Thursday, November 21, 2019

Dick Tracy (Serial) (1937)

A wonderfully over the top action serial, just how a comic hero adaptation should be of course. In this serial version of the comic story Dick Tracy (Ralph Byrd) is a federal agent and battling The Spider Ring crime organisation...

Now The Spider Ring which is led by the Lame One has some cool toys, including a sonic weapon he has mounted aboard a fabulous looking flying wing, though their plans seem rather suspect and often easy to foil. The Lame One is assisted by the rather sinister Doctor Moloch (John Picorri) who performs surgery on Dick's own brother George (Richard Beach) to turn him into a brainwashed thug (Carleton Young)...

Dick has plenty of help, and needs it as the evil plots come thick and fast. Among his assistants are Gwen (Kay Hughes) - who plays the Tess Trueheart role - and Mike (Smiley Burnett).