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 Post subject: Dick Tracy
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 4:47 pm 
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News from the Dick Tracy camp:

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He’s gone for years without as much as a single publicity bump, and all of a sudden, Dick Tracy is back in the spotlight, two ways.

Not bad for a 74 year-old character created by Chester Gould to be a cop who could stand up against gangsters and crime during a time when police forces were rife with corrpution and plagued by the likes of Capone, Dillinger and the growing threat of organized crime.

The first way Tracy is back in the headlines – 68 year old actor Warren Beatty has filed suit against Tribune Media Services, which claims to wholly control the Tracy character. According to the suit (for $30 million), Tribune and Beatty entered into a complex legal agreement in 1985, under which, Beatty took control of the character. Beatty’s involvement resulted in the actor/director giving the rights to Disney, which led to the 1990 Dick Tracy movie which co-starred Madonna. The film was successful, making over $100 million, and serving as a launch of a merchandise line, and mild resurgence in the character’s popularity.

Tribune reclaimed the rights to Tracy in 2002 in a manner, according to Beatty’s complaint, that did not adhere to the 1985 agreement. Though there was a stipulation under which Beatty had to give the character’s right back to Tribune, it was to be done if several conditions were met, and two-year notification was given.

Apparently the rights now reside with Beatty, despite Tribune’s claim, as Beatty’s lawyer, Bertram Fields has stated that Disney returned most of the rights to the character back to Beatty. Why the bother of the suit? After 15 years, Beatty is reportedly ready to make a new Dick Tracy film, but cannot proceed due to Tribune’s claims on the character. According to Beatty’s attorney, his agreement with Tribune was negotiated to allow Beatty to make a second film.

“It was very carefully done and they just ignored it,'' Fields is quoted by the AP as saying. “The Tribune is a big, powerful company and they think they can just run roughshod over people. They picked the wrong guy.”

Beatty’s suit asks for a ruling that he owns the film and other rights to the character, as per the 1985 agreement, and is seeking $30 million in damages. Variety speculates the amount is based on the profits Beatty would expect to see from a second Dick Tracy film.

The second way Tracy is back in the headlines - Variety announced today that Tribune has teamed with Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Outlaw Productions partners Bobby Newmyer and Scott Strauss to bring the character back in his own television series set in contemporary times, akin to the modernization of Superman via Smallville. If the series takes off, and is successful, it’s reported that it will move to film.

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 Post subject: Dick Tracy
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 4:56 pm 
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Good Stuff, Maynard!

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I can't imagine a modern version of Dick Tracy. I mean, what would be special about his two-way-radio-wristwatch these days?

And I don't even want to think about the protests from the Disfigured American lobby when they introduce his rogues gallery.

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 Post subject: Dick Tracy
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 5:20 pm 
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I know I'm deeply in the minority but I really liked the movie.


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 Post subject: Dick Tracy
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 5:24 pm 
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Believe it or not, so did I. It was fun. Not "Big Fun!," but an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. However, I haven't seen it since I saw it in the theater over a decade ago, so I don't know if it would hold up to a repeat viewing.


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 Post subject: Dick Tracy
PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 9:05 pm 
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I liked Dick Tracy. The day I saw it a friend of mine had just died and I was unable to get back in town for the funeral. The movie was a nice distraction from the real world.


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 Post subject: Dick Tracy
PostPosted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 2:31 pm 
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Bigger and Better!

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Hank wrote:
I can't imagine a modern version of Dick Tracy. I mean, what would be special about his two-way-radio-wristwatch these days?

And I don't even want to think about the protests from the Disfigured American lobby when they introduce his rogues gallery.

Star Trek still uses communicators, even though the tech is now available (they still use the Borg, even though I see them walking the city streets, implants firmly in their ear as they converse with the collective).


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 Post subject: Dick Tracy
PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2024 11:36 pm 
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One of these days I'll merge all our Dick Tracy threads, but for now I'll just bump the very first one with some news.

This coming Tuesday sees the release of a Blu-ray collection of the four Dick Tracy feature films done by RKO in 1945 through 1947:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D187G8XH/?tag=imwan-20

Click for full size

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 Post subject: Dick Tracy
PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2024 4:37 am 
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I think I have these on VHS tape, but most of my Dick Tracy movie experience is with the four earlier serials
released by Republic: Dick Tracy, Dick Tracy Returns, Dick Tracy's G-Men, and Dick Tracy v. Crime, Inc.
All four of these featured Ralph Byrd as Tracy and were quite good.

Ralph Byrd returns for two of the stories in the above Blu-ray release. The other two feature Morgan Conway.

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 Post subject: Dick Tracy
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2024 11:07 am 
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I have a couple of the Tracy movies on DVD as part of a budget mystery collection.

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 Post subject: Dick Tracy
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2024 1:52 pm 
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I liked Beatty's Dick Tracy movie as well. And it gave Pacino a chance to really chew up the scenery.

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 Post subject: Dick Tracy
PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2024 1:54 pm 
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Yes, I enjoyed that movie.

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