Baby Face Nelson (film)
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| - | '''Lester Joseph Gillis''' (December 6, 1908 – November 27, 1934), known by the alias '''George Nelson''', better known as '''Baby Face Nelson''', was an American [[bank robbery|bank robber]] in the 1930s. Gillis was given the nickname '''Baby Face''' due to his youthful appearance and small stature, although few dared call him "Baby Face" to his face. Criminal associates instead called him "Jimmy". Nelson entered into a partnership with [[John Dillinger]], helping him escape from prison during the famed [[Crown Point, Indiana]] Jail escape, and was later labeled along with the remaining gang members as [[Public enemy|public enemy number one]]. | + | '''''Baby Face Nelson''''' is a 1957 [[film noir]] [[crime film]] based on the real-life 1930s gangster, directed by [[Don Siegel]], co-written by [[Daniel Mainwaring]]—who also wrote the screenplay for Siegel's 1956 sci-fi thriller ''[[Invasion of the Body Snatchers]]''—and starring [[Mickey Rooney]], [[Carolyn Jones]], [[Cedric Hardwicke]], [[Leo Gordon]] as [[John Dillinger|Dillinger]], [[Anthony Caruso (actor)|Anthony Caruso]], [[Jack Elam]], [[John Hoyt]] and [[Elisha Cook Jr.]] |
| - | Nelson was responsible for killing more [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] agents in the line of duty (three: W. Carter Baum, Herman Hollis, and Samuel P. Cowley) than any other person. Nelson was fatally shot by FBI agents during a shootout called [[The Battle of Barrington]]. | + | ==Plot== |
| + | Chicago mob boss Rocca manages to get Lester Gillis sprung from jail in [[Joliet Prison|Joliet]]. His motive is to have Gillis kill a labor organizer, but Gillis refuses, preferring to work with Rocca's gang on robberies instead. He meets mob moll Sue Nelson and they start a relationship. He is relaxing, alone in his hotel room, when cops burst in, finding a gun Rocca has planted to frame Gillis for the labor leader's murder. Gillis vows revenge, escapes from the cops with Sue's help, then guns down Rocca and two henchmen. He adopts Sue's surname as an alias. | ||
| - | ==Fictional portrayals== | + | In a holdup at a pharmacy, Gillis is winged by a gunshot. He goes to Doc Saunders ([[Cedric Hardwicke]]), whose patients include America's most wanted criminal, [[John Dillinger]] (portrayed by [[Leo Gordon]]). Acquiring a nickname, "Baby Face Nelson", a grateful Gillis joins up with Dillinger and quickly becomes the FBI's second most wanted man. |
| - | Nelson has been portrayed in multiple films. These include: | + | |
| - | * ''[[Baby Face Nelson (film)|Baby Face Nelson]]'', a 1957 film starring [[Mickey Rooney]] | + | The ruthless Baby Face goes on a shooting spree, even killing innocent motorists just to steal a car. He doesn't like playing second fiddle to Dillinger, but after the arch-criminal is shot in Chicago, it becomes Baby Face's turn to be public enemy number one. He commits multiple murders, even killing Doc in a fit of anger, and frightens Sue by placing a rifle sight on children. |
| - | * ''[[The FBI Story]]'', a 1959 film starring [[James Stewart]], with [[William Edward Phipps|William Phipps]] as Nelson | + | |
| - | * ''[[Dillinger (1973 film)|Dillinger]]'', a 1973 film featuring [[Richard Dreyfuss]] as Nelson. In this film the shootout between Nelson and FBI Agents Cowley and Hollis is depicted as taking place during the Little Bohemia raid. | + | |
| - | * ''[[Baby Face Nelson (1995)|Baby Face Nelson]]'', a 1995 film starring [[C. Thomas Howell]] | + | |
| - | * ''[[O Brother, Where Art Thou?]]'', a 2000 film featuring [[Michael Badalucco]] as Nelson. When he last appears he is being taken by an angry mob to meet his death in the [[electric chair]]. The film is set in Mississippi in 1937, three years after the real Nelson's death. | + | |
| - | * ''[[Public Enemies (2009 film)|Public Enemies]]'', a 2009 film starring American actor [[Johnny Depp]], with [[Stephen Graham (actor)|Stephen Graham]] as Nelson. In this film, Nelson is portrayed as being killed by Melvin Purvis at the Little Bohemia shootout, and thus does not become Public Enemy Number One after [[John Dillinger|Dillinger]]'s death. However, the film still portrays Nelson as getting up and continuing to fire immediately after being shot several times. | + | |
| - | * A character in the musical ''[[Bugsy Malone]]'' (1976), one of the 'Down and Outs', is named "Baby Face" | + | |
| - | ==See also== | + | Trapped by a roadblock, Baby Face flees on foot and is shot several times. Stumbling to a graveyard, he pleads with Sue at first, then taunts her, to put him out of his misery, and she does. |
| - | * [[List of Depression-era outlaws]] | + | |
| + | ==Cast== | ||
| + | * [[Mickey Rooney]] as Lester M. '[[Baby Face Nelson]]' Gillis | ||
| + | * [[Carolyn Jones]] as Sue Nelson | ||
| + | * [[Cedric Hardwicke]] as Doc Saunders | ||
| + | * [[Leo Gordon]] as [[John Dillinger]] | ||
| + | * [[Anthony Caruso (actor)|Anthony Caruso]] as [[John Hamilton (gangster)|John Hamilton]] | ||
| + | * [[Jack Elam]] as Fatso Nagel | ||
| + | * [[John Hoyt]] as Samuel Parker | ||
| + | * [[Ted de Corsia]] as Rocca | ||
| + | * [[Elisha Cook, Jr.]] as [[Homer Van Meter]] | ||
| + | * [[Robert Osterloh]] as FBI Agent Johnson | ||
| + | * [[Thayer David]] as Connelly | ||
| + | * [[Dabbs Greer]] as FBI Agent Charles Bonner | ||
| + | * [[George E. Stone]] as Mr. Hall – Bank Manager | ||
| + | * [[Lisa Davis (actress)|Lisa Davis]] as Ann Saper – the Lady in Red | ||
| + | * [[Emile Meyer]] as Mac – Detective | ||
| + | * Dan Terranova as Miller | ||
| + | * [[Murray Alper]] as Alex – Bank Guard | ||
| + | * [[Harry Antrim]] as Pharmacist | ||
| + | * [[Tom Fadden]] as Postman Harkins | ||
| + | * [[Duke Mitchell]] as Solly – Pool Hall Attendant | ||
| + | }} | ||
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Baby Face Nelson is a 1957 film noir crime film based on the real-life 1930s gangster, directed by Don Siegel, co-written by Daniel Mainwaring—who also wrote the screenplay for Siegel's 1956 sci-fi thriller Invasion of the Body Snatchers—and starring Mickey Rooney, Carolyn Jones, Cedric Hardwicke, Leo Gordon as Dillinger, Anthony Caruso, Jack Elam, John Hoyt and Elisha Cook Jr.
Plot
Chicago mob boss Rocca manages to get Lester Gillis sprung from jail in Joliet. His motive is to have Gillis kill a labor organizer, but Gillis refuses, preferring to work with Rocca's gang on robberies instead. He meets mob moll Sue Nelson and they start a relationship. He is relaxing, alone in his hotel room, when cops burst in, finding a gun Rocca has planted to frame Gillis for the labor leader's murder. Gillis vows revenge, escapes from the cops with Sue's help, then guns down Rocca and two henchmen. He adopts Sue's surname as an alias.
In a holdup at a pharmacy, Gillis is winged by a gunshot. He goes to Doc Saunders (Cedric Hardwicke), whose patients include America's most wanted criminal, John Dillinger (portrayed by Leo Gordon). Acquiring a nickname, "Baby Face Nelson", a grateful Gillis joins up with Dillinger and quickly becomes the FBI's second most wanted man.
The ruthless Baby Face goes on a shooting spree, even killing innocent motorists just to steal a car. He doesn't like playing second fiddle to Dillinger, but after the arch-criminal is shot in Chicago, it becomes Baby Face's turn to be public enemy number one. He commits multiple murders, even killing Doc in a fit of anger, and frightens Sue by placing a rifle sight on children.
Trapped by a roadblock, Baby Face flees on foot and is shot several times. Stumbling to a graveyard, he pleads with Sue at first, then taunts her, to put him out of his misery, and she does.
Cast
- Mickey Rooney as Lester M. 'Baby Face Nelson' Gillis
- Carolyn Jones as Sue Nelson
- Cedric Hardwicke as Doc Saunders
- Leo Gordon as John Dillinger
- Anthony Caruso as John Hamilton
- Jack Elam as Fatso Nagel
- John Hoyt as Samuel Parker
- Ted de Corsia as Rocca
- Elisha Cook, Jr. as Homer Van Meter
- Robert Osterloh as FBI Agent Johnson
- Thayer David as Connelly
- Dabbs Greer as FBI Agent Charles Bonner
- George E. Stone as Mr. Hall – Bank Manager
- Lisa Davis as Ann Saper – the Lady in Red
- Emile Meyer as Mac – Detective
- Dan Terranova as Miller
- Murray Alper as Alex – Bank Guard
- Harry Antrim as Pharmacist
- Tom Fadden as Postman Harkins
- Duke Mitchell as Solly – Pool Hall Attendant
}}
