Comments on: DILLINGER DITZINESS

By: GALILEE

GALILEE — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:20:48 +0000

Your blog is so informative ?keep up the good work!!!!

By: Dick Williams

Dick Williams — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:00:46 +0000

I was very disappointed in the movie from the standpoint of historical accuracy, but loved the weaponry – plenty of Thompsons, as expected, but also BARs, M1911s, .38s, rifles and shotguns. Was surprised to see a box magazine on the Thompson in a number of scenes, given Hollywood’s (and probably gangsters’) preference for 50-round drums. However, I expected more in the way of historical authenticity after hearing how several scenes were shot on the actual locations and seeing in trailers how Depp mimicked some of Dillinger’s habits. The movie was a mishmash of events mixed up in sequence and often wrongly attributed to Purvis and others who had nothing to do with them, such as the deaths of Baby Face Nelson and John Hamilton. Nelson actually died 4 months after Little Bohemia in a shootout with Cowley and Hollis, not Purvis and Hamilton was shot by a deputy sheriff in a car chase several days after Little Bohemia. Some events were accurately portrayed but others were almost total fabrications, such as Dillinger’s meetings with the Capone mob. Similar to the TV Untouchables, which I loved but which also played fast and very loose with history.

By: marc

marc — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:30:08 +0000

I’m getting real sick of this Dillinger crap. A lot of it was filmed in and around here in Oshkosh Wi. That’s all that was in the paper all last summer. Thousands of star struck fans from several surrounding states. All winter the paper pushing to make over the downtown to look as it was setup for the movie. Paper full of nothing but the same crap for two months now for last tue advanced showing. A lot of people need a life. Hollywood’s full of punks and druggies and only three or four conservatives. You’ll see a lot of tommyguns, saw it in the paper.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:36:05 +0000

Hey Mas, How about a blog entry about what you are hearing around the country from people about the general climate in the US right now. That is, The increase in socialist type power grabs by the current admin, the availibitly of ammunition or the lack there of and the general feeling that things are coming to a head. What are you hearing from people?

By: Mary Williams

Mary Williams — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:11:14 +0000

Dear Mr. Ayoob,

Thank you for mentioning our gun on your blog! We are really looking forward to the sale July 28th and it is great to see it inspire such discussion.

We would like to clarify a couple points regarding the presentation of O’Neil’s gun. While we are fully aware of the dubiety of all accounts including the official FBI record, O’Neil kept an extensive archive of newspaper clippings following the shooting at the Biograph Theatre and many, including his obituary in the Chicago Daily News, credit the Captain of the East Chicago Police with firing one of the 5 shots fired at Dillinger, with a few accounts giving him credit for firing one of the two that slew him. The newspaper archive will accompany the gun at auction. Hesitant to play into any conspiracy theories, there are a number of sources that agree to the 5 shots as opposed to the 3 recorded by the F.B.I. We believe there is sufficient evidence to suggest a certain amount of truth in the accounts of the incident reported by Chicago papers, but do not claim with any certainty that O’Neil fired the fatal wound.

Regardless of whose gun actually fired the fatal shot, we, along with the family, are very happy to see O’Neil’s name return to the Dillinger discussion.

By: Al from Chgo

Al from Chgo — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:58:33 +0000

I don’t know how the film will affect firearms but it just might get some younger men into fedoras to impress their women. (Yes, I wear one, but then I’m an old guy.)

By: David Hawkins

David Hawkins — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:00:29 +0000

Mas,
I noticed the official FBI history left out the embarassing shooting of several innocent men at Little Bohemia.
The Agents were outside when several innocent patrons of the tavern were leaving. The Agents mistakenly thought it was Dillinger and his boys leaving. They opened fire without warning. This also allowed Dillinger’s gang to escape.
The history also left out that an innocent woman was wounded outside the Biograph Theater.
The Bureau’s gunfighting skills left something to be desired. Which resulted in them hiring Hurt and Winstead to do the real shooting when confronting Bad Dudes. Dolph “Jelly” Bryce also is one of the Gunners hired by the Bureau. Makes a great story!

By: Thomas Meehan

Thomas Meehan — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:47:03 +0000

The FBI were such credit and publicity hogs, I wouldn’t accept their report uncritically. Tom Young’s point is well taken. Of course there may have been multiple hits.

By: Tom Young

Tom Young — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:29:59 +0000

“do a little research before the auction.”

Yeah, right. Isn’t the death/autopsy report availible someplace for public reading. Wouldn’t it say what bullet was found. Seems like it would be pretty easily to tell the difference between a .38 and a .45.

I’m sure the movie will have a good deal of 1911’s in it. I’ll be going probably the first week. Saw Transformers last nigth, too much like a kung-fu movie with robots for me.