Customer Reviews

Dillinger [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This review is for the 2005 Warner Brothers DVD.

This film is about the real life bank robber John Dillinger who is arguably the most notorious robber in the history of American and earned the nickname "Public Enemy #1". From my brief research on the internet, the movie appears to be relatively true to form. From the early `30s until his death in 1934, Dillinger wreaked havoc across America with his brutal bank robberies and daring prison escapes.

The film itself moves fast, but is only 70 minutes long. There is little character development and the action is continuous and rarely dull. Lawrence Tierney stars as John Dillinger. This was his screen acting debut and he does little to set the acting world on fire. Even in scenes of major confrontation, Tierney seems expressionless and lacks emotional body language. Perhaps this was by design by the director. But if you are fan of vintage gangster films, I'm confident that you will be entertained and pleased with action and drama.

The DVD was remastered but not restored and unfortunately there was a significant amount of film damage. There were five or six scenes with at least 3 or 4 seconds of severely damaged footage. The remastering helped make the picture look sharp but tiny specs of deterioration were still prevalent throughout the film, but that wasn't a major deal compared to the noticeably larger scratches. Warner has historically been one of the better studios for film restoration and they obviously decided to not fix up this film. Due to the limited market of a DVD like this, I'm sure the payoff wasn't there to restore an entire movie, but if they would have at least fixed the severely damaged frames, that would have been sufficient for me.

PLEASE NOTE: Before buying this DVD, consider buying the Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 2 which contains this movie plus four other highly recommended movies at a very reasonable price.

Movie: B-

DVD Quality: C

This is definitely one of Hollywood's first (if not the very first) movies about the notorious gangster, John Dillinger. Lawrence Tierney plays him to perfection as he guns down his victims while his cold, emotionless face shows no remorse. One of the most brutal scenes of all the gangster classics is when Tierney discovers an elderly couple about to phone the police & turn him in, & promptly guns them down. While this isn't a very accurate account of Dillinger's life, the main elements are there, especially the mysterious "lady in red" who betrays Dillinger to the police. Unfortunately, little time is spent on the details of his many bank robberies, but after all, this is a crime drama, not a documentary. Although largely forgotten today, this was a big success back in 1945, making Lawrence Tierney a star. His acclaimed performance in this classic led to starring roles in some great film noirs & gangster dramas: "Born to Kill"-1947, "The Devil Thumbs a Ride"-1947, "Bodyguard"-1948, "Shakedown"-1950, "The Hoodlum"-1951. If you like an entertaining gangster flick & aren't too picky about getting the facts right then this one's for you.

Yes, this film feels like a diatribe. It's probably less factual than the film version of John Dillinger's exploits that director John Milius made in the seventies. So why do I recommend this film over Milius' more polished account? Well, this film in a campy, over-the-top way is just so entertaining. Secondly, Lawrence Tierney in the title role is such a magnetic screen presence. His tough ferocity keeps the film's campier elements in check and grounds it in some semblance of reality. There's also a good supporting cast here with gangster veterans Marc Lawrence and Elisha Cook Jr. (seems like he's in all these noir-gangster flicks) on hand. The story is told here crisply and in an economical 70 minutes so if you have an hour plus to kill there's worse ways to do it. Oh, John, if only you had the two bucks to pay for the drinks!

This movie has several big things going for it: its short, fast-moving and just plain entertaining. How much more do you want? Also, Lawrence Tierney was made for gangster/film noir movies. He looks the part, acts the part, and was a thug in real life, too. Who better than to portray famous criminal John Dillinger as a cold-blooded killer?

This was Tierney's starring debut and it was a good vehicle for him. I also enjoyed Edmund Lowe as the gang boss prior to Tierney taking over. I enjoyed the supporting cast, too: Anne Jeffreys, Elisha Cook Jr., Eduardo Cianelli and Marc Lawrence. All of them add to this film.

I was glad they concentrated on the crime part of the film and didn't go crazy with a sappy romance. However, I am sorry Jeffreys wasn't on screen more often. She had the '40s look, if I ever saw it.

