Jump to content

Dick Tracy vs. Cueball

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Neptune's Trident (talk | contribs) at 22:18, 30 August 2017. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Dick Tracy vs. Cueball
Theatrical poster
Directed byGordon M. Douglas
James Anderson (assistant)
Written byCharacters
Chester Gould
Story
Luci Ward
Screenplay:
Dane Lussier
Robert E. Kent
Produced byHerman Schlom
StarringMorgan Conway
Dick Wessel
Esther Howard
CinematographyGeorge E. Diskant
Edited byPhilip Martin
Music byPhil Ohman
Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures
Release dates
  • November 22, 1946 (1946-11-22) ( Premiere-New York City )[1]
  • December 18, 1946 (1946-12-18) (U.S. )[2]
Running time
62 minutes
LandVereinigte Staaten
SpracheEnglisch

Dick Tracy vs. Cueball is a 1946 American film based on the 1930s comic strip character of the same name created by Chester Gould. The dark and moody film stars Morgan Conway as Dick Tracy in the second installment of the Dick Tracy film series released by RKO Radio Pictures. Dick Tracy vs. Cueball was listed in the 1978 book The Fifty Worst Films of All Time.

Plot

Luxurious diamonds are stolen but before the thief can safely hide them aboard an ocean liner he is strangled by ex-conman Cueball. Cueball takes the valuable diamonds and is given refuge by Filthy Flora, madam of the Dripping Dagger Bar, and then continues on murdering people that he believes are trying to double-cross him. Dick Tracy allows his attractive girlfriend Tess to act as a buyer for the diamonds but is put in grave danger when Cueball vows to eliminate . . .

Cast

  • Morgan Conway as Dick Tracy - The unstoppable detective in search of Cueball.
  • Dick Wessel as Harry "Cueball" Lake - A murderous diamond thief. Gets his name after his big, round head. He strangles his victims with a braided leather hatband.
  • Anne Jeffreys as Tess Trueheart - Dick Tracy's lovely girlfriend.
  • Lyle Latell as Pat Patton - Tracy's bumbling partner.
  • Esther Howard as Filthy Flora, madam of the Dripping Dagger.
  • Ian Keith as Vitamin Flintheart - An aged thespian and friend of Tracy.
  • Max Wagner as Max - Dripping Dagger bartender.

Cast notes

  • Trevor Bardette, who played the doomed Professor Starling in the first Dick Tracy film makes a quick cameo as Cueball's first victim Lester Abbott.
  • Milton Parsons appears in three of the four Dick Tracy films. In the first, he played the mysterious Mr. Deathridge, in this one, he played Higby, Mr. Priceless's assistant, and in the last film, Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome, he played Dr. A. Tomic. His characters died in two of the pictures.
  • Ian Keith does a perfect impersonation of John Barrymore as Vitamin Flintheart.
  • The underground workshop movie set in this movie was also used in movie "Confessions of Boston Blackie". Ironically enough, the hero in the Boston Blackie movie series is a former jewelry thief turned private detective.

References

  1. ^ "Dick Tracy vs. Cueball: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  2. ^ "Dick Tracy vs. Cueball: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved April 29, 2014.