A new documentary about famous South Carolinian Melvin Purvis will air on SCETV in July, piggybacking with the upcoming release of the Hollywood feature film Public Enemies starring Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis and Johnny Depp as John Dillinger. G-Man: The Rise and Fall of Melvin Purvis will premier on SCETV on July 2, 2009 at 9:00 p.m. SC Humanities supported this documentary though a Major Grant in February 2008.
Melvin Purvis, a native of Timmonsville, SC, became famous in the 1930s as the leader of the FBI team that caught some of the decade's most notorious criminals, including John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd. His death in 1960 from a gun shot wound in the head remains a mystery.
G-Man: The Rise and Fall of Melvin Purvis will examine the life and death of this interesting South Carolinian and includes interviews with Purvis' son, Alston, and period re-enactments. The SCETV documentary tells the true story of Purvis' ascent to fame and descent to obscurity and is an excellent companion to the star-studded summer blockbuster.
Encore presentations will air on SCETV:
- Sunday, July 5 at 4:00 p.m.
- Thursday, July 16 at 9:00 p.m.
- Sunday, July 19 at 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday, July 26 at 4:00 p.m.
- Thursday July 30 at 9:00 p.m.
Encore presentations will air on the South Carolina Channel:
- Monday, July 6 at 9:00 p.m.
- Monday, July 20 at 9:00 p.m.
- Monday, August 3 at 9:00 p.m.
For more information about G-Man: The Rise and Fall of Melvin Purvis, please see the SCETV press release available here.
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