Mr. Burrough sure gives us a ton of info! At 31 Dillinger is a pretty varied and interesting "character." I'll start this discussion by asking "What intrigued you about Dillinger?"

(Did you know anything about him before? Did you know nothing about him before this project? What still makes him intriguing?)

Remember there are no right and wrong answers here...just opinion and chat. ;)

Well I didn't know much about him~ only that he was famous bank robber.
And if there is a book associated with one of Johnny's movies I try to read it to get all the info I can.

What intrigues me now as I read is his cockiness. Pulling off bank robberies in daylight! Normally I don't pay attention to cockiness but with him it is almost subtle if that makes any sense, it just lurks under the surface just enough you know?

gulp

Being brave and going first, sneaking online at lunch- I wasn't as much intrigued by Dillinger as much as I was intrigued that Johnny would make a movie about him. Then I started reading Public Enemies to see what was what. The author wrote that

That was what made me want to read more. Dillinger was polite, cocky and lived on the edge. He appeared to be a gentleman robber, he was a movie fanatic. To me he was intriguing because he wasn't the sterotypical mobster.

I knew nothing about him, and just passing knowledge of Bonnie and Clyde name, so I was suprised that Dillinger was at the same time frame.

I liked his possitive attitude, and jumping over the bank counters! B)
(Such charisma already!)
The underdog fight always appeals to me as well. :snoopy
The WHY? question is always bothering me though.

I had always associated with Dillinger as being similar to Al Capone. I guess the word "gangster" just brought Capone to my mind and therefore eveyone else, such as B&Clyde, Dillinger, etc. I just lumped into that group.

The book really opened my eyes to who Dillinger really was and what he was like. Obviously the economic climate he grew up in, as well as his first imprisonment, affected his behavior afterwards. I found it admirable, in a weird way, that he didn't seem to set out to hurt innocent bystanders and was actually polite to those he kidnapped. He seems like a guy you would want to get to know, but be sure you watched your back, too.

-Donna

He did seem to be polite and caring towards the people in the banks he was robbing. As was said, not the typical bank robber.

I was intrigued and a bit amazed that he was so intent on Billie getting a divorce, and that he was very insistent on introducing her as his wife, to his family. I wonder if he wanted to protect her reputation or to appear to be "doing the right thing" for his family.

I just started chapter 6, which I think is where we really get to know Dillinger. I had no clue before this book who or what he was. I'm with Heidi on what intrigued me...it was more Johnny making the movie than the actual person. But he does seem quite charming, as bank robbers go. LOL

I agree--he did have some "values" in a strange sort of way-lol!

~D

So far: I'm intrigued by the fact that he had goals (hehe): he wanted to be the best derned bank robber there was.
And he had that cavalier, chivalrous devil-may-care way about him.

(I acually made a bit of headway in the book today, sitting in a cold car waiting for an hour.)

WOW! So many great thoughts and ideas shared here today! You all are the best! Thanks for just being brave ;) and jumping right in!

I think his values system was a bit skewed!


Remember these discussions stay open and thoughts and ideas can be added to any thread as we go along!

Great observation about his goals! That's definately intriguing!

Nothing to add previous posts covered the topic-hard not to like this guy even though he was a gangster. Anne r

That is a really simple/easy answer for me. I grew up hearing my grandparents talk about Dillinger and Bonnie and Clyde. More so Bonnie and Clyde as they came through their town one day.
Also in doing some geneology work on our families, I discovered that we were related to Frank A. Hamer.
I as a kid, I really enjoyed getting to hear about these bigger than life gangsters that seemed to give some "hope" to a suffering generation.

That's true Arnelle--he did set a goal and I think he rather liked the thrill of the chase and being in the papers.....

-Donna

I'm so late coming to this because I got the book very belatedly.

I was surprised by myself in feeling sympathy for Dillinger.

I didn't know much about him at all going into this, other than recognizing his name as a Depression-era gangster.

Dillinger just didn't seem to be the steroptypical psychopath or sociopath that I expected. He had his own set of scruples (albeit, skewed from the usual social mores) and stuck to them. He seemed to show genuine remorse over the officer he killed.

And I never expected that he was so publicity-savvy. I felt the same way: "Here's a guy I would have liked to have known...while keeping a weather eye on him always".

The thing I had trouble grasping was that he'd shown such affection for Billie, but then seemed to take up with (Polly Hamilton?) very easily. That surprised me.

I have to admire his panache' - vaulting over bank counters and flirting with tellers while he's robbing the bank blind.

I can grasp his motivation - growing up dirt poor and being smack-dab in the middle of the depression.

But isn't it a shame? He seemed highly intelligent. I think of all the other pursuits he could have undertaken and I'm sure he would have excelled. What a bloody, awful waste.

I'm not sure how intelligent Dillinger was, but I agree with you that in the end it was a waste. I think his ego got the best of him--all the publicity, etc. just went to his head. As you stated, who knows what he could have achieved following a more "legal" lifestyle.

Thanks for adding your thoughts! :)

-Donna

To be honest, I think I have a posthumous crush on John Dillinger. I think it is a combination of the sardonic grin and the dimple in the chin (devil within).

He treats Billie like a lady and wants her to be respected. He drives all night taking risks to give money to other gang members families, friends and lawyers. he wants to take care of his own.

I think his first long stint in jail shaped his future, and he became maybe a victim of his own circumstances. I'm not saying robbing banks was a great choice, but if I had to take my pick of men from all the gang he would be the one I would hold his guns for.

I agree Osh that Dilliinger was very charismatic and is why he received so much of the press during his escapades. That's why it's tragic to me that he chose the lifestyle that ultimately destroyed him. I also agree that his "lessons" in prison guided him to his life of crime. Plus, the sad economic situation and lure of "easy money" from the banks, just may have been too hard to resist. I also think Dillinger(as well as the other gangsters of the time) loved the press they received and of course the encouragement of the public just fueled their adventures. It's almost like at some point there was no turning back. I do wonder if Dillinger hadn't been killed and waited for Billie to get out of prison, if the two of them may have left the country and lived out their lives.

-Donna

Donna @ May 1, 2008 - 10:50 p.m.

The romantic in me says, "yes."

And maybe it's the romantic in me that truly believes Dillinger really loved Billie. I know he turned to Polly after Billie was put in prison, but, I think it was on the rebound. It was because she was available and she fulfilled his needs. Did he really love Polly? I don't think so.