This is the story of the last few years of the notorious bank robber John Dillinger. He loved what he did and could imagine little else that would make him happier. Living openly in 1930s Chicago, he had the run of the city with little fear of reprisals from the authorities. It's there that he meets Billie Frechette with whom he falls deeply in love. In parallel we meet Melvin Purvis, the FBI agent who would eventually track Dillinger down. The FBI was is in its early days and Director J. Edgar Hoover was keen to promote the clean cut image that so dominated the organization through his lifetime. Purvis realizes that if he is going to get Dillinger, he will have to use street tactics and imports appropriate men with police training. Dillinger is eventually betrayed by an acquaintance who tells the authorities just where to find him on a given night.
Written by garykmcd
Anachronisms:
Early in the film, soon after the Racine robbery, November 20, 1933, a radio announcer is heard referring to John Dillinger as Public Enemy No. 1. Dillinger wasn't named Public Enemy No. 1 until June 22, 1934, his 31st birthday.
See more »
Quotes
Last Title Card:
Melvin Purvis quit the FBI a year later and died by his own hand in 1960. Billie Frechette was released in 1936 and lived the rest of her life in Wisconsin. See more »
Crazy Credits
The title of the movie is not shown until the end credits.
See more »
"The Last Roundup"
(1933) (aka "The Last Round-up") Written by Billy Hill Performed by Gene Autry Courtesy of Columbia Records By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
See more »