[.ca] Dick Tracy (1937)

Tracy to the Rescue:
This is a very nice transfer to DVD... the sound has obvioulsy been cleaned up and for a film this old I would say it has been put in as good of shape as possible by Marengo Films. Calling all cars... bring on more of the classics...!

The Great Dick Tracy Serials:
One of the most popular serial heros. Testimony to this is the fact of four serials. The only others were Flash Gordon (4) and Zorro. The action was good and it was very popular. Ralph Byrd was the definitive "Tracy" A good story line was in evidence. Get them all and you won't regret it. The Cliffhangers are great.

Great adaptation of the comic strip:
There are lots of familiar faces in this one, such as Smiley Brunette, Lee Van Atta, Carleton Young (who was Ellery Queen on radio), Francis X. Bushman. But part of the charm of this serial comes from the sprinkling of rather bizarre characters such as the clown, the demented scientist, the miner, and of course the principal bad guy, the Lame One. Anyone who has seen FIGHTING DEVIL DOGS will notice lots of similarities and for this reason, I suggest getting DICK TRACY first. The other serial used a lot of footage from this one. The flying wing, the hunchback scientist, Carleton Young, the crushing ship chapter ending are all in the later serial. Ralph Byrd is the definitive Dick Tracy. I didn't remember his being a G man, but the serial does predate my acquaintance with the comic strip. All in all, this is definitely one of the better serials. As an earlier Republic serial, you won't see as much stunt action, choreographed fights and telegraphed chapter endings as in the later ones, but the elements are still there. This is one of the times I wish there was a 4 and a half star designation.

Byrd a believable Tracy:
Ralph Byrd and the supporting cast do a fine job of bringing Dick Tracy to the screen. There's plenty of action, of course, and the well-known "stealth bomber" plane that is indeed worth seeing. Lee van Atta does a fine job as the kid (equally good in Crash Corrigan's Undersea Kingdom serial too) helping Tracy, while the villains are smart and sinister. John Piccori, as a mad scientist assisting the ringleader hams it up splendidly, and Carleton Young, as Tracy's brother who is turned into a villain by the mad doctor, is wonderfully cold and unscrupulous. Personally, I like the Dick Tracy vs Crime, Inc. serial that came a little later better. It has a more intimate story with a more convoluted mystery as the suspects are eliminated one by one by the real killer. That is the only reason I rate this a 4 instead of a 5. I hope the other Tracy serials turn up on DVD soon.

Byrd a believable Tracy:
Ralph Byrd and the supporting cast do a fine job of bringing Dick Tracy to the screen. There's plenty of action, of course, and the well-known "stealth bomber" plane that is indeed worth seeing. Lee van Atta does a fine job as the kid (equally good in Crash Corrigan's Undersea Kingdom serial too) helping Tracy, while the villains are smart and sinister. John Piccori, as a mad scientist assisting the ringleader hams it up splendidly, and Carleton Young, as Tracy's brother who is turned into a villain by the mad doctor, is wonderfully cold and unscrupulous. Personally, I like the Dick Tracy vs Crime, Inc. serial that came a little later better. It has a more intimate story with a more convoluted mystery as the suspects are eliminated one by one by the real killer. That is the only reason I rate this a 4 instead of a 5. I hope the other Tracy serials turn up on DVD soon.