Dick Tracy (1937)

A master criminal called The Spider puts the famous detective's brother under a hypnotic spell and turns him against Dick.

Directors:

Alan James, Ray Taylor

Writers:

Chester Gould (based on cartoon strip by), Barry Shipman (screenplay)

Stars:

Ralph Byrd, Kay Hughes, Smiley Burnette

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ralph Byrd	...	Dick Tracy
Kay Hughes	...	Gwen Andrews
Smiley Burnette	...	Mike McGurk
Lee Van Atta	...	Junior
John Picorri	...	Moloch (as John Piccori)
Carleton Young	...	Gordon Tracy, After
Fred Hamilton	...	Steve Lockwood
Francis X. Bushman	...	Chief Clive Anderson
John Dilson	...	Ellery Brewster [Chs. 1, 12]
Richard Beach	...	Gordon Tracy, Before [Chs. 1, 12]
Wedgwood Nowell	...	H.T. Clayton [Chs. 8-9]
Theodore Lorch	...	Patorno [Chs. 1, 12]
Edwin Stanley	...	Walter Odette
Harrison Greene	...	Cloggerstein / Durston
Herbert Weber	...	Tony Martino [Ch. 1]

Storyline

A master criminal called The Spider puts the famous detective's brother under a hypnotic spell and turns him against Dick.

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Plot Keywords:

brother vs. brother | damsel in distress | cigarette smoking | deception | double cross | 

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Taglines:

THRILLS blast across the screen when your National Hero No. 1 - Dick Tracy - springs to exciting life in 15 trigger-fast episodes of the serial you've always wanted to see (original poster)

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chapters: 1. The Spider Strikes, 2. The Bridge of Terror, 3. The Fur Pirates, 4. Death Rides the Sky, 5. Brother Against Brother, 6. Dangerous Waters, 7. The Ghost Town Mystery, 8. Battle in the Clouds, 9. The Stratosphere Adventure, 10. The Gold Ship, 11. Harbor Pursuit, 12. The Trail of the Spider, 13. Fire Trap, 14. The Devil in White, 15. Brothers United.

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Goofs

Chapter 13: Whitey does not remember Dick Tracy, having been arrested by him.

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Quotes

Dick Tracy: That was a pretty good tackle you made there, son.
Junior: Aw, gee, that was nothing. But, say, you sure can use a gun! You're Dick Tracy, aren't you?
Dick Tracy: Yes.
Junior: I'm just an orphan. Some day I'm gonna be a G-Man, too!
Dick Tracy: Well, now's a good time to start. Come along.

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Crazy Credits

"Oscar & Elmer" are given final cast credits in the opening sequence.

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Connections

Referenced in Show Offs: The Hand Biters (2019)

User Reviews

A Great Serial.

Superb serial. The only one that matches it in quality is the first Flash Gordon. The production values are exceptional and eclipse many better known B movies. Ralph Byrd is perfectly cast in the title role. The only explanation I can think of for some viewers to rate this any lower than an "A" is that they just haven't seen very many serials. One of the few efforts in this line that actually has some atmospheric touches and, as another commenter has pointed out, the special effects are genuinely good.

Folks who don't really like serials are....well, they're folks who don't like serials (probably don't much like Christmas either). For those who do like serials, this is like a trip to the circus. Good action and WAY better than usual script and acting. As movies go, this probably only deserves a 7 but for a serial it deserves a perfect 10.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 February 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Adventures of Dick Tracy

Filming Locations:

Republic Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

290 min (15 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (R C A Victor "High Fidelity" Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1