Dick Tracy's 20th Anniversary

[The Joker]

You're very welcome! This project of mine has been the result of over a decade of research and each passing year when new details are unearthed, you begin to understand how and why things turned out the way they did. There's always been murmurs of an extended director's cut of Dick Tracy existing ever since it was initially announced at getting a Visa Series DVD release, but it seemed that Beatty shot down that prospect years later when he said that the theatrical cut was his final cut, as I'm sure I'd stipulated in his contact. Despite this claim, there were a few scenes that may have been cut or altered in favor of maintaining a PG rating and also to accommodate the runtime to include a Roger Rabbit cartoon. One of these examples was how Tracy effortlessly identifies all of the murdered gangsters and shows his authority by barking out orders to everyone at the crime scene. If there were to be an extended cut of the film, this would be a welcome change. Maybe one day we'll get lucky like what happened to Super Mario Bros. and we'll unearth a workprint edition of Dick Tracy that includes this scene.

I'm glad you brought that up about the Vista Series DVD, because that was actually something i was going to inquire about, as I too remember something about that being in the cards right around the same time of the release of the "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" 2-disc Vista Series DVD set. Around 2004-ish? If I am not mistaken. It's a shame that never happened. As I'm sure there are a wealth of interviews that could be conducted with the cast and crew, that would give much insight on BTS info that we've never been privy to. I'm certain a "Extras" 30-45 minute interview with William Forsythe reminiscing about his portrayal of Flattop, and the production would be absolutely fascinating to watch.

Given the visual style of the film with it's emphasis on color, it seems like a 4K scan of "Dick Tracy" would be a no brainer for Disney. As such a scan would really allow for the color palette Beatty was working with to really pop visually. Personally, I would absolutely love for a physical media boutique company like Arrow, or Vinegar Syndrome to get their hands on this in order to provide a quality scan, and loads of extras. The barebones release we've been stuck with ever since the early 2000's is just a crime.

That would be an absolutely perfect approach as a throughline for the series. I believe Collins did just that in the sequels and there was an idea for the third film's treatment to make him a beat poet, similar to Mumbles being a musician in the comic strips. I loved hearing an anecdote from Collins that he had attended the premiere and got to meet Hoffman and he read the comic strip that week that featured Mumbles and performed it for his amusement.

Haha! That's pretty cool. 

I too thought about Hoskins but decided that he would have been a swell Big Boy if they had gone with how he was more of a Al Capone expy in the comics. If you haven't seen him in the gangster film The Long Good Friday, you'll see what I'm talking about. Hoskins was also very infamