Film Snail

Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy

6.1

Dick Tracy

PG·1990·105m

Summary

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.

Cast

Warren Beatty

Warren Beatty

Dick Tracy

Madonna

Madonna

Breathless Mahoney

Al Pacino

Al Pacino

Big Boy Caprice

Glenne Headly

Glenne Headly

Tess Trueheart

Charlie Korsmo

Charlie Korsmo

Kid

Mandy Patinkin

Mandy Patinkin

88 Keys

Seymour Cassel

Seymour Cassel

Sam Catchem

James Keane

James Keane

Pat Patton

Charles Durning

Charles Durning

Chief Brandon

William Forsythe

William Forsythe

Flattop

Dustin Hoffman

Dustin Hoffman

Mumbles

James Tolkan

James Tolkan

Numbers

Ed O'Ross

Ed O'Ross

Itchy

Dick Van Dyke

Dick Van Dyke

D.A. Fletcher

R.G. Armstrong

R.G. Armstrong

Pruneface

Michael J. Pollard

Michael J. Pollard

Bug Bailey

Paul Sorvino

Paul Sorvino

Lips Manlis

James Caan

James Caan

Spaldoni

Henry Silva

Henry Silva

Influence

Tom Signorelli

Tom Signorelli

Mike

Stig Eldred

Stig Eldred

Shoulders

Jim Wilkey

Stooge

Neil Summers

Neil Summers

The Rodent

Chuck Hicks

Chuck Hicks

The Brow

Lawrence Steven Meyers

Lawrence Steven Meyers

Little Face

Tony Epper

Tony Epper

Steve the Tramp

Estelle Parsons

Estelle Parsons

Mrs. Trueheart

Allen Garfield

Allen Garfield

Reporter

John Schuck

John Schuck

Reporter

Charles Fleischer

Charles Fleischer

Reporter

Mary Woronov

Mary Woronov

Welfare Person

Kathy Bates

Kathy Bates

Mrs. Green

Ian Wolfe

Ian Wolfe

Forger

Henry Jones

Henry Jones

Night Clerk

Catherine O'Hara

Catherine O'Hara

Texie Garcia

Robert Beecher

Robert Beecher

Ribs Mocca

Lew Horn

Lew Horn

Lefty Moriarty

Michael Donovan O'Donnell

Michael Donovan O'Donnell

McGillicuddy

Marvellee Cariaga

Soprano

Michael Gallup

Baritone

Robert Costanzo

Robert Costanzo

Lips' Bodyguard

Jack Kehoe

Jack Kehoe

Customer at Raid

Marshall Bell

Marshall Bell

Lips' Cop

Mike Hagerty

Mike Hagerty

Doorman

Arthur Malet

Arthur Malet

Diner Patron

Jack Goode Jr.

Lab Technician

Ray Stoddard

Lab Technician

Hamilton Camp

Hamilton Camp

Store Clerk

Ed McCready

Ed McCready

Cop at Tess'

Colm Meaney

Colm Meaney

Cop at Tess'

Bert Remsen

Bert Remsen

Bartender

Frank Campanella

Frank Campanella

Judge Harper

Sharmagne Leland-St. John

Club Ritz Patron

Bing Russell

Bing Russell

Club Ritz Patron

Tom Finnegan

Tom Finnegan

Uniform Cop at Ritz

Billy Clevenger

Newspaper Vendor

Ned Claflin

Radio Announcer

John Moschitta Jr.

John Moschitta Jr.

Radio Announcer (voice)

Neil Ross

Neil Ross

Radio Announcer (voice)

Walker Edmiston

Walker Edmiston

Radio Announcer (voice)

Mike Mazurki

Mike Mazurki

Old Man at Hotel

Rita Bland

Rita Bland

Dancer

Lada Boder

Lada Boder

Dancer

Dee Hengstler

Dancer

Liz Imperio

Dancer

Karyne Ortega

Dancer

Karen Russell

Karen Russell

Dancer

Michelle Johnston

Michelle Johnston

Dancer

Tamara Carrera

Tamara Carrera

Cigarette Girl (uncredited)

Bernie Jones

Night Club Musician (uncredited)

Sheila Lussier

Sheila Lussier

Gangster's Girlfriend (uncredited)

Bruce Mahler

Bruce Mahler

Reporter (uncredited)

Jerry St. John

Driver (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Warren Beatty

Screenplay

Jim Cash

Screenplay

Jack Epps Jr.

Reviews

John Chard

John Chard

March 12, 2014

7

A bit too mellow yellow.

Dick Tracy is directed by Warren Beatty and written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr. Based on Chester Gould’s comic strip creation of the same name, it stars Beatty, Al Pacino, Madonna, Glenne Headly, Dustin Hoffman, Charlie Korsmo, Charles Durning and William Forsythe. Music is by Danny Elfman, with songs by Stephen Sondheim, and cinematography is by Vittorio Storaro.

Punk Rock band X-Ray Spex once sang about The Day The World Turned Day-Glo, Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy was exactly that. The live action cartoon is a feast for the eyes, as the city backdrop for this cops and gangsters tale is a fountain of bright, lurid primary colours. The characters are drawn brilliantly, where the good guys are very much human, but the bad guys are a bunch of grotesques, like a mutant gathering under one coalition banner. All star casting, striking costuming, amazing effects work, quality songs and a brisk musical score (Elfman reworks his score for Batman from the previous year), Dick Tracy as a production is grade “A” stuff. It also did very well at the box office, where although it didn’t reach Disney’s expectation levels financially, it coined to the tune of over $100 million in profit Worldwide. Not bad for a film some still think was a flop!

It’s a film that feels a lot better watching it now than it did back on release, to be able to view it as a smart technical accomplishment for the time it was made. The cast factor also makes it something of a fascinating experience, watching legends like Pacino and Hoffman absolutely buy into the cartoon excess on show. However, the old problem with it just will never go away. Yes the plot is very simple, but that’s easy to accept these days, it was after all a gangster movie made for all the family, it’s that Beatty’s portrayal of Tracy is too under played. He’s a good guy, we know that, we are on his side, but it’s a flat characterisation, he’s never pushed to be anything other than a cool dude. This of course lets the monstrous villains take the film by the scruff of the neck, as most villains tend to anyway, but for a film carrying his name, you expect a bit more from Dick Tracy the man.

Still, Dick Tracy is a fun movie experience, not all it can be, but enjoyable regardless. 7/10

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$47,000,000.00

Revenue:

$103,738,726.00

Keywords

martial arts
corruption
fight
gangster
crime fighter
investigation
villain
based on comic
organized crime
one man army
criminal
police detective
one against many
urban setting
policeman
action hero
good versus evil