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, 1933–34 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. Christian Bale will play FBI agent Purvis, Johnny Depp will play Dillinger, and Marion Cotillard will play Dillinger's girlfriend Billie Frechette. Principal photography began in Columbus, Wisconsin on March 17, 2008 and wrapped in Chicago, Illinois, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and several other places in Wisconsin the end of June 2008, including the famous Little Bohemia Lodge in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin, the actual location of a 1934 gun fight between Dillinger and the FBI.
. Some parts of the film were shot in Crown Point, Indiana, the town where Dillinger was imprisoned and subsequently escaped from jail.

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.
• Marion Cotillard as Billie Frechette: Dillinger's torch singer girlfriend.
• Channing Tatum as Pretty Boy Floyd: An American bank robber and alleged killer.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• John Ortiz as Frank Nitti: Al Capone's right-hand man.
• David Wenham as Harry Pierpont: A member of Dillinger's crew.
• Stephen Graham as Baby Face Nelson: 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".
• Lili Taylor as Sheriff Lillian Holley: Sheriff of Lake County Jail, Crown Point, Indiana, where Dillinger was incarcerated

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. 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. The actor eventually left the project to appear in Martin Scorsese's Ashecliffe.

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