Dick Tracy **½ (1945, Morgan Conway, Mike Mazurki, Anne Jeffreys, Jane Greer) – Classic Movie Review 5,593

Morgan Conway stars as police detective Dick Tracy, who pursues maniacal murderer Splitface (Mike Mazurki), a lunatic embarked on a campaign of gruesome deaths, in RKO’s 1945 crime thriller film Dick Tracy.

Director William A Berke’s 1945 crime thriller film Dick Tracy is an energetic, if cheap-looking low-budget cinema support feature adapted from Chester Gould’s cartoon comic strip. It kicks off a series of four movies from RKO Radio Pictures.

The maybe only just fairly adequate enough Morgan Conway stars as the police detective super-sleuth Dick Tracy, who pursues the maniacal murderer Splitface (Mike Mazurki), a crazy lunatic embarked on a campaign of gruesome deaths, in which the victims are viciously slashed to pieces. Tracy finds there will be 15 murders and must find what links the victims before they are all dead.

It is a good plot and there are plenty of interesting characters, with well-cast actors playing them, so it is just a shame that Conway perhaps lacks enough charisma, though he does look and feel right for the role, and he did have the approval of Chester Gould.

A well cast Mike Mazurki has an entertainingly extravagant time as the maniacal murderer Splitface. Anne Jeffreys plays Tracy’s gal Tess Trueheart and noir icon Jane Greer is Judith Owens, both vital components.

Also in the cast are Lyle Latell as Pat Patton, Joseph Crehan as Chief Brandon, Trevor Bardette as Professor Linwood J Starling, Mickey Kuhn as Junior, Morgan Wallace as Steve Owens, Milton Parsons as Deathridge the Undertaker, William Halligan as the Mayor, Jason Robards Sr. as Motorist, Edyth Elliot, Ralph Dunn and Edmund Glover.

It is also known as Dick Tracy, Detective (for TV syndication and video) and as Splitface.

Eric Taylor’s screenplay is based on the comic strip by Chester Gould.

It is followed by Dick Tracy vs Cueball (1946), Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947) and Dick Tracy’s Dilemma (1947). Ralph Byrd had previously starred as Dick Tracy in four cinema serials for Republic Studios and happily he returned to the role in movies with Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome.

The video market revived interest in the four RKO movies after Dick Tracy was revived by Warren Beatty in 1990. So far these are the only Dick Tracy feature films, though there are also the four Republic film serials: Dick Tracy (1937), Dick Tracy Returns (1938), Dick Tracy’s G-Men (1939), and Dick Tracy vs Crime, Inc. (1941). Plus an American TV series called Dick Tracy starring Ralph Byrd that aired on ABC from September 11, 1950 to April 7, 1951. Later, an animated series, The Dick Tracy Show, aired in syndication in 1961.

After the four hit serials, exhibitors petitioned RKO to make more Tracy features with Ralph Byrd, but RKO cast Morgan Conway instead. RKO discontinued most of its B films in 1947 and Conway’s contract was not renewed. Vacation in Reno (1946) was his final film role. Chester Gould wanted RKO to continue the series and with Morgan Conway starring, but RKO had been sold to Howard Hughes and declined.

Morgan Conway left Hollywood in 1949, but the New York Herald Tribune reported on May 19, 1950: ‘The man who plays Dick Tracy in the movies paid a $4 fine in Mid-Manhattan Court yesterday after pleading guilty to permitting his dog, also named Dick Tracy, to be unleashed in Central Park.’

Conway and his second wife Lilian Anna Conway (née Karp) settled in New Jersey, where he worked in commercial real estate, and did some acting on stage.

Morgan Conway in Dick Tracy (1945).

Dick Tracy is directed by William A Berke, runs 61 minutes, is made and released by RKO Radio Pictures, is written by Eric Taylor, based on the comic strip Dick Tracy by Chester Gould, is shot in black and white by Frank Redman, is produced by Herman Schlom, and is scored by Roy Webb.

It premiered on December 20, 1945 in New York City) and was released in the US on December 21, 1946.

The cast are Morgan Conway as Dick Tracy, Anne Jeffreys as Tess Trueheart, Mike Mazurki as Alexis ‘Splitface’ Banning, Jane Greer as Jane Owens, Lyle Latell as Pat Patton, Joseph Crehan as Chief Brandon, Mickey Kuhn as Junior, Trevor Bardette as Professor Linwood J Starling, Morgan Wallace as Steve Owens, Milton Parsons as Deathridge the Undertaker, William Halligan as the Mayor, Jason Robards Sr. as Motorist, Edyth Elliot, Ralph Dunn and Edmund Glover.

The perky blonde Anne Jeffreys died on 27 September 2017, aged 94. She also starred in Dick Tracy vs Cueball (1946), Dillinger (1945) and Return of the Bad Men (1948).

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5,593

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