The true story behind Sidney Lumet’s ‘Dog Day Afternoon’
Dog Day Afternoon, the masterful American crime film directed by Sidney Lumet and penned by Frank Pierson, tells the darkly comic yet strangely touching true story of two misguided men embarking on a bank heist gone wrong. Underpinned by a performance best from Al Pacino, the narrative explores the struggles of Sonny, a desperate New Yorker intent on pilfering sufficient funds for his spouse’s sex-reassignment surgery.
Decades later, the captivating narrative of John Wojtowicz, the real-life mastermind behind the New York bank siege, was brought back into the spotlight in the 2014 documentary The Dog. An extremely compelling character with a penchant for exaggeration and a shameless delight in spinning elaborate stories, Wojtowicz’s profanity-laden retelling of the audacious heist gives viewers a raw and empathetic glimpse into his motivations. An uncensored, unfettered, and undeniably compelling look at a man who let his impulsive and intrusive thoughts drive him.
Dog Day Afternoon was a direct offshoot of a real-life crime that unfurled on an oppressively hot day, known as ‘Dog Days’, in August 1972. Three men – John Wojtowicz, Salvatore Naturale, and Bobby Westenberg – made their way into a Chase Manhattan Bank in Brooklyn, New York, each armed with a shotgun and the echoes of The Godfather as their inspiration – a note with the phrase “this is an offer you can’t refuse” was slipped to the bank teller. But within moments, their master plan began to disintegrate.
Westenberg had a last-minute change of heart and deserted his partners, while Wojtowicz and Naturale were dismayed to find a half-empty vault. One of the employees managed to sound the alarm, drawing law enforcement, the press, and hordes of onlookers and effectively kickstarting a dramatic hostage crisis that gripped the nation for six hours.
As the saga unfolded, viewers from across America were riveted by the intense drama, amplified by Wojtowicz’s apparent relish for the limelight. Temporarily ‘in control’ of the situation, he engaged in frequent spats with authorities and used every ounce of his leverage, transforming into an unlikely symbol of the everyman taking on the institutions of banking and law enforcement. Wojtowicz was quick-witted and extroverted enough to realise that he could, albeit for a short time, present himself as an unlikely anti-hero.
Meanwhile, the profoundly personal motivation behind the attempted heist, coupled with the details of his strained relationship with his spouse, was laid bare for all to see. Elizabeth Eden, Wojtowicz’s spouse who had recently attempted suicide, was brought to the scene in a bid to defuse the escalating crisis. Even Wojtowicz’s mother made an appearance, pleading with her son to end the standoff and let the hostages go free.
The drama concluded when authorities, under the pretence of arranging for the robbers’ escape via an airport, fatally shot Naturale, leading to Wojtowicz’s immediate surrender. Miraculously, all hostages survived the ordeal. Sentenced to 20 years in prison for his actions, Wojtowicz was eventually released after serving just five years. His fascinating and tragic story offers a gritty, unvarnished insight into the lengths someone will go to for love. The chaotic spectacle that followed will be forever remembered in Sidney Lumet’s 1975 masterpiece, which has cultivated such a fanbase that even the most talented contemporary directors wish they had made it.