The Dick Tracy Show | |
---|---|
Also known as | The Adventures of Dick Tracy |
Genre | Crime, adventure, comedy |
Created by | Chester Gould |
Written by | |
Directed by | |
Presented by | UPA |
Voices of | |
Theme music composer | Carl Brandt |
Composers | |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 130 |
Production | |
Executive producers | |
Editor | Ted Baker |
Running time | 5 minutes |
Original release | |
Network | First-run syndication |
Release | January 1, 1961 – January 1, 1962 |
Related | |
The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo |
The Dick Tracy Show is an American animated television series based on Chester Gould's comic strip crime fighter. The series was produced from 1961 to 1962 by UPA. [1]
In the show, policeman Dick Tracy employed a series of cartoony subordinate flatfoots to fight crime each week, contacting them on his two-way wristwatch radio. [2] Tracy himself hardly appeared on the show at all. [3] The opening was designed so that local TV hosts dressed as policemen could introduce the cartoon by barking orders into a prop intercom, with Tracy answering "Okay, chief, I'll get on it right away." [3]
A live action show, Dick Tracy , aired on ABC from 1950 to 1951. [4]
Everett Sloane voiced Tracy, while Mel Blanc, Paul Frees, Benny Rubin and others voiced many of the other characters, including:
A gag used in several shows was that if one of Tracy's detectives found themselves in sudden danger (a bullet speeding towards them, falling off a cliff, etc.) he would yell, "Hold everything!" The action would obediently screech to a halt and "wait", while the detective called headquarters for further instructions. Action would resume only after the sign-off catchphrase, "Six-two and even*, over and out" was spoken at the end of the call.
Villains taken from Dick Tracy creator Chester Gould's popular comic strip usually had names that served as descriptions of their physical appearance or some other peculiarity. All were paired with another villain for the cartoon series. They included Flattop who worked with B.B. Eyes, Pruneface and Itchy, Stooge Viller and Mumbles, The Brow and Oodles, and The Mole and Sketch Paree. Each pair of crooks had at least one member who smoked either a cigar or a cigarette on an extender. One villain created specifically for the cartoon was Cheater Gunsmoke, who appeared in two episodes. Gunsmoke was a Texas-sounding cigar smoker with a literal cloud of smoke obscuring his face and head. Of all the villains in the animated series, Stooge had made his first appearance in the comic strip earliest (1933) and Oodles latest (1955), six years before the show was aired.
Some of the villains were given voices patterned after famous actors. Flattop sounded like Peter Lorre, B.B.Eyes like Edward G. Robinson, Pruneface like Boris Karloff, and The Brow like James Cagney.[ citation needed ]
The cartoons seldom involved the title character. The opening scene of every episode showed Tracy in his office, speaking into a two-way radio the words: "Okay, Chief! I'll get on it right away. Dick Tracy calling..." He would then hand the case over to one of his comic law-enforcement assistants, who engaged in slapstick battles with the crooks (who, compared to their comic strip counterparts, were penny ante and not as bright). Tracy showed up at the very end, usually by car or helicopter, to congratulate the assistant on a job well done and take the crooks into custody. Tracy, as Chief of Detectives, presented an image of calm professionalism in contrast to the comedic roles that the funny subordinates played.
Tracy would play a more prominent role in some episodes that were bookended with a quick lesson on real-world crime fighting. In these, Tracy would explain to the viewer how their local police use methods such as fingerprinting or the use of composite artists to help identify suspects.
UPA was also the producer of the Mr. Magoo cartoons, and a crossover was arranged between Tracy and Magoo in a 1965 episode of the TV series The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo . In this episode, "Dick Tracy and the Mob", Tracy persuades Magoo (a well-known actor in the context of the Famous Adventures series) to impersonate an international hit man whom he resembles named Squinty Eyes, and infiltrate a gang of criminals made up of Pruneface (their leader in this case), Itchy, Flattop, Mumbles, The Mole, The Brow and Oodles. Unlike the earlier animated Tracy shorts, this longer episode was played relatively straight, with Tracy getting much more screen time, and Chief Patton was part of the episode. It is notable for pitting Tracy against a coalition of most of his foes, a concept that would be adopted more than two decades later in the 1990 film. None of Tracy's assistants (Hemlock Holmes, Joe Jitsu, etc.) appeared and several villains sounded nothing like their Dick Tracy Show counterparts. For example, Howard Morris took over the roles of Flattop and Oodles, although Everett Sloane reprised his role as Tracy.
These 130 five-minute cartoons were designed and packaged for syndication much in the same way as Associated Artists Productions packaged the 231 Popeye cartoon shorts and the pre-1948 Warner Bros.' short subjects. Usually intended for morning and afternoon children's television series, a local host would introduce the cartoon as part of the show.
