MILWAUKEE — John Dillinger: America’s most notorious criminal or Robin Hood of the Great Depression?
It doesn’t matter to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, which wants people to visit Wisconsin locales related to his gang’s time here in the 1930s and the movie filmed in the state, “Public Enemies.”
The movie stars Johnny Depp as Dillinger. Christian Bale co-stars as FBI agent Melvin Purvis. Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard is Depp’s love interest, Billie Frechette.
The movie doesn’t open until July 1 but Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois and Arizona are readying for the onslaught of attention related to the film, which features Dillinger’s escapades through those states.
The Wisconsin tourism department has created itineraries on its Web site of state locales from the movie and of those related to other notorious criminals, such as Al Capone, as well as an illustrated map and video guide.
“Visiting the old battle sites of the war on crime, it’s eerie,” said author Bryan Burrough, whose book “Public Enemies, America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI 1933-34” was used to help craft the screenplay for “Public Enemies.”
“Almost all these places still exist,” he said. “A few of them have historical markers, but … if you walk down the pavement where Dillinger was killed, you would never know.”
“Public Enemies” director Michael Mann filmed in the Midwest where Indiana-born Dillinger’s gang killed 10 men, wounded seven, robbed banks and police arsenals, and staged three jail breaks, according to the FBI.
Crews filmed in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin Dells, Columbus, Darlington, Beaver Dam, and around Mirror Lake in Wisconsin, and Crown Point, Ind., Chicago and Los Angeles.
One of the most dramatic events happened at Little Bohemia Lodge in northern Wisconsin in April 1934. Dillinger and his gang went there to relax and hide from the FBI, but a family member of the owner told the FBI. Agents staged a disorganized and disastrous raid, firing hundreds of bullets. An FBI agent and a bar patron were killed and another FBI agent, a constable and two other guests were wounded. Dillinger and others jumped from a second-floor window and escaped through the woods.
One of the few people still alive who was there is Emil Wanatka, 83, who now lives in Ashland, Wis. He was 8 when the six men and four women came to stay at his father’s lodge and restaurant. He remembers playing catch with Dillinger and George “Baby Face” Nelson and having to end the game because Nelson threw too hard.
He said Dillinger gave him a quarter so he could buy everyone ice cream at an upcoming birthday party. He didn’t realize the men’s identities until he heard about the shootout the next day.
Wanatka, who later took over the business for 31 years before selling it, said the lodge’s history helped business, with “bullet hole customers” coming to see the holes still visible today.
“All the other things that have happened in the world and …. this has just never died,” he said.
He is mentioned in Burrough’s book, but he doesn’t know if he will make it into the movie. He was on set last summer.
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