John Dillinger was on the American scene for only two or three years, but in that time he left a bloodstained mark that has not been forgotten. Had he operated in a more prosperous time (say like Willy Sutton, operating in the 1950s) his antics would not have made him a "popular" desperado. He was not adverse to killing people, particularly policemen, who stood in his way.
The only reason Willy Sutton is recalled is that like Dillinger he was a good self-publicist (his famous quote is "Why did you rob banks? "BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY WAS!") and he did not try to kill anyone.* But times were different in the 1930s. With the Great Depression going on Dillinger's bank robberies fed a cynical fancy in millions of impoverished Americans who hated banks as symbols of the "haves" and their minions "the police". These people were also impressed with Dillinger's sense of bravado as well. He used many getaway cars, and wrote a letter to Henry Ford complementing the speed and smooth performance of his new Model A. He was arrested and sent to an "escape proof" prison. When he arrived, the warden allowed Dillinger to be photographed with himself. Shortly after, Dillinger escaped the "escape proof" prison, supposedly with a pistol he made out of a bar of soap (today it is believed he bribed his way out). He also stole several guns, rifles, and ammunition.
Dillinger's field of operations was in the Midwest from Ohio to Kansas. He had several well publicized battles with state police and Agents from J. Edgar Hoover's F.B.I. In one case a hotel in Michigan's back woods was turned into a shambles - but he still escaped. He tried to hide his identity. He was one of the first "celebrities" to use plastic surgery, not only on his face, but his fingertips - a painful operation that he hoped would change the resulting fingerprints for good (it doesn't).
Hoover's F.B.I. tracked him to the Chicago area, but he was lying low. Hoover put Melvin Purvis on the case. Dillinger was in a bordello that was run by one Anna Sage. Ms Sage offered the F.B.I. a chance to get their man if they would halt deportation hearings against her (she was an illegal alien from Roumania). A bargain was struck, and Sage went to work.
Dillinger was a movie fan. His favorite screen actress was Myrna Loy (which is a pleasant thing to note about such a disreputable character). The local Biograph movie house in Chicago was showing a new Loy film (co-starring Clark Gable and - for the first time with Loy - William Powell!) called MANHATTAN MELODRAMA. Sage, Dillinger, and another lady of the bordello named Polly Hamilton went to the film (Dillinger treated them). Sage called Purvis, who set up his men in front and around the theater. So they knew her she would be wearing a red dress. One wonders if Dillinger was surprised at her dress choice.
One hopes Dillinger enjoyed the show. As they were leaving (actually in a crowd), Dillinger was told to freeze he was under arrest. He started running, pulling out his gun (a real one this time) and ran into an alley where he was blasted into eternity. Incredibly nobody was killed in the fusillade, except the bank robber. Nobody appears to have been injured.
Sage got zilch from her "bargain". Hoover did not stop her deportation. Dillinger's bloody but colorful exit capped his career as the end of Jesse James capped his fifty two years earlier. MANHATTAN MELODRAMA had another footnote to it's impressive tally (first Powell - Loy combination; first time Gable and Loy were in a film together; only film to date showing the "General Slocum" disaster; first movie to play the tune of the Rogers and Hart standard BLUE MOON - here with lyrics for a song called THE GOOD IN EVERYMAN). And the BIOGRAPH movie house is still standing in Chicago, a local historical site. Surprisingly they never renamed it the DILLINGER BIOGRAPH.
(*Sutton is associated with one tragic incident. He was spotted in 1955 by a young man named Arnold Schuster, who informed the police. As a result Sutton was recaptured and returned to prison. Then, Schuster started getting threats against his life for being a snitch. The New York City Police did watch after Schuster for a couple of weeks, but then stopped - they figured it was a crank. Schuster was shot to death on a city street shortly afterward. To this day the case remains open, but the police proved it wasn't Sutton or his friends - Sutton was actually quite horrified by what happened. The unofficial rumor is that Albert Anastasia, formerly co-head of "Murder, Inc." and head of one of the five New York Mafia Families, hated squealers and snitches - and when he saw a news interview of poor Schuster, ordered the "hit" on this good citizen as a warning not to do what he did.)
