Specs is an infamous bank robber whose gang – Marco Minnelli, Doc Madison and Kirk Otto – are also in the same prison.

Before he does, he flirts with the female clerk, Helen Rogers, with the result that she refuses to identify him in the police line-up after the robbery.

The plan succeeds, they add John to their gang, then start a crime wave of robberies in the American Midwest.

Specs sends John to scout for new targets because he is the only one not recognized by the witnesses at the quarry at the time of the gang's escape.

Specs still wants to hit the bank, and getting tired of John's ego and trigger-happiness, he decides to get help from outside the gang.

Later, they realize that the police are closing in on them, so they plan to head to the Western States and continue robbing banks.

Tiring of hiding in his room, Dillinger disguises himself and he and his girlfriend go out to spend an evening at the Biograph movie theater.

It becomes clear she has tipped off the police when they surround the theater as Dillinger watches the movie and mention that he will come out with a woman in a red dress.

According to Hollywood Reporter, the original story for the script, 'John Dillinger, Killer', was written by William K. Howard and Robert Tasker.

[7] Yordan, who was officially the King Brothers' script editor, saw to it that he was frequently the only credited writer on their films.

[8] According to Philip Yordan, all the major studios had agreed not to make movies that might glorify actual gangsters by name, but Monogram was not part of it.

[3] This is incorrect, as 20th Century Fox completed and released the film Roger Touhy, Gangster a month or so before Monogram announced the Dillinger project.

[10] The prohibition on films depicting real-life criminals was introduced by the Hays office in August 1945 to prevent a new cycle of gangster movies building on the popularity of the Touhy and Dillinger films and Crime, Inc..[11] The King Brothers wanted an unknown star to play the role of Dillinger because "it would be difficult for the public to accept a familiar face in the role" [12] and placed adverts in the trade press "WANTED FOR MURDER, JAIL BREAK, ROBBERY A Tough Guy to Play JOHN DILLINGER".