinger Trailer (1945)Watch this trailer for the 1945 movie
about the 1930s gangster who robbed banks
and took the lives of the G-Men sent to
stop him. This John Dillinger movie stars
Lawrence Tierney as Public Enemy #1. |
WATCH Public Enemies Movie TrailerIn the 1930s, a legendary bank robber
eluded the FBI and became a national
celebrity. That man is John Dillinger.
Here, Johnny Depp portrays the infamous
criminal whose law breaking ways
eventually caught up with him. Also
starring Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard,
Giovanni Ribisi, and Billy Crudup. Public
Enemies movie trailer for the Michael Mann
film. |