The only reason Willy Sutton is recalled is that like Dillinger he was a good self-publicist (his famous quote is "Why did you rob banks? "BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY WAS!") and he did not try to kill anyone.* But times were different in the 1930s. With the Great Depression going on Dillinger's bank robberies fed a cynical fancy in millions of impoverished Americans who hated banks as symbols of the "haves" and their minions "the police". These people were also impressed with Dillinger's sense of bravado as well. He used many getaway cars, and wrote a letter to Henry Ford complementing the speed and smooth performance of his new Model A. He was arrested and sent to an "escape proof" prison. When he arrived, the warden allowed Dillinger to be photographed with himself. Shortly after, Dillinger escaped the "escape proof" prison, supposedly with a pistol he made out of a bar of soap (today it is believed he bribed his way out). He also stole several guns, rifles, and ammunition.
Dillinger's field of operations was in the Midwest from Ohio to Kansas. He had several well publicized battles with state police and Agents from J. Edgar Hoover's F.B.I. In one case a hotel in Michigan's back woods was turned into a shambles - but he still escaped. He tried to hide his identity. He was one of the first "celebrities" to use plastic surgery, not only on his face, but his fingertips - a painful operation that he hoped would change the resulting fingerprints for good (it doesn't).
Hoover's F.B.I. tracked him to the Chicago area, but he was lying low. Hoover put Melvin Purvis on the case. Dillinger was in a bordello that was run by one Anna Sage. Ms Sage offered the F.B.I. a chance to get their man if they would halt deportation hearings against her (she was an illegal alien from Roumania). A bargain was struck, and Sage went to work.
Dillinger was a movie fan. His favorite screen actress was Myrna Loy (which is a pleasant thing to note about such a disreputable character). The local Biograph movie house in Chicago was showing a new Loy film (co-starring Clark Gable and - for the first time with Loy - William Powell!) called MANHATTAN MELODRAMA. Sage, Dillinger, and another lady of the bordello named Polly Hamilton went to the film (Dillinger treated them). Sage called Purvis, who set up his men in front and around the theater. So they knew her she would be wearing a red dress. One wonders if Dillinger was surprised at her dress choice.
One hopes Dillinger enjoyed the show. As they were leaving (actually in a crowd), Dillinger was told to freeze he was under arrest. He started running, pulling out his gun (a real one this time) and ran into an alley where he was blasted into eternity. Incredibly nobody was killed in the fusillade, except the bank robber. Nobody appears to have been injured.
Sage got zilch from her "bargain". Hoover did not stop her deportation. Dillinger's bloody but colorful exit capped his career as the end of Jesse James capped his fifty two years earlier. MANHATTAN MELODRAMA had another footnote to it's impressive tally (first Powell - Loy combination; first time Gable and Loy were in a film together; only film to date showing the "General Slocum" disaster; first movie to play the tune of the Rogers and Hart standard BLUE MOON - here with lyrics for a song called THE GOOD IN EVERYMAN). And the BIOGRAPH movie house is still standing in Chicago, a local historical site. Surprisingly they never renamed it the DILLINGER BIOGRAPH.
(*Sutton is associated with one tragic incident. He was spotted in 1955 by a young man named Arnold Schuster, who informed the police. As a result Sutton was recaptured and returned to prison. Then, Schuster started getting threats against his life for being a snitch. The New York City Police did watch after Schuster for a couple of weeks, but then stopped - they figured it was a crank. Schuster was shot to death on a city street shortly afterward. To this day the case remains open, but the police proved it wasn't Sutton or his friends - Sutton was actually quite horrified by what happened. The unofficial rumor is that Albert Anastasia, formerly co-head of "Murder, Inc." and head of one of the five New York Mafia Families, hated squealers and snitches - and when he saw a news interview of poor Schuster, ordered the "hit" on this good citizen as a warning not to do what he did.)