Melvin Purvis G-MAN (TV 1974)

Agent Melvin Purvis is placed in charge of running down notorious killer Machine Gun Kelly, and sets out to do just that.

Director:

Dan Curtis

Writers:

John Milius (story), John Milius (teleplay),

Stars:

Dale Robertson, Harris Yulin, Dick Sargent

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dale Robertson	...	Melvin Purvis
Harris Yulin	...	George 'Machine Gun' Kelly
Dick Sargent	...	Thatcher Covington
Margaret Blye	...	'Kate' Katherine Ryan-Kelly
Matt Clark	...	Charles 'Charlie' Parlmetter
David Canary	...	'Gene' Eugene T. Farber
Elliott Street	...	Thomas 'Buckwheat' Longaker
John Karlen	...	'Tony' Anthony Redecci
Steve Kanaly	...	Sam Cowley
Woodrow Parfrey	...	Nash Covington
Jim Hill	...	'Jim' J. D. Longaker
Don Megowan	...	Hamburger Stand Man
Hank Rolike	...	Shoe Shine Man
Eddie Quillan	...	Hotel Clerk
Max Kleven	...	Purvis' Driver

Storyline

Agent Melvin Purvis is placed in charge of running down notorious killer Machine Gun Kelly, and sets out to do just that.

---

Plot Keywords:

machine gun | unsold tv series pilot | police shoot out | outlaw | fbi | 

---

Genres:

Action | Biography | Crime | Drama

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 April 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

G-Man

Filming Locations:

Nicolaus, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

American International Pictures (AIP), Dan Curtis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Steve Kanaly, who plays FBI Agent Sam Cowley in this film, played "Pretty Boy" Floyd in Dillinger. Both films were written by John Milius (he also directed "Dillinger").

---

Connections

Followed by The Kansas City Massacre (1975)

User Reviews

Disappointing gangster film

Although "Melvin Purvis G-MAN" had its premier on television in North America, there's evidence to suggest it played in theaters in other countries. The movie was backed by American-International Pictures, for one thing. And the production values are generally good, with a lot of period detail ranging from clothing to automobiles. But whether seen on television or in theaters, I would guess most viewers at the time were disappointed with the movie. Although the title claims the movie will be a grand look at Melvin Purvis, he is actually in less of the movie than you'd think. At times he's an afterthought. And because of his limited use, we don't get a good exploration of his character. As the title figure, Dale Robertson tries, but even he can't juice up his limited character. There was a sequel made to this movie in the following year, but judging from this movie I'll think I'll give it a pass.