- Long after classic gangster movies had passed their peak popularity in the U.S. and ten years later than the Hays Code's specific moratorium on films about John Dillinger, Max Nosseck's Dillinger takes a new approach by making its protagonist almost completely unsympathetic. As portrayed by Lawrence Tierney in one of his very first film roles, John Dillinger is simply a bastard, through and through. Although he smiles for pictures, mugshots, and the occasional movie cartoon, he normally wears the scowl of a completely unrepentant thug whose audacity often exceeds his talents. Earlier crime films provided disclaimers to illustrate that they were not intending to glorify gangsters, but this one makes it clear through his characterization that Dillinger is not to be revered.
- The story hits many of the expected notes in Dillinger's life, agreeing with all other portrayals that he once broke out of jail with a wood-carved gun and was killed outside the Biograph Theater after seeing Manhattan Melodrama with a woman in red (Anne Jeffreys). This particular story more or less ignores John's childhood, skipping directly to his first stickup and subsequent imprisonment, where he shares a cell with Specs Green (Edmund Lowe). The film's most novel contribution to Dillinger's story is this relationship with Green, which starts off antagonistically as Dillinger steals Green's food and tries to bully him around. Eventually, Green grows into something of a mentor figure, but it doesn't take long for Dillinger's personality to dominate their increasingly infamous gang (Eduardo Ciannelli, Marc Lawrence, Elisha Cook, Jr.).
- While Dillinger's direction, cinematography, and writing are all good enough, it is ultimately a film that should be best remembered for its casting. I honestly can't imagine a more appropriate actor to play Dillinger than Lawrence Tierney, who would go on to make a name for himself as a truly dangerous man, both onscreen and off. My favorite story about Tierney is when he pocketed a knife on the set of Seinfeld just to keep the cast on their toes, a tale made even more remarkable when you realize that he was over 70 years old at the time. Dillinger's gang, too, is a rogue's gallery of great character actors, and nobody in the film delivers anything less than a solid performance. The film ends on something of a wry note, as Dillinger dies in possession of exactly the same amount of money he stole in his first holdup. That's as good a way as any to point out that crime doesn't pay.
- Apparently, this film stole its smoke bomb robbery footage from the Fritz Lang film You Only Live Once.
