Category: 1937

Dick Tracy (1937) ch13 – Fire Trap

So, unfortunately, Ralph Byrd (you know, Dick Tracy), doesn’t get shot in the cliffhanger resolution. He dodges. Because they all heard the Spider approach because the Spider has a club foot. Except they also all think the Spider is wearing a disguise, implying the club foot is a part of that disguise. The distinct, noisy limp the Spider walks with forecasts his appearance as well. People know he’s coming.

Seems like a dumb disguise.

But dumb is the key word for Fire Trap. Dumb or forgetful. Like how Byrd forgets he’s actually seen the Spider before. Been held prisoner by him, in fact.

After Byrd avoids being shot–in FBI West headquarters, where the Spider has gotten in because no security (he escapes by running across a wooden plank to another building so the club foot doesn’t always impede speed)–idiot, armed FBI agent Smiley Burnette manages to foul-up everyone looking for the Spider. It’s a panicked “search the building” scene and it’s terrible. James and Taylor’s direction of it is atrocious.

Turns out young Lee Van Atta has gotten a picture of the Spider, which the Spider knows about… just because. So a goon goes to Byrd’s house and foils Byrd developing the picture. But the goon eats at the wharf hangout… where the Spider gang has been known to hangout. And Byrd and the FBI shut down some chapters ago. So Byrd goes back. Because apparently he forgot they went to this place, even though the proprietor was clearly in on it.

Lazy, dumb, and forgetful are actually the key words for the chapter.

It ends with Byrd on a burning ship, left behind by brainwashed, surgically altered brother Carleton Young. Young had just discovered Byrd knew he was alive. It provoked no little reaction from Young and less for the narrative.

A terribly edited fight scene precedes the cliffhanger.

There are only two chapters left and it’s hard to imagine how much worse Dick Tracy’s going to get.

Dick Tracy (1937, Ray Taylor and Alan James), Chapter 12: The Trail of the Spider

The Trail of the Spider is the clip chapter. After the current winner for laziest cliffhanger resolve in the serial–Ralph Byrd turns a steering wheel to get out of danger–Byrd and the cast get together with three new characters to hear all about the Spider. Although Byrd’s been hunting the Spider Gang since chapter one, he didn’t think to sit down with witnesses until chapter twelve. Because if you’re going to employ an idiot like Smiley Burnette’s character, you’ve got to be an idiot yourself.

So these three witness, who’ve never actually appeared before and one of them can’t have witnessed the interior of the Spider Gang’s hideout, tell their stories.

There’s no new information for the viewer in the tales (and flashbacks) but eventually Byrd finds out his brother is still alive. Or at least was operated on.

Dick Tracy isn’t happy unless it’s sucking all the dramatic possibilities out of its plot twists.

The chapter ends with the Spider infiltrating the FBI office to kill Byrd. It’s not really a stretch, the FBI office not having any security; if they’re dumb enough to employ Byrd (who actually hasn’t solved a crime since the first chapter and, at best, has just kept a couple people alive by accident) and Burnette, you’re not going to have security.

It’s particularly godawful even for a clip chapter. Mostly because of Burnette. But also because of the lousy reveal on the brother still being alive.

CREDITS

Directed by Ray Taylor and Alan James; screenplay by Barry Shipman and Winston Miller, based on a story by Morgan Cox and George Morgan and the comic strip by Chester Gould; directors of photography, Edgar Lyons and William Nobles; edited by Edward Todd, Helene Turner, and William Witney; produced by Nat Levine; released by Republic Pictures.

Starring Ralph Byrd (Dick Tracy), Kay Hughes (Gwen Andrews), Smiley Burnette (Mike McGurk), Lee Van Atta (Junior), John Picorri (Moloch), Carleton Young (Gordon), Fred Hamilton (Steve Lockwood), Francis X. Bushman (Chief Clive Anderson), Wedgwood Nowell (H.T. Clayton), Louis Morrell (Walter Potter), Edwin Stanley (Walter Odette), Ann Ainslee (Betty Clayton), and Milburn Morante (Death Valley Johnny).

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Dick Tracy (1937) ch12 – The Trail of the Spider

The Trail of the Spider is the clip chapter. After the current winner for laziest cliffhanger resolve in the serial–Ralph Byrd turns a steering wheel to get out of danger–Byrd and the cast get together with three new characters to hear all about the Spider. Although Byrd’s been hunting the Spider Gang since chapter one, he didn’t think to sit down with witnesses until chapter twelve. Because if you’re going to employ an idiot like Smiley Burnette’s character, you’ve got to be an idiot yourself.

So these three witness, who’ve never actually appeared before and one of them can’t have witnessed the interior of the Spider Gang’s hideout, tell their stories.

There’s no new information for the viewer in the tales (and flashbacks) but eventually Byrd finds out his brother is still alive. Or at least was operated on.

Dick Tracy isn’t happy unless it’s sucking all the dramatic possibilities out of its plot twists.

The chapter ends with the Spider infiltrating the FBI office to kill Byrd. It’s not really a stretch, the FBI office not having any security; if they’re dumb enough to employ Byrd (who actually hasn’t solved a crime since the first chapter and, at best, has just kept a couple people alive by accident) and Burnette, you’re not going to have security.

It’s particularly godawful even for a clip chapter. Mostly because of Burnette. But also because of the lousy reveal on the brother still being alive.

Dick Tracy (1937) ch11 – Harbor Pursuit

Harbor Pursuit starts and finishes in the harbor. For some reason, crackerjack G-Man Ralph Byrd never pieces together the harbor might be a base of operations of the Spider Gang. Just one of the many obvious connections Byrd’s been missing since chapter one.

Or two. Byrd at least seems competent in the first chapter.

After an incredibly lazy–even for Dick Tracy–cliffhanger resolution, there’s a newspaper headline about a missing government engraver. The engraver’s been gone a week, without the FBI concerned. The Spider Gang has had him the whole time, presumably tied up in the same chair; again, whatever.

Byrd’s sidekicks stumble upon a coded communication thanks to resident idiot Smiley Burnette going on the radio to give an address warning about crime. It doesn’t go well, but is apparently supposed to be hilarious. Screenwriters Barry Shipman and Winston Miller are shockingly bad when it comes to humor. The radio announcer who looks mortified at Burnette’s performance (in character, on the radio) is probably the best performance in the whole serial.

Then it’s back to the harbor for an almost decent boat chase. The shots of the actual boats in the harbor–never together–are good. The composite shots with the rear screen projection are godawful.

It might just be Tracy’s imminent conclusion–only four more to go–but Harbor passes smoother than most of the serial’s bad chapters have done. There’s nothing to distinguish it, though–as always–Carleton Young and Fred Hamilton are the ones who give the best performances. They just don’t have anything to do.

Also eye-rolling is how Byrd can’t manage to beat up a single dock worker but can easily best a (presumably experienced) thug.

Dick Tracy (1937, Ray Taylor and Alan James), Chapter 11: Harbor Pursuit

Harbor Pursuit starts and finishes in the harbor. For some reason, crackerjack G-Man Ralph Byrd never pieces together the harbor might be a base of operations of the Spider Gang. Just one of the many obvious connections Byrd’s been missing since chapter one.

Or two. Byrd at least seems competent in the first chapter.

After an incredibly lazy–even for Dick Tracy–cliffhanger resolution, there’s a newspaper headline about a missing government engraver. The engraver’s been gone a week, without the FBI concerned. The Spider Gang has had him the whole time, presumably tied up in the same chair; again, whatever.

Byrd’s sidekicks stumble upon a coded communication thanks to resident idiot Smiley Burnette going on the radio to give an address warning about crime. It doesn’t go well, but is apparently supposed to be hilarious. Screenwriters Barry Shipman and Winston Miller are shockingly bad when it comes to humor. The radio announcer who looks mortified at Burnette’s performance (in character, on the radio) is probably the best performance in the whole serial.

Then it’s back to the harbor for an almost decent boat chase. The shots of the actual boats in the harbor–never together–are good. The composite shots with the rear screen projection are godawful.

It might just be Tracy’s imminent conclusion–only four more to go–but Harbor passes smoother than most of the serial’s bad chapters have done. There’s nothing to distinguish it, though–as always–Carleton Young and Fred Hamilton are the ones who give the best performances. They just don’t have anything to do.

Also eye-rolling is how Byrd can’t manage to beat up a single dock worker but can easily best a (presumably experienced) thug.

CREDITS

Directed by Ray Taylor and Alan James; screenplay by Barry Shipman and Winston Miller, based on a story by Morgan Cox and George Morgan and the comic strip by Chester Gould; directors of photography, Edgar Lyons and William Nobles; edited by Edward Todd, Helene Turner, and William Witney; produced by Nat Levine; released by Republic Pictures.

Starring Ralph Byrd (Dick Tracy), Kay Hughes (Gwen Andrews), Smiley Burnette (Mike McGurk), Lee Van Atta (Junior), John Picorri (Moloch), Carleton Young (Gordon), Fred Hamilton (Steve Lockwood), Francis X. Bushman (Chief Clive Anderson), Wedgwood Nowell (H.T. Clayton), Louis Morrell (Walter Potter), Edwin Stanley (Walter Odette), Ann Ainslee (Betty Clayton), and Milburn Morante (Death Valley Johnny).

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Dick Tracy (1937, Ray Taylor and Alan James), Chapter 10: The Gold Ship

The Gold Ship is the tenth chapter of Dick Tracy. It’s the first chapter where Ralph Byrd even entertains the notion his brother might still be alive, even though brainwashed and surgically disguised brother Carleton Young has been running afoul of Byrd since the second chapter.

Young just hasn’t said anything. Even though the big mystery villain said the reason for surgically altering him and brainwashing him was to hurt Byrd.

But that plot point goes away real quick when the action gets underway. Byrd goes out to a ship to investigate an apparent gold robbery. He becomes suspicious of some of the crew, who prove to be villains; a lengthy fistfight ensues.

Gold Ship has some good sets and good action set pieces. The cliffhanger’s undoubtedly going to have a weak resolution, but the fistfight until then is pretty good. It’s not great–the fight choreography is extremely wanting–but it’s pretty good. It’s exciting and feels dangerous, something Tracy has rarely managed lately.

Idiot sidekick Smiley Burnette, who Byrd intentionally brings along as backup to investigate the ship, turns out to be no help because he gets himself tied up in knots. Literally. If directors James and Taylor could do comedy, even with Burnette flopping on every beat, it would help. They cannot. All of Tracy’s okay scenes seem accidentally competent.

Except the miniature effects. They’re actually good.

The chapter’s not a recovery for the serial, but it’s effective on its own.

CREDITS

Directed by Ray Taylor and Alan James; screenplay by Barry Shipman and Winston Miller, based on a story by Morgan Cox and George Morgan and the comic strip by Chester Gould; directors of photography, Edgar Lyons and William Nobles; edited by Edward Todd, Helene Turner, and William Witney; produced by Nat Levine; released by Republic Pictures.

Starring Ralph Byrd (Dick Tracy), Kay Hughes (Gwen Andrews), Smiley Burnette (Mike McGurk), Lee Van Atta (Junior), John Picorri (Moloch), Carleton Young (Gordon), Fred Hamilton (Steve Lockwood), Francis X. Bushman (Chief Clive Anderson), Wedgwood Nowell (H.T. Clayton), Louis Morrell (Walter Potter), Edwin Stanley (Walter Odette), Ann Ainslee (Betty Clayton), and Milburn Morante (Death Valley Johnny).

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Dick Tracy (1937, Ray Taylor and Alan James), Chapter 9: The Stratosphere Adventure

The Stratosphere Adventure isn’t much of an adventure, but it is a fairly interesting chapter. The entire chapter takes place right after the cliffhanger resolve. A cop-out cliffhanger resolve, where federal agent Ralph Byrd puts his own safety before civilian Wedgwood Nowell (big surprise), but still–it’s continuous action, something the serial hasn’t done.

There’s also very little Kay Hughes (though her introduction title card makes her sound like a double agent–she’s not), Smiley Burnette, or Lee Van Atta, which is quite the boon at this point.

After surviving a plane crash, Byrd gets on to the enemy aircraft–the Wing–where his brainwashed, plastic surgery altered brother Carleton Young doesn’t recognize him in disguise. Byrd doesn’t do anything to disguise his voice and he’s just wearing the goggles on a flight suit. Whatever.

Byrd then gets over to the foreign agents’ dirigible. He’s got to stop them from getting the super-fast airplane motor. He’d be able to stop them too, if he could successfully tie up a bad guy. But Byrd can’t and the bad guys turn the table on him, just as Fred Hamilton shoots out the dirigible (not knowing Byrd’s aboard).

Not an exciting chapter. Byrd’s too boring to be exasperating but, come on, he can’t tie someone up? Really? And the FBI’s San Francisco office doesn’t have a more powerful radio than Byrd’s home–where Hughes, Burnette, and Van Atta are congregating (thankfully off-screen most of the chapter).

The miniature aircraft effects are outstanding. And the pacing is sort of cool, one chapter through the next to finish up this particular plot line. It’s not a recovery, but it’s certainly nowhere near as bad as Dick Tracy has been lately.

CREDITS

Directed by Ray Taylor and Alan James; screenplay by Barry Shipman and Winston Miller, based on a story by Morgan Cox and George Morgan and the comic strip by Chester Gould; directors of photography, Edgar Lyons and William Nobles; edited by Edward Todd, Helene Turner, and William Witney; produced by Nat Levine; released by Republic Pictures.

Starring Ralph Byrd (Dick Tracy), Kay Hughes (Gwen Andrews), Smiley Burnette (Mike McGurk), Lee Van Atta (Junior), John Picorri (Moloch), Carleton Young (Gordon), Fred Hamilton (Steve Lockwood), Francis X. Bushman (Chief Clive Anderson), Wedgwood Nowell (H.T. Clayton), Louis Morrell (Walter Potter), Edwin Stanley (Walter Odette), Ann Ainslee (Betty Clayton), and Milburn Morante (Death Valley Johnny).

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Dick Tracy (1937, Ray Taylor and Alan James), Chapter 8: Battle in the Clouds

Nowhere near as many wipes this chapter, but that lack doesn’t really help things. The cliffhanger resolve is another reveal one; turns out it wasn’t the bad guys shooting those guns off-screen, it was the good guys. So there wasn’t really a cliffhanger at all.

Like always. It’s never a cliffhanger in Dick Tracy and Ralph Byrd is never in danger. Except he can be sucker-punched. Even though he can literally fend off five thugs in a fist fight, Byrd goes down for the count with a single sucker punch. Byrd also doesn’t pay attention to people warning him about incoming sucker punches either.

This chapter once again brings in the two old white guys (one credited–Edwin Stanley–and one not–Louis Morrell) to remind the viewer Byrd still hasn’t found out anything about his missing brother. The missing brother has actually been brainwashed and given plastic surgery to become villain Carleton Young. That situation hasn’t changed since the first chapter. There also haven’t been any developments on it. No idea why anyone thought the expository old white men were necessary.

But most of the story has to do with (also uncredited) Ann Ainslee and her (credited) father, Wedgwood Nowell. He designs fast airplanes, she test pilots them. The Spider Gang wants the plans to the latest project. Not for themselves, but for a foreign power. It’s up to Byrd to protect the plans.

He almost succeeds, but it turns out sidekick Smiley Burnette is actually so stupid he can’t relay a message to Fred Hamilton and the bad guys get away. The latest example of Burnette’s abject stupidity comes after he says Ainslee can’t fly planes because she’s a woman. Not to her face, just behind statically smiling Kay Hughes.

Even Lee Van Atta has started picking on Burnette for being an idiot.

Without any action to distinguish Battle in the Clouds–the battle is the bad guys shooting shotguns out their aircraft’s gun portals at the super-plane–it’s a particularly trying chapter.

At least the wipes are back to a tolerable level and there aren’t crappy inserts. But it’s clearly going to be a long seven chapters to the finish.

CREDITS

Directed by Ray Taylor and Alan James; screenplay by Barry Shipman and Winston Miller, based on a story by Morgan Cox and George Morgan and the comic strip by Chester Gould; directors of photography, Edgar Lyons and William Nobles; edited by Edward Todd, Helene Turner, and William Witney; produced by Nat Levine; released by Republic Pictures.

Starring Ralph Byrd (Dick Tracy), Kay Hughes (Gwen Andrews), Smiley Burnette (Mike McGurk), Lee Van Atta (Junior), John Picorri (Moloch), Carleton Young (Gordon), Fred Hamilton (Steve Lockwood), Francis X. Bushman (Chief Clive Anderson), Wedgwood Nowell (H.T. Clayton), Louis Morrell (Walter Potter), Edwin Stanley (Walter Odette), Ann Ainslee (Betty Clayton), and Milburn Morante (Death Valley Johnny).

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Dick Tracy (1937) ch07 – The Ghost Town Mystery

The Ghost Town Mystery has a lot of wipes. Half wipes, quartering wipes, circular wipes. Wipe, wipe, wipe, wipe. I swear there haven’t been this many wipes in the serial until now. There’s also some terrible insert shots of lead Ralph Byrd when he’s listening to someone. Edward Todd, Helene Turner, and William Witney’s editing hasn’t been stellar or anything up to this chapter, but it’s real bad here.

Especially once they get to the ghost town and have a shootout. Directors James and Taylor utterly bungle it.

There’s also some serial standards, like Byrd coming across the next clue right as the cliffhanger resolves. Good thing the bad guys dropped a newspaper folded to the ghost town. It’s not a ghost town, actually, it’s a gold mine claim. The owner’s Milburn Morante. He’s an eccentric Western hick, mixing various stereotypes in a bad performance.

Really, only Carleton Young, John Picorri, and Fred Hamilton don’t cause uncomfortable squirming as they try to get through their scenes. Byrd’s somehow getting worse–having young ward Lee Van Atta around isn’t helping things and it’s impossible to take Byrd too seriously when he’s got moron Smiley Burnette on the payroll.

There’s a great hold-up sequence with Young, which actually had me hopeful for the chapter, wipes and all. It doesn’t go anywhere. The ghost town section is a misfire. It starts with Hamilton getting shot in the face (thankfully he doesn’t die, because getting shot in the face barely hurts in Dick Tracy).

Mystery also has some of Kay Hughes’s worst acting so far, which is an achievement all it’s own. It’s impossible to disparage her too much just because she so clearly should never have been cast; it’s the serial’s fault; it embarrasses her.

Dick Tracy seems to have turned a very bad corner.

Dick Tracy (1937, Ray Taylor and Alan James), Chapter 7: The Ghost Town Mystery

The Ghost Town Mystery has a lot of wipes. Half wipes, quartering wipes, circular wipes. Wipe, wipe, wipe, wipe. I swear there haven’t been this many wipes in the serial until now. There’s also some terrible insert shots of lead Ralph Byrd when he’s listening to someone. Edward Todd,
Helene Turner, and William Witney’s editing hasn’t been stellar or anything up to this chapter, but it’s real bad here.

Especially once they get to the ghost town and have a shootout. Directors James and Taylor utterly bungle it.

There’s also some serial standards, like Byrd coming across the next clue right as the cliffhanger resolves. Good thing the bad guys dropped a newspaper folded to the ghost town. It’s not a ghost town, actually, it’s a gold mine claim. The owner’s Milburn Morante. He’s an eccentric Western hick, mixing various stereotypes in a bad performance.

Really, only Carleton Young, John Picorri, and Fred Hamilton don’t cause uncomfortable squirming as they try to get through their scenes. Byrd’s somehow getting worse–having young ward Lee Van Atta around isn’t helping things and it’s impossible to take Byrd too seriously when he’s got moron Smiley Burnette on the payroll.

There’s a great hold-up sequence with Young, which actually had me hopeful for the chapter, wipes and all. It doesn’t go anywhere. The ghost town section is a misfire. It starts with Hamilton getting shot in the face (thankfully he doesn’t die, because getting shot in the face barely hurts in Dick Tracy).

Mystery also has some of Kay Hughes’s worst acting so far, which is an achievement all it’s own. It’s impossible to disparage her too much just because she so clearly should never have been cast; it’s the serial’s fault; it embarrasses her.

Dick Tracy seems to have turned a very bad corner.

CREDITS

Directed by Ray Taylor and Alan James; screenplay by Barry Shipman and Winston Miller, based on a story by Morgan Cox and George Morgan and the comic strip by Chester Gould; directors of photography, Edgar Lyons and William Nobles; edited by Edward Todd, Helene Turner, and William Witney; produced by Nat Levine; released by Republic Pictures.

Starring Ralph Byrd (Dick Tracy), Kay Hughes (Gwen Andrews), Smiley Burnette (Mike McGurk), Lee Van Atta (Junior), John Picorri (Moloch), Carleton Young (Gordon), Fred Hamilton (Steve Lockwood), Francis X. Bushman (Chief Clive Anderson), Wedgwood Nowell (H.T. Clayton), Louis Morrell (Walter Potter), Edwin Stanley (Walter Odette), Ann Ainslee (Betty Clayton), and Milburn Morante (Death Valley Johnny).

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