Dick Tracy (1990)

The comic strip detective finds his life vastly complicated when Breathless Mahoney makes advances towards him while he is trying to battle Big Boy Caprice's united mob.

Director:

Warren Beatty

Writers:

Chester Gould (based on characters created by: for the Dick Tracy comic strip distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.), Jim Cash

Stars:

Warren Beatty, Madonna, Al Pacino

Won 3 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 36 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Warren Beatty	...	Dick Tracy
Charlie Korsmo	...	Kid
Michael Donovan O'Donnell	...	McGillicuddy
Jim Wilkey	...	Stooge
Stig Eldred	...	Shoulders
Neil Summers	...	The Rodent
Chuck Hicks	...	The Brow
Lawrence Steven Meyers	...	Little Face
William Forsythe	...	Flattop
Ed O'Ross	...	Itchy
Glenne Headly	...	Tess Trueheart
Marvellee Cariaga	...	Soprano (as Marvelee Cariaga)
Michael Gallup	...	Baritone
Seymour Cassel	...	Sam Catchem
James Keane	...	Pat Patton

Storyline

All Tess Trueheart wants is to settle down to a quiet life with her boyfriend, detective Dick Tracy. But there's something pretty rotten going on in town, with someone pretty rotten behind it, and Tracy has his hands full with the likes of villain Big Boy Caprice and with the almost irresistible Breathless Mahoney.

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Plot Keywords:

based on comic strip | detective | police detective | dick tracy | crime boss | 

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Taglines:

Their turf. Their game. Their rules. They didn't count on HIS law...

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Music | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 June 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Дик Трэйси

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$47,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$22,543,911, 17 June 1990, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$103,738,726

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$162,738,726, 31 December 1991

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Silver Screen Partners IV, Mulholland Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (analog 70 mm prints) CDS (digital 70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Steve "The Tramp" Brogan was a recurring character, who eventually turned good. The story of "The Tramp" and The Kid in the movie comes straight out of the comic strip.

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Goofs

When Dick and Tess are in the diner with The Kid, the boy finishes a glass of milk and then runs for the door. Tracy puts him back in his seat, during which time the glass has refilled itself.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Radio Announcer: Gangland enforcers broke the arms of an elderly newsdealer this afternoon when he refused to share his week's receipts with them. Stacks of newspapers were tossed in the gutter as the thugs wrecked the business and made their getaway. Lunchtime crowds were paralyzed by the suddenness of the crime. Not a hand was raised in protest.

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Crazy Credits

Touchstone logo appears in black and white in the opening credits.

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Connections

Spoofed in Madonna: Blond Ambition - Japan Tour 90 (1990)

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Soundtracks

It Was The Whiskey Talkin' (Not Me)
Written by Andy Paley, Ned Claflin, Jonathan Paley, and Michael Kernan' (as Mike Kernan)
Performed by Jerry Lee Lewis

User Reviews

Sooner or Later It Will Get Its Due

This is a marvelous film. Warren Beatty managed to film it just like a comic book MIGHT be brought to film with humourously grotesque and bizarre characters, beautiful colours, and a plot that really only could have come from a comic book. The buildings, set design, make-up, and props are like nothing I have ever seen in film before. Now, never having read the original strip leaves me out as far as making probably very insightful comparisons with this film and the original source. That being said, I think that Beatty, although drastically changing some of the villains in the film to fit smaller roles, tried to keep the spirit of the film inside the comic strip. Does that make sense? Probably not. Anyway, Dick Tracy offers a lot. It is a visual feast with a decent story and some prime time stars doing some things you may not expect from them. Beatty is very good as the lawmen, but much of the supporting cast steals many scenes from him. Al Pacino as Big Boy Caprice is sensational as an over-the-top thug out to get every criminal under his control, while he intermittenly quotes folks like Nietchze, Jefferson, and other historical figures. Dustin Hoffman as Mumbles is wonderful - if you can finally figure out that it is him(notice in the scene where a stenographer is taking down what he says((That is Oscar winner Kathy Bates!))). James Caan has a brief yet good scene with Pacino Godfather style and Beatty gives Michael J. Pollard and Estelle Parsons cameos as well(both co-starring with him in Bonnie and Clyde). Then there is Madonna. She tries her best to live up to her name of Breathless and does a VERY credible job at it. And then of course there is the music of Stephen Sondheim, an Oscar winner for this film. It is very good and in some ways more memorable than much of what goes on in the film. Perhaps a song here or there might have been cut, but for the most part the music greatly added to the overall effects created in the film. Is Dick Tracy great? No, but it is a whole lot better than it is generally given credit for. In some ways its innovation must be reviewed again. I think that for its type of film it is one of the best.