Dillinger - Staatsfeind Nr. 1

I have all three movies (that I'm aware of) that are called "Dillinger" and have been available for purchase on either VHS or DVD. Of the three, this is by far the least known....but it's a pretty good one, as are the other two. (So "least known" that I am only reviewer of this movie as of March, 2006!)

The pluses are nice color (It won an award for its cinematography) .and a great period piece featuring the 1920s. It also had Sheriyn Fenn, who is never hard on my eyes. It also had a distinct lack of profanity, unlike the '73 version, but this was a made-for-TV version.

There was only fault, albeit a big one: Mark Harmon as Dillinger just wasn't quite believable. He's too much of a pretty boy to be a hard-nosed criminal like John Dillinger. Warren Oates and Lawrence Tierney, the other guys who played the role. looked the part.

Even though there was no nudity, it's fairly steamy for a made-for-TV movie. It also was interesting to see Dr. Ben Casey of past TV fame (Vince Edwards) after all these years. He played J. Edgar Hoover in a minor role here. Also in the film are Patricia Arquette and Will Patton. It's a decent gangster movie overall and worth seeing again. I hope it comes out on DVD.