Dillinger

Dillinger

Year: 1973

Runtime: 107 mins

Language: English

Director: John Milius

DramaCrimeActionCrime drugs and gangstersWesterns

After a shoot‑out in Kansas City kills five FBI agents, the Bureau targets notorious bank robber John Dillinger. His daring robberies make him a folk hero; after escaping jail he joins Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson, becoming Public Enemy Number One. The G‑men launch a manhunt, turning the chase into a high‑stakes game across the Midwest.

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Timeline & Setting – Dillinger (1973)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Dillinger (1973). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1930s

Set during the Great Depression, the narrative centers on the early 1930s drug of crime and desperation. The Kansas City Massacre (1933) anchors the plot in a year of stark economic collapse and social upheaval. The period is depicted as one where public distrust in banks and institutions feeds the outlaw myth and intensifies manhunts.

Location

Crown Point, Indiana, East Chicago, Indiana, Little Bohemia Lodge, Wisconsin, Mason City, Iowa, Chicago, Illinois, Arizona

The action shifts across key Midwestern and urban locations, rooting the story in the American heartland. It moves from the jail in Crown Point to gunfights in Mason City, lodges in Wisconsin, and the bustling streets of Chicago, reflecting the era’s ubiquity of crime. A temporary hideout in Arizona shows the gang’s reach beyond the Midwest during their crime spree.

❄️ Great Depression 🎭 Outlaw Myth 🗺️ Midwest Setting

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:38

Main Characters – Dillinger (1973)

Meet the key characters of Dillinger (1973), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Anna Sage (Cloris Leachman)

A Chicago brothel owner who becomes Dillinger’s ally and lover. She navigates danger with pragmatism and uses her position to influence events, ultimately becoming entangled in Purvis’s trap. Her choices reflect a desire to survive within a brutal world where loyalty is transactional.

💋 Femme Fatale 🔗 Liaison

Melvin Purvis (Ben Johnson)

FBI field office chief driven by a personal vendetta against Dillinger and his crew. He pursues them with calculated resolve, willing to push legal boundaries to end their crime spree. His method showcases the tension between righteous duty and vigilante-like actions in a high-stakes chase.

🧭 Pursuer 🗡️ Authority

Baby Face Nelson (Richard Dreyfuss)

A hot-headed member of the gang whose violence accelerates the group's downfall. He embodies reckless impulse and fearless intimidation, often driving the most dangerous confrontations. His temperament amplifies the volatility of the crime wave surrounding Dillinger.

🔥 Hothead 🗡️ Violent

John Dillinger (Warren Oates)

Charismatic and boastful gang leader who thrives on audacious heists and media attention. He navigates danger with wit and a fearless attitude, yet his charm masks a ruthless pragmatism. His escapes and crime sprees propel the narrative’s momentum and myth-making.

🧭 Charismatic 🗡️ Ruthless

Homer Van Meter (Harry Dean Stanton)

A loyal but volatile gang member whose presence heightens tension in the capers. He blends streetwise gruffness with a willingness to take risks, making him a constant threat in close-quarters confrontations. His actions contribute to the gang’s eventual unraveling.

🛡️ Loyal ⚡ Impulsive

Charles Mackley (John P. Ryan)

A member of Dillinger’s crew who participates in the Midwest robberies and the escape dynamics. He represents the ordinary criminal seeking fortune through audacious crime, adding depth to the gang’s collective dynamic. His fate underscores the perilous path the group treads.

🧭 Member 🧱 Loyalist

Harry Pierpont (Geoffrey Lewis)

A key accomplice who helps orchestrate robberies and survive the law’s pressure. He embodies the pragmatic, calculating side of the gang, balancing loyalty with self-preservation. His presence intensifies the internal risk as law enforcement closes in.

🧭 Strategist 🔗 Ally

Samuel Cowley (Roy Jenson)

A lawman figure within Purvis’s circle, contributing to the enforcement effort and the pursuit’s intensity. He represents the formal apparatus arrayed against the criminals. His role anchors the back-and-forth between investigators and outlaws.

🛡️ Enforcer 🕵️‍♂️ Inspector

Reed Youngblood (Frank McRae)

A prisoner-turned-ally who temporarily joins Dillinger’s efforts, navigating the shifting loyalties of the gang. His presence adds a layer of unpredictability to the escape and pursuit sequence. He embodies the turbulence of the era’s criminal world.

🗡️ Escaped 🤝 Ally

Pretty Boy Floyd (Steve Kanaly)

A flamboyant gang member whose actions contribute to the era’s notorious image. He helps fuel the public fascination with crime while adding to the gang’s enforceable pressure. His involvement amplifies the sensationalism surrounding their exploits.

🎯 Flamboyant 🧭 Rebel

Billie Frechette (Michelle Phillips)

Dillinger’s lover who accompanies him on a crime spree and becomes part of the inner circle. Her role illustrates personal relationships within the criminal world and the impact of the outlaw lifestyle on loved ones. She ultimately faces hardship and fades from the spotlight.

💞 Lover 🌫️ Companion

Eddie Martin (John Martino)

A gang member who participates in the wider sequence of robberies and escapes. He contributes to the ensemble’s dynamics and the operational challenges they face during each caper. His presence completes the core crew’s makeup.

🧩 Member 🔥 Cohort

Big Jim Wollard (Read Morgan)

A member of Dillinger’s crew whose role supports the group’s operations and improvisations during high-stakes robberies. He provides steady presence within the ensemble and shares in the risks of their activities. His inclusion reinforces the collective nature of the gang.

🗺️ Crew 🛡️ Support

Mary (uncredited) (Ann Ault)

A minor, uncredited character whose presence signals the cross-section of society touched by the criminal era. Though not central to the plot’s core action, her inclusion hints at the broader human impact of the era’s upheaval. She embodies the many quiet stories woven into the crime wave’s backdrop.

🧍 Supporting 🧭 Background

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:38

Major Themes – Dillinger (1973)

Explore the central themes of Dillinger (1973), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🎭 Glamour

The film portrays Dillinger and his gang as folk heroes, celebrated by the public and the media even as they commit violent crimes. It contrasts their daring escapes with the real harm they inflict on victims and communities. The allure of rebel glamour challenges viewers to see beyond sensational headlines.

⚖️ Law & Order

Purvis pursues the gang with relentless determination, often crossing legal boundaries in pursuit of justice. The narrative questions whether stringent law enforcement can be moral without ethical compromise. It highlights the friction between procedural legality and perceived necessity in a crisis year.

🗞️ Consequences

The epilogue underscores the human cost: Sage’s deportation, Purvis’s eventual suicide, and Frechette’s penniless end. It suggests that fame earned through crime comes at a heavy price for loved ones and does not guarantee lasting power or justice. The legacy of Dillinger’s likeness being used for target practice underscores the era’s conflicting uses of notoriety.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 19:38

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Dillinger Summary

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