Public Enemies (2009 film)

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Public Enemies
Directed by	Michael Mann
Produced by	Michael Mann Kevin Misher
Written by	Screenplay: Ronan Bennett Ann Biderman Michael Mann Book: Bryan Burrough
Starring	Johnny Depp Christian Bale Marion Cotillard Channing Tatum
Music by	Elliot Goldenthal
Cinematography	Dante Spinotti
Editing by	Paul Rubell
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	2009
Country	United States
Language	English
IMDb profile

Public Enemies is a 2009 film adaptation of Bryan Burrough's book Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-43 directed by Michael Mann. The crime drama is set during The Great Depression with the focus on the FBI agent Melvin Purvis' attempt to stop criminals John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd. Johnny Depp will play Dillinger, Christian Bale will play FBI agent Purvis and Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard will play Dillinger's girlfriend Billie Frechette. Principal photography began in Columbus, Wisconsin on March 17, 2008^[1] and will continue in Chicago, Illinois and several places in Wisconsin until the end of June.^[2] Some parts of the film will be shot in Crown Point, Indiana, the town where Dillinger escaped from jail.

Contents 1 Cast 2 Development 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Cast

• Johnny Depp as John Dillinger: An American bank robber whose exploits dominated the press during what is sometimes referred to as the public enemy era, between 1931 and 1935.
• Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis: An FBI agent chosen by J. Edgar Hoover to lead a manhunt to catch Dillinger.^[3]
• Marion Cotillard as Billie Frechette: Dillinger's torch singer girlfriend.
• Channing Tatum as Pretty Boy Floyd^[4]: An American bank robber and alleged killer.^[4]
• Giovanni Ribisi as Alvin Karpis: A noted criminal in the United States known for his alliance with the Barker gang in the 1930s. He was the last "Public Enemy" to be captured.^[4]
• Stephen Dorff as Homer Van Meter: A criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson.^[4]
• Billy Crudup as J. Edgar Hoover: The first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States.
• Leelee Sobieski as Polly Hamilton: Dillinger's final girlfriend, ignorant of his true identity.
• Jason Clarke as John "Red" Hamilton: A Canadian criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of Dillinger.^[4]
• John Ortiz as Frank Nitti: Al Capone's right-hand man.^[5]
• David Wenham as Harry Pierpont: A member of Dillinger's crew.^[6]
• Stephen Graham as Baby Face Nelson^[6]: He was a bank robber who acquired his moniker, Baby Face Nelson due to his youthful appearance and stature, a diminutive 5'3". After Dillinger's death in July 1934, Nelson became Public Enemy Number One.
• Christian Stolte as Charles Makley: A known associate of Dillinger's and who broke him out of prison in 1933. By the end of that year, Makley ranked fourth on Illinois' list of "public enemies", behind Dillinger, Pierpont, and Hamilton.
• Stephen Lang as Charles Winstead: He is the leader of the Texas Rangers who join the manhunt for Dillinger and his gang.
• Shawn Hatosy as John Madala: An FBI agent who helped capture Ma Barker.
• Branka Katic as Anna Sage: the infamous "Lady in Red" who was romantically involved with Dillinger at the time of his murder.
• Emilie de Ravin as Anna Patzke: a bank teller who was taken hostage by Dillinger and later released.
• James Russo as Walter Dietrich: a man who Dillinger met while in the Michigan City penitentiary. He taught Dillinger and others "the methods of Herman 'Baron' K. Lamm, a Prussian army officer turned highly successful bank robber".^[7]

[edit] Development

Public Enemies is based on Brian Burrough's non-fiction book, Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34. He originally pitched the idea as a miniseries to HBO and was made an executive producer, along with Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Films.^[8] Burrough was also asked to write the screenplay. However, he felt more comfortable writing it as a non-fiction book and spent two years working on it while the interest in the miniseries disappeared. Burrough's book was set to be published in the summer of 2004 and he asked HBO to return the movie rights. They agreed and after the book was released, the rights were re-sold to production companies representing Michael Mann and Leonardo DiCaprio who was interested in playing John Dillinger. Burrough met with a representative and then heard nothing for three years.^[8] The actor eventually left the project to appear in Martin Scorsese's Ashecliffe.^[9]

In 2007, Mann renewed interest in the project with Universal Pictures backing it. He wrote the screenplay with Ronan Bennett and Ann Biderman and will also direct.^[4] Johnny Depp will play Dillinger in the film.^[10] Burrough has read the film's screenplay and said, "it’s not 100 percent historically accurate. But it’s by far the closest thing to fact Hollywood has attempted, and for that I am both excited and quietly relieved".^[11]

The decision to shoot parts of the film in Wisconsin came about because of the number of high quality historic buildings. Mann scouted locations in Baraboo and Columbus as well as looking at 1930s-era cars from collectors in the Madison area.^[12] In addition, the film will be shot on actual historical sites, including the Little Bohemia lodge in northern Wisconsin where Dillinger's most famous gunfight with the F.B.I. occurred, the Crown Point jail in Indiana where Dillinger staged his most famous escape.^[11] Scenes will be shot at places that he frequented in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Darlington, Wisconsin is the location for the courthouse scenes. The courthouse is the oldest courthouse in the United States still in use.^{[citation needed]} A bank robbery scene will be shot inside the Milwaukee County Historical Society, a former bank building that still has much of the original period architecture, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.^[13]

In late March 2008 portions of the film were shot at night in Chicago's East Lakeview neighbourhood on Newport and Surf streets. Crews laid rubber matting over the road to give the appearance of a bricked road and the exterior of several apartment buildings were temporarily fitted with 1930's style art-deco type decorations. The crew also produced fake snow for a scene outside the swinger-esque Underground Lounge near Wrigley Field.^{[citation needed]}Also in late March 2008 portions of the film were shot at Libertyville High School. Footage includes one of the school's science labs, an office, the school's front entrance, and the locker rooms.

In April 2008 the film was shot in downtown Oshkosh, Wisconsin.^[14] Later that month, filming started at the Little Bohemia Lodge in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin, the actual location of a 1934 gun fight between Dillinger and the FBI. Early one morning, when no one was at the lodge, the lodge's security guard noticed a fire, which the guard quickly extinguished. Area firefighters remained at the lodge for an hour.^[15]

As of the week of May 5, night shooting took place at Mirror Lake State Park, WI. Specifically, ear witnesses heard gunshots and tire squealing while observing the giant blue lights lighting the set. It's rumored to be a scene where Christian Bale, playing an FBI agent, is searching for Dillinger in pontoon boats along with on-ground searching. They also have been having nearby private lighting shut down and the lake itself off limits so that the area is completely silent and still. Gunshots were heard extensively on May 10th around midnight.

As of the week of May 18th, production crews were back in Chicago removing storefront signs along N. Lincoln Avenue where it crosses W. Fullerton Avenue in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. The buildings along both sides of the street have had 1930's era signs and decorations applied, as has the currently standing Biograph Theater, were Dillinger was gunned down by the FBI. The Biograph was rennovated in 2004 from a movie theatre into a proscenium stage theater, current home to Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater.

The Biograph Theater and (adjoining businesses) redressed for the film.

The alley where John Dillinger was killed, redressed for the film.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Public Enemies at the Internet Movie Database
• The little Bohemia Lodge - In Manitowish Waters Wisconsin.
• Mirror Lake

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