Movie Monday: Dick Tracy’s G-Men 1939
Eighty years ago, today, the crime–mystery Dick Tracy’s G-Men was released. A serial film with fifteen chapters, it was co-directed by John English and William Witney and, is over four and a half hours long in total. Produced by Robert Beche, it starred Ralph Byrd, Irving Pichel, Ted Pearson, Phyllis Isley (also known as Jennifer Jones) and Walter Miller (his last film). Based on Chester Gould‘s Dick Tracy comic strip, this serial had Tracy working for the FBI. As a sequel to the original serial, Gould’s contract barred him from production and payment. It was re-released on September 19, 1955.
From IMDB:
A mad doctor named Zanoff uses a drug to bring himself back from the dead after his execution in prison. Dick Tracy sets out to capture Zanoff before he can put his criminal gang back together again.
From Wikipedia:
International spy, Zarnoff, in the employ of “The Three Powers” (presumably a fictionalized reference to the Axis) is captured by Dick Tracy at the start of the serial, [then] tried and sentenced to death. However, through the use of a rare drug embedded by his agents in[to] the evening newspaper, he escapes from the gas chamber. His men pick up his “corpse” by ambushing the hearse and, administering another counter-drug. He continues his espionage plans, while taking the opportunity of revenge on Tracy.
From historian William Cline:
[Dick Tracy serials were] “unexcelled in the action field” [and] “in any listing of serials released after 1930, the four Dick Tracy adventures from Republic must stand out as classics of the suspense detective thrillers and the models for many others to follow.”
Dick Tracy Depot (Watch all 15 chapters)
Chapter One
September 3, 2019 at 1:47 AM
Very cool 🙂
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September 2, 2019 at 11:44 PM
You know, I’ve never read the comic strip or seen a Dick Tracy flick? Not even Warren Beatty’s version.
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September 3, 2019 at 11:22 AM
I love Dick Tracy. I read a lot of the old comics and saw the 1990’s movie, but have never come across this one.
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September 3, 2019 at 2:16 PM
This serial/series deviates from the norm. DT is supposed to be a detective with a midwestern police department along the lines of Chicago. In this, he is suddenly an FBI agent.
The Dick Tracy Depot has all fifteen chapters. Coupled together, they are longer than The Minds of Men documentary. Get a six pack.
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September 3, 2019 at 12:25 PM
Have you seen all 4+ hours of it?
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September 3, 2019 at 2:17 PM
Nope. Not a DT fan by any stretch of the imagination.
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September 4, 2019 at 11:06 PM
I watched the 80s version and didn’t like it…I like the old serials though…I may like this.
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September 5, 2019 at 12:28 AM
Set aside about five hours if you want to binge. LOL!
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September 5, 2019 at 12:31 AM
LOL… Yea I do have a Batman and Captain Marvel serial from back then….they are long!
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September 5, 2019 at 12:54 AM
You mean the D.C. Captain Marvel/Shazam? Or the Marvel Captain Mar-Vell from Kree?
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September 5, 2019 at 9:10 AM
Here it is …. “Captain America is a 1944 Republic black-and-white serial film loosely based on the Timely Comics (today known as Marvel Comics) character Captain America.”
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September 5, 2019 at 1:58 PM
Wait. I’m confused. We were talking about Captain Marvel. The quote, above, is about Captain America. 😳
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September 5, 2019 at 2:02 PM
That is because I’m an idiot! Geez, why did I say Captin Marvel? Yes I meant Captain America
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September 5, 2019 at 2:25 PM
😂
Well, then…confusion abated.
You tickle the hell out of me, Max! 😆 You are nearly as dingy as I am! 😉😊😎🤣
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September 5, 2019 at 2:38 PM
Yes I would probably qualify! It’s because our minds are running soooooo fast…they trip at times.
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September 5, 2019 at 2:52 PM
And, hiccup. And, burp…😁
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September 5, 2019 at 7:04 PM
stumble stumble and fall…then get lost
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September 5, 2019 at 3:04 PM
😂😂😂
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September 5, 2019 at 2:44 AM
Would love to see this movie. Love the old stuff.
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September 5, 2019 at 2:48 AM
You’d better set aside about five hours. As a serial, it is fifteen chapters and each episode in nearly 20 minutes, each.
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September 12, 2019 at 9:26 PM
Hadn’t heard of it before, but it sounds interesting!
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September 12, 2019 at 10:09 PM
Eh. I was never a Dick Tracy fan. Not my thing.
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September 12, 2019 at 10:10 PM
I’d heard about the movie from the ’90s (due to one of my Blockbusters Reviewed posts), but that’s it.
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September 12, 2019 at 10:16 PM
I’m aware of it…seen clips of it. Don’t like Warren Beatty much…or Madonna.
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