Did You Know?

J. Edgar Hoover protested this film being made and demanded that changes be made to the script to depict the FBI in a better light (see below). Shortly before his death he recorded a disclaimer to the film; it can be heard (spoken by an imitation voice) after the closing credits. The film depicts John Dillinger being shot outside the Biograph after he pulls his gun; in fact, Dillinger never pulled a gun that night. The FBI decided they were going to kill Dillinger rather than attempt to take him alive; they announced their presence, he turned to run, and was shot six times in the back.

As of 2010, Warren Oates is the only ever John Dillinger movie actor who actually looked like the notorious gangster.

Baby Face Nelson is identified by Melvin Purvis in the opening narration as "Lester 'Baby Face' Nelson". This is a combination of the outlaw's real name and alias. He was born Lester Gillis but often used "George Nelson". He was commonly called by his alias by both his friends and the media. The "Baby Face" moniker was an inside joke in the underworld about the youthful hoodlum which was picked up by the media.

The idea of Pretty Boy Floyd being apart of the John Dillinger gang is based on a still debated theory among historians and Dillinger biographers that Floyd participated in Dillinger's last bank robbery in South Bend, Indiana in June of 1934. While no witnesses at the scene of the robbery were certain it was Floyd, Joesph "Fatso" Negri, an associate of Baby Face Nelson, always claimed it was Floyd. Some believe Negri lied to cover up the fact it was he who was involved in the robbery.

Though not credited as such, Michelle Phillips, who plays Billie Frechette, also plays Polly Hamilton, the girl John Dillinger was with at the Biograph theater (along with Anna Sage). Though Polly is seen mostly in shadow (to cover up the fact Phillips is playing her part), there are some indications that it is in fact Phillips: 1. There are two brief occasions where her face is seen. First when the trio is underneath the awning of the theater and then when she's lighting a cigarette. 2. After Melvin Purvis shoots Dillinger, Polly begins screaming hysterically. Comparing her screams to those by Billie earlier in the film, both are screams by Michelle Phillips. 3. There may be an additional reason not mentioned as to why Phillips plays both parts: In real life many people believe that Dillinger dated Polly Hamilton because of her strong resemblance to Billie Frechette, who had been captured by the FBI.

After escaping from the Crown Point jail, John Dillinger robs the local bank. While he did not rob this bank in real life, according to Ed Saager, the garage mechanic Dillinger forced to drive the getaway car, as they were passing by the bank, John Dillinger did jokingly comment, "Geez, I wish I wasn't in such a hurry to get outta here...I'd love to stop by that bank."

Ben Johnson (Melvin Purvis) was 54 when shooting this film, the real Purvis died at the age of 56. This is almost twice the age the real Purvis was when John Dillinger was killed - 30 years old.

Although she appears in several scenes, Harry Pierpont's girlfriend, Mary, is uncredited. As is the woman playing "Baby Face" Nelson's wife, Helen.

When Dillinger is locking up the guards during his "wooden gun" jail break from Crown Point, one of the guards asks "Where did you get that?" (meaning the gun). To which Dillinger replies "From my lawyer." In real life, many historians have uncovered evidence that Dillinger's lawyer, Louis Piquett, made arrangements with Homer Van Meter and "Baby Face" Nelson to bribe a guard to smuggle a real gun to Dillinger for his escape. But the guard chickened out and gave Dillinger a wooden gun to bluff his way out.

The film depicts Melvin Purvis (Ben Johnson) as being responsible for the capture or kills of "Machine Gun" George Kelly, Wilbur Underhill, "Handsome Jack" Klutis, John Dillinger, and Pretty Boy Floyd. In reality, Purivs was only responsible for getting Dillinger and Floyd.

Has a staggering body count of 63 people, including the 5 killed men Purvis mentions, the 2 people Reed admits to killing and what looks like 5 people killed during the montage of B&W clips at one point in the film.