Movie: **** DVD Transfer: **** Extras: ***

This ultra low-budget film released by Poverty Row's Monogram Pictures is much better than the studio's standard fare, thanks to the artistry of a fine cast and a few capable technicians. The script by Philip Yordan is a typical biographical whitewash job that bears only a passing resemblance to the true story of 1930's gangster John Dillinger; and yet it works just fine as a piece of noir crime drama, with sturdy dialogue and interesting characters. In his first starring role, Lawrence Tierney acquits himself well as Dillinger; and lovely Anne Jeffreys (although anachronistic in her 1940's fashions and hairstyle) turns in a fine performance as his treacherous moll. But the real acting honors are shared by the four actors who comprise Tierney's original gang: former silent star Edmund Lowe; veteran character player Eduardo Ciannelli; the craggy-faced Marc Lawrence; and the always reliable Elisha Cook, Jr. Each of these men is given a brief but ample opportunity to shine, and each one makes the most of his turn in the spotlight. Also of note are the musical score by Dimitri Tiomkin, and the moody black and white cinematography of Jackson Rose.

The Warner Brothers DVD release of this film offers unexpectedly fine picture and audio quality. It must be kept in mind that to keep production costs down, "Dillinger" includes many snippets of stock footage from other films, and this generic footage was filmed at different times with varying film grains, and with a hodge-podge of technical styles. As presented here, it all blends fairly seemlessly, with only a few really rough spots standing out. The DVD includes a serviceable audio commentary by John Milius, director of the 1973 "Dillinger"; his sometimes meandering remarks are intercut with old excerpts of an interview with screenwriter Yordan. The Original Theatrical Trailer is also included ... see if you don't agree that the "Time" magazine quote at the trailer's end ("DILLINGER reached unmatched heights of daredevil ruthlessness!") refers to the actual man rather than the magazine's review of this little diamond in the rough.

Poverty Row Monogram's biggest hit dealing with subject matter the major studios agreed not to touch. The budget was so small they had to lift the big heist scene from Fritz Lang's YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, but the taut little script is well cast. Tierney radiates menace and Edmund Lowe as his jailhouse mentor does a nice deterioration from commanding to sniveling. Nice bits of jarring violence, even if off-screen: a face-mauling w/ a broken beer mug, a gunning down of a sweet old couple, and an ax murder. Good, clean fun. 7/10

Viewed: 10/08
Rate: 7

10/08: John Dillinger was one of the most famous criminals from the Depression era and symbolized the mythical drape of a heroic looking criminal (shall I say Robin Hood?). Well, of course, even more notorious than him is the story of how he died at the theatre after being escorted out with a woman in the red. John Dillinger was so famous that he was brandished the first original Public Enemy Number One whether it's true or not. Of course, a movie had to be made about him, and the results are somewhat mixed. One thing for sure is that Dillinger found itself stuck in 40's mentality, restraining much of the potential the lead character had. Lawrence Tierney is awesome in his role as the menacing two-faced John Dillinger, and if he was allowed to be seen pushing the envelope even further, that would have been a performance of his lifetime. In short, he was quite good. Unfortunately, the film lacks enough of realism and gritty moments. Whenever the moment occurs, it's ninety percent obfuscated and one hundred percent presumption. On the other hand, I didn't feel anyone's character was developed well enough, and Dillinger would have been a more interesting picture if it did occur. Easily the worst part of Dillinger is how it ends. I thought the ending was so lackluster that I had to view it as "blah..." A couple of well known actors took part in Dillinger: Elisha Cook, Jr. of The Maltese Falcon and Marc Lawrence the film noir veteran and of The Asphalt Jungle. I liked Anne Jeffreys' performance as well, and she is a looker, perfect for 40's black-and-white films. It's easy to see why the role suited Lawrence Tierney so perfectly well because he was a bad boy in real life. If there is any indication of that, don't look any further than Reservoir Dogs as Nice Guy Eddie's father and Seinfeld as Elaine's father and made Jerry Seinfeld and George Constanza to squirm. That's Lawrence Tierney, all right. One of the best parts about Dillinger is its short running time of seventy minutes. That's very helpful but harms the idea of making a biopic out of John Dillinger while detailing the great many bank robberies and daring prison escapes. All in all, Dillinger is worth watching and solely for Lawrence Tierney. He was quite cold and also very good, one of the greatest villainous performances. It's funny when I suddenly remember when Lawrence Tierney in Reservoir Dogs said, "Dead as Dillinger." Sorry pal, Dillinger, to me, isn't regarded a film noir.

Max Nosseck, one of the lesser-known German emigrees to Hollywood during the golden age (this is far and away his best-known film, and it's got under 600 votes on IMDb) directs this first telling of the Dillinger story with flare and simplicity, making for a reasonably exciting and watchable, compact noirish gangster story that has very little to do with real events. Given that William Castle was an uncredited screenwriter (along with the credited Philip Yordan, one of the ace film noir writers) and that this was made for c-grade Monogram, I guess that's not surprising, though you'd think that, being made less than a dozen years after the real John Dillinger was gunned down outside of the Biograph in Chicago (yes, they do get this part sort-of right) there'd be some concern that the public would resent the obvious distortions. Oh well, I guess not.

The film has a rather interesting opening, with an audience watching a newsreel on Dillinger, after which a man comes out who purports to be Dillinger's father and who then introduces the story we see. This is a completely ruthless, cold and pretty nearly inhuman portrait, played by steely-eyed Lawrence Tierney in his first significant role; there's no subtlety here, no real character development, no attempt to get into "why a man goes bad" or anything like that, apart from the critical (and rather silly) scene where the insulted, poor youn Dillinger gets mad and steals a few bucks from a shopkeeper in order to buy his girl a drink - one insult to his manly ego leads to a life of crime, I guess.

But no matter, what it lacks in "realism" and accuracy, the film generally makes up for in the fluid storytelling and the general excellence of its cast, starting with the frightening Tierney but also including the relatively obscure Anne Jeffreys as his dame Helen Rogers, silent star-turned-character actor Edmund Lowe as his mentor/eventual rival Specs, and the great Elisha Cook Jr in a relatively low-key and thankless role as a henchman. Tierney went on to do BORN TO KILL a couple of years later, which really established him as one of the best of the cold-blooded noir anti-heros (or charismatic villains, take your pick), and his acting certainly improved over time - he gives some great late performances as crusty old mentors (usually of the gangster type) in films like TOUGH GUYS DON'T DANCE and RESERVOIR DOGS - but he's well worth watching in this debut. Not a great film by any means, but well worth a look for fans of noir or gangster films or any of the great cast.

DVD NOTE: as a couple of others have mentioned, there are some slight issues with the transfer here - though it looks razor-sharp, there are a couple of noticeable drop-outs of a few seconds, and the sound doesn't always seem perfectly synched. Not a huge issue for me, but you should be aware. John Milius, who made his own DILLINGER 28 years later, provides a fairly entertaining commentary.

Lawrence Tierney paid an unmatched tribute to the 20th Century Jesse James, John Dillinger, not only bringing a landmark testament to an American folk legend but setting a new standard for cinema tough guys in the process. Though it is a weak biography (heavy on the drama and light on factual events), Tierney's impression of a ruthless bandit stands alone in the genre. For crime movie buffs, 30's-40's flick lovers and Tierney fans, this is one you won't do without.

Lawrence Tierney is convincing as John Dillinger in this 1945 gangster film "Dillinger", based on truth and fictional events. The film starts with Dillinger as a small time hood who is put away behind bars for a robbery, building up to his public enemy #1 status. John Dillinger becomes the country's most wanted outlaw. The film doesn't waste any time getting to the point, running a short seventy eight minutes. The story covers important exploits of the notorious gangster,although the film also portrays a couple murders that Dillinger never actually committed. Lawrence Tierney does his part, but not the same impact of Warren Oates in his career best performance as the outlaw - "Dillinger" is an interesting look about a man who lived dangerously and drove down the fast lane to the fatal end,accompanied by the lady in red,(Anne Jeffreys). Twentieth Century Fox VHS - good transfer, b&w. Johnny Depp as Dillinger?