RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.
Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional
Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
GManfred Programmer which was probably a co-feature with an 'A'. Not a lot to recommend this picture and it doesn't hold up by itself. The plot is contrived and simplistic and the script is strictly pedestrian. Morgan Conway does the best he can in the title role and the best part of the film is the lovely Anne Jeffreys as Tracy's girlfriend. Although an RKO production it seems they scrimped on the budget - in one scene, the whole set shook as Tract tries to break down a door. Not very good and, speaking for myself, I don't recommend it.5/10 - The website no longer prints my star ratings.
LeonLouisRicci With its Noirish Photography and Ambiance this, the First of Four "Dick Tracy" Features is a B-Movie Surprise with its Brutal Violence and Oddball Characters.Morgan Conway is the Weakest Link in this otherwise Fine Film that Contains more than its Share of Suspense, Thrills, and Entertainment. Mike Mazurki is Perfectly Cast as the Psychotic Villain "Splitface". He Brings a Hulkish and Nightmarish Character that Possibly Caused Kids in the 1940's to Squirm.There is an Occultist Astrologer complete with Telescope and Crystal Ball that is Dealt a Violent and Visceral Confrontation with the Psychologically and Physically Scarred "Splitface'. Tess Trueheart with a Tracy Devotion that is Commendable and yet Sad. Junior makes and Appearance for some Comedy and Needed Relief from the Gruesome Stuff. Pat Patton serves the Same Purpose.Overall, the Violence, Noir Night Scenes, and general Feel of the Movie is Not what one would Expect for this Type. Recommended for Fans of the Comic Strip and B-Movie Lovers. Note...The 1990 "Dick Tracy" Movie made by and starring Warren Beatty is a faithful and wondrous underrated Film. A colorful, ultra-stylish, and very different Movie that deserves more attention.
Uriah43 A psychotic killer by the name of "Splitface" (Mike Masurki) is on the loose and is killing people of different backgrounds. What's even stranger is that extortion notes are found on the victims but the people who pay are still killed anyway. Even the mayor is being threatened and "Dick Tracy" (Morgan Conway) is being pressured to find the killer as soon as possible. Now, even though this is a rather short film (barely over an hour long) there is enough mystery and action to keep a person's attention throughout. Even so, the script was a little corny at times and the performances of all concerned were average at best. Other than that there really isn't too much to be said about this movie except that it was filmed in black and white and some viewers may not like it because they don't realize how popular Dick Tracy was back in the day. Still, it was an okay film and worth what little time was spent watching it.
skiddoo I put this in the same category with the other vaguely interesting B movies I watch when I want to go to bed soon. At least with this one I could tell who was the villain and what was going on--I get irritated with detective movies like Charlie Chan where even when I'm told whodunit I still don't know who that was because the actors look so similar. The plot was very simple. It gave me plenty of opportunity to look around, as it were, and observe other things. Don't you just love a good fall through a skylight? How about a creepy mortician? A sassy boy detective? A sassy and beautiful woman? I only have a few beefs with this movie. First, Dick was incredibly slow on the uptake about a jury being targeted, and I agree with another reviewer that anybody would remember a death threat. I had to look up online who Junior was because the movie expected us to know. I suppose Tess did more than just hang around in evening dress waiting for a meal out but we weren't told if she were independently wealthy or still working at the photography business that was in the comics. And why didn't Junior or Tess make the slightest attempt to escape captivity? We could have had a blazing row if they had used the kerosene lamp to good effect, but no. Very disappointingly nothing was burned down so Dick could rescue them at the last second from the inferno. Opportunity wasted. Perhaps it cost too much but they left the kerosene lamp in the scene anyway. Finally, Tess should have had a really intelligent and cutting last scene to make us feel better for her being so ignored and disrespected. That would have given Dick the opportunity to show us why she fell in love with him. Instead, we are left with the question of why in the world she puts up with this jerk and if they never spend any time together, why do they bother? We needed some reason to think he wasn't really so bad, that in some part of his soul he loved her dearly--or at all. What we got was the impression that her real relationship was with Junior and that her role was already mother and not wife. I hope they get that worked out before the wedding. I understand their relationship in the comics moved at glacial speed. Junior might be in college by then and they can at least be alone together when Dick manages to come home once in a while. I read that in the comics they had kids. Heaven knows how!
