History Trivia / PublicEnemies

** George Nelson's famous nickname "Baby Face" was due to his youthful appearance and similar short stature, and he was 25 years old when he died, while Stephen Graham was older is more stout than the real Nelson (real name Lester Gillis).

* AbilityOverAppearance: Melvin Purvis was known as "Little Mel" due to his 5'4 height, while Christian Bale is 6'0 tall.

** English actor Stephen Graham portrays Chicago-born gangster Baby Face Nelson.

* TechnologyMarchesOn: Watch this film, then try to imagine how things would turn out if the police had radios, cell phones, radar, helicopters, K9 dogs, etc.
** For the time period of the film, this was also present. Bank robbers were able to gain access to submachine guns and cars with reliable V8 engines more easily than any police department, so you could easily drive away while the sheriff was still crank-starting his old vehicle. Essentially, if a robber got away without being shot, there was little chance he would be caught.

* TheDanza: Probably the only occasion in recent history where this happened with an actor playing someone who really existed: '''Johnny''' Depp as '''John''' Dillinger. And the real Dillinger often was called "Johnnie". They coincidentally share initials.

* DawsonCasting: Dillinger was only 31 when he was killed, while Johnny Depp was 45 during filming.

** Menominee-American Billie Frechette is played by Creator/MarionCotillard, a French actress of English descent.

* PlayingHamlet: Dillinger was only 31 when he was killed, while Johnny Depp was 45 during filming.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Creator/ChanningTatum , than only mostly known as that guy from ''StepUp'', pops up very briefly as Pretty Boy Floyd before being shot and killed by Melvin Purvis.
** Creator/CareyMulligan pops up very briefly as one of Anna Sage's girls. It's a role that goes by so quickly you could easily blink and miss it.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Bryan Burrough originally started writing ''Public Enemies'' as a script for a TV miniseries, but didn't feel comfortable writing fiction and retooled it into a nonfiction book. Making it, almost, a RecursiveAdaptation when adapted to film.

** CareyMulligan pops up very briefly as one of Anna Sage's girls. It's a role that goes by so quickly you could easily blink and miss it.

** For the time period of the film, this was also present. Bank robbers were able to gain access to submachine guns and cars with reliable V8 engines more easily than any police department, so you could easily drive away while the sheriff was still crank-starting his old vehicle. Essentially, if a robber got away without being shot, there was little chance he would be caught.

* FontAnachronism: As John Dillinger and his associates leave the red train car, the car number seen on the outside of the car is in the Helvetica font, which was not created until 1957. The film takes place in 1933, a couple decades too early for Helvetica.

* TheDanza: Probably the only occasion in recent history where this happened with an actor playing someone who really existed: '''Johnny''' Depp as '''John''' Dillinger. And the real Dillinger often was called "Johnnie". They coincidentally share initials.