The cartoon show was a success perhaps as a child's version of The Untouchables that was popular at the time. Local hosts of the show offered "Dick Tracy Crimestopper" badges and certificates their viewers could send in for. Mattel toys manufactured a series of Toy gun and a board game with the Dick Tracy logo and the Crimestoppers could communicate with each other by toy Dick Tracy wrist radios.
No. | Title | Direction | Story |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Red Hot Riding Hoods | Ray Patterson | Homer Brightman |
2 | Pearl Thief Grief | Grant Simmons | Homer Brightman |
3 | Jewel Fool | Brad Case | George Atkins |
4 | Scrambled Yeggs | Ray Patterson | Homer Brightman |
5 | The Oyster Caper | Clyde Geronimi | Ed Nofziger |
6 | Two Heels on Wheels | Grant Simmons | Homer Brightman |
7 | Cheater Gunsmoke | Brad Case | Dave Detiege |
8 | Gruesome Twosome | Ray Patterson | Homer Brightman |
9 | Racer Chaser | Grant Simmons | Bob Ogle |
10 | The Purple Boy | Brad Case | Ed Nofziger |
11 | Surprised Package | Steve Clark | Homer Brightman |
12 | Tanks a Heap | Steve Clark | Dave Detiege |
13 | Phony Pharmers | Ray Patterson | Ed Nofziger and Bob Ogle |
14 | Champ Chumps | John Walker | Homer Brightman |
15 | Stockyard Caper | Brad Case | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
16 | A Boodle of Loot | Grant Simmons | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
17 | The Parrot Caper | Clyde Geronimi | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
18 | Rogue's Gallery | John Walker | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
19 | The Catnap Caper | Ray Patterson | Bob Ogle |
20 | The Snow Monster | Brad Case | George Atkins |
21 | Hawaiian Guy | Steve Clark | Bob Ogle |
22 | Tick Tock Shock | John Walker | Homer Brightman |
23 | Lab Grab | John Walker | George Atkins |
24 | Escape from Sing Song | Brad Case | Dave Detiege |
25 | The Onion Ring | Clyde Geronimi | Bob Ogle |
26 | Funny Money | Clyde Geronimi | Homer Brightman |
27 | Flea Ring Circus | Steve Clark | Bob Ogle |
28 | The Flower Plot | Brad Case | George Atkins |
29 | The Brain Game | Clyde Geronimi | George Atkins |
30 | Penny Ante Caper | Steve Clark | Dave Detiege |
31 | Wheeling and Stealing | Paul Fennell | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
32 | Big Bank Bungle | Steve Clark | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
33 | Tobacco Load | Brad Case | Dave Detiege |
34 | The Boomerang Ring | Brad Case | Homer Brightman |
35 | Mummy's the Word | John Walker | Bob Ogle |
36 | Trickery at Sea | Grant Simmons | Dick Shaw |
37 | Stamp Scamp | Clyde Geronimi | Dave Detiege |
38 | The Hot Ice Bag | Ray Patterson | Homer Brightman |
39 | Cooked Crooks | Paul Fennell | George Atkins |
40 | The Elephant Caper | Grant Simmons | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
41 | Baggage Car Bandits | John Walker | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
42 | Gym Jam | Clyde Geronimi | George Atkins |
43 | Bowling Ball Bandits | Clyde Geronimi | Homer Brightman |
44 | Rock-a-Bye Guys | John Walker | Homer Brightman |
45 | The Ruby of Hamistan | John Walker | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
46 | The Platterpuss Plot | Clyde Geronimi | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
47 | The Nickle Nabbers | Paul Fennell | Dave Detiege |
48 | The Bearskin Game | Clyde Geronimi | Ralph Wright |
49 | The Newspaper Caper | Steve Clark | Dick Shaw |
50 | Grandma Jitsu | John Walker | Bob Ogle |
51 | Kidnap Trap | Brad Case | Homer Brightman |
52 | Tacos Tangle | Ray Patterson | Bob Ogle |
53 | Rocket Racket | Grant Simmons | Bob Ogle |
54 | The Venetian Bind | Grant Simmons | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
55 | Bomb's Away | John Walker | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
56 | The Fish Filchers | Grant Simmons | Bob Ogle |
57 | The Elevator Lift | Jerry Hathcock | Dick Shaw |
58 | The Alligator Baggers | Brad Case | Homer Brightman |
59 | Hooked Crooks | Paul Fennell | Dave Detiege |
60 | Lighthouse Creepers | Grant Simmons | Bob Ogle |
61 | The Vile Inn Case | Steve Clark | Ralph Wright |
62 | The Banana Peel Deal | Paul Fennell | Kin Platt |
63 | The Casbah Express | Paul Fennell | Tedd Pierce |
64 | The Retouchables | Clyde Geronimi | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
65 | Horse Race Chase | Ray Patterson | Homer Brightman |
66 | The Fixed Stare Case | Steve Clark | Ralph Wright |
67 | Cop and Saucer | Jerry Hathcock | Kin Platt |
68 | The Gold Grabbers | Clyde Geronimi | Dick Shaw |
69 | The Copy Cat Caper | John Walker | Bob Ogle |
70 | The Loch Mess Monster | Clyde Geronimi | Homer Brightman |
71 | The Windmill Caper | John Walker | Bob Ogle |
72 | The Old Suit Case | Jerry Hathcock | Ralph Wright |
73 | Smashing the Ring Ring | Jerry Hathcock | Chris Hayward and Lloyd Turner |
74 | Snow Job | Paul Fennell | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
75 | Court Jester | Steve Clark | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
76 | The Two Way Stretch | Ray Patterson | Nick Bennion |
77 | Steamboat Steal | Grant Simmons | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
78 | The Big Blowup | Jerry Hathcock | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
79 | Fowl Play | Clyde Geronimi | Homer Brightman |
80 | Bettor Come Clean | Paul Fennell | Dave Detiege |
81 | The Great Whodunit | Steve Clark | Tom Hicks and Bob Ogle |
82 | The Skyscraper Caper | Clyde Geronimi | Kin Platt |
83 | Hotel Havoc | Steve Clark | Bob Ogle |
84 | The Log Book Case | Paul Fennell | Ralph Wright |
85 | The Copped Copper Caper | John Walker | Bob Ogle |
86 | Small Time Crooks | Steve Clark | Bob Ogle |
87 | Evil Eye Guy | John Walker | Homer Brightman |
88 | Mole in the Hole | Jerry Hathcock | Homer Brightman |
89 | Feathered Frenzy | Ray Patterson | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
90 | Trick or Treat | Clyde Geronimi | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
91 | Down the Drain | Steve Clark | Kin Platt and Marty Murphy |
92 | Gang Town | Steve Clark | Dave Detiege |
93 | The Medicine Show Case | Jerry Hathcock | Ralph Wright |
94 | Air Freight Fright | John Walker | Dick Shaw |
95 | The Castle Caper | Clyde Geronimi | Cecil Beard and Bob Ogle |
96 | The Camera Caper | Steve Clark | Bob Ogle |
97 | The Big Punch | John Walker | Dave Detiege |
98 | Oil's Well | Grant Simmons | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
99 | Mardi Gras Grab | Ray Patterson | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
100 | The Manor Monster | Jerry Hathcock | Bob Ogle |
101 | Hot on the Trail | Paul Fennell | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
102 | Rocket n' Roll | Clyde Geronimi | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
103 | Lumber Scamps | John Walker | Homer Brightman |
104 | The Cold Cash Caper | Paul Fennell | Bob Ogle |
105 | Football Brawl | John Walker | Dick Shaw |
106 | The Ivory Rustlers | Jerry Hathcock | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
107 | A Case for Alarm | Grant Simmons | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
108 | Ghostward Ho! | Ray Patterson | Bob Ogle |
109 | Ham on the Lam | Steve Clark | Homer Brightman |
110 | Two Goons in the Fountain | Ray Patterson | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
111 | The Monkey Tale | Steve Clark | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
112 | The Pigeon Coup | Clyde Geronimi | Cal Howard |
113 | The Tower of Pizza | Steve Clark | Homer Brightman |
114 | The Old Mummy Case | Clyde Geronimi | Ralph Wright |
115 | Island Racket | Clyde Geronimi | Dick Shaw |
116 | The Big Seal Steal | John Walker | Homer Brightman |
117 | Crooksters' Last Stand | John Walker | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
118 | Choo Choo Boo Boo | John Walker | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
119 | The Van Vandals | Jerry Hathcock | Ralph Wright |
120 | The Bank Prank | John Walker | Cal Howard |
121 | The Film Can Caper | Grant Simmons | Bob Ogle |
122 | The Bird Brain Pickers | Clyde Geronimi | Homer Brightman |
123 | Quick Cure Quacks | John Walker | Dick Shaw |
124 | The Lie Detector | Clyde Geronimi | Homer Brightman |
125 | The Stuffed Pillow Case | Steve Clark | Bob Ogle |
126 | The Big Wig | Steve Clark | Al Bertino and Dick Kinney |
127 | The Last Blast | Jerry Hathcock | Ralph Wright |
128 | Crime Flies | Ray Patterson | Bob Ogle |
129 | The Sweepstakes Caper | John Walker | Cal Howard |
130 | The Chinese Cookie Caper | Grant Simmons | Bob Ogle |
The Dick Tracy Show was pulled from syndication in the mid-1970s and mid-1980s, and was not seen for years afterward because of what some perceived as racist undertones and use of ethnic stereotypes and accents. [6] [7] [8] Some Asian and Hispanic viewers charged that Joe Jitsu and Go-Go Gomez were offensive stereotypes. Two stations in Los Angeles removed the airings and edited episodes were then sent out while one station, KCAL Channel 9, which at the time was owned by Disney, continued to broadcast The Dick Tracy Show until July 4, 1990. Henry G. Saperstein, then the chairman of UPA, stated "It's just a cartoon, for goodness' sake." [9] Saperstein also pointed out that Hemlock Holmes and Heap O'Calorie (who are British and Irish respectively) are also ethnic stereotypes. [8] The ethnic stereotypes are also the primary reason the diginet MeTV Toons will not air the series. [10]
Select episodes were first released on VHS in 1986 by Hi-Tops Video, under the name of "Dick Tracy and the Oyster Caper". In 1990, the complete series was released by Paramount Home Video in thirteen volumes, each containing ten episodes and Crimestopper tips by Tracy (voiced by Everette Sloane).
All episodes were released by Classic Media on a 4-disc DVD "Collector's Edition" set in 2006 to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the premiere of the Dick Tracy comics. In 2007, Classic Media released two 16-episode volumes, with the first containing episodes 1-16 and the second containing episodes 17-32.
Dick Tracy is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror, and was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate. Gould wrote and drew the strip until 1977, and various artists and writers have continued it.
Gerald McBoing-Boing is an animated short film about a little boy who speaks through sound effects instead of spoken words. Produced by United Productions of America (UPA), it was given a wide release by Columbia Pictures on November 2, 1950. The story was adapted by Phil Eastman and Bill Scott from a story by Dr. Seuss. Robert Cannon directed the short film, with John Hubley as the supervising director; Stephen Bosustow served as an executive producer. Marvin Miller was the narrator.
United Productions of America, better known as UPA, was an American animation studio and later distribution company founded in 1941 as Industrial Film and Poster Service by former Walt Disney Productions employees. Beginning with industrial and World War II training films, UPA eventually produced theatrical shorts for Columbia Pictures such as the Mr. Magoo series. In 1956, UPA produced a television series for CBS, The Boing-Boing Show, hosted by Gerald McBoing Boing. In the 1960s, UPA produced syndicated Mr. Magoo and Dick Tracy television series and other series and specials, including Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol. UPA also produced two animated features, 1001 Arabian Nights and Gay Purr-ee, and distributed Japanese films from Toho Studios in the 1970s and 1980s.
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol is a 1962 animated musical holiday television special produced by UPA. It is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol, and it features UPA's character Mr. Magoo as Ebenezer Scrooge. The special first aired on December 18, 1962, on NBC and was the first animated Christmas special to be produced specifically for television.
Animation in the United States in the television era was a period in the history of American animation that gradually started in the late 1950s with the decline of theatrical animated shorts and popularization of television animation, reached its peak during the 1970s, and ended around the late 1980s. This era is characterized by low budgets, limited animation, an emphasis on television over the theater, and the general perception of cartoons being primarily for children.
Dick Tracy is a 1990 American action crime film based on the 1930s comic strip created by Chester Gould. Warren Beatty produced, directed and starred in the film, whose supporting cast includes Al Pacino, Madonna, Glenne Headly and Charlie Korsmo, with appearances by Dustin Hoffman, James Keane, Charles Durning, William Forsythe, Seymour Cassel, Mandy Patinkin, Catherine O'Hara, Ed O'Ross, James Caan, James Tolkan, R. G. Armstrong and Dick Van Dyke. Dick Tracy depicts the detective's romantic relationships with Breathless Mahoney and Tess Trueheart, as well as his conflicts with crime boss Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice and his henchmen. Tracy also begins fostering a young street urchin named Kid.
The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo is an American animated television series produced by United Productions of America that aired for one season on NBC from September 19, 1964 to April 24, 1965. It is the follow-up to the 1960/61 series Mister Magoo, with Jim Backus reprising the title role.
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Pruneface is a fictional character in the long-running comic strip Dick Tracy, drawn by cartoonist Chester Gould. He is one of the series' main villains and notable for his wrinkly face despite being a young man.
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The Batman is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. Developed by Michael Goguen and Duane Capizzi, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Comics for seasons 3–5, the series first aired on Kids' WB on September 11, 2004, then Cartoon Network on April 2, 2005. The show would become exclusive to the former network for its third, fourth, and fifth seasons in early 2006. The Batman won six Daytime Emmy Awards over the course of its run. Many elements from previous Batman storylines were borrowed and adapted, such as those from the comic books, film series and the animated shows like Batman: The Animated Series from the DC Animated Universe, but it remained strictly within its own distinct continuity. Jackie Chan Adventures artist Jeff Matsuda served as art director and provided the character designs. The production team altered the appearances of many of the comic books' supervillains for the show, such as the Joker, the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Bane, and the Riddler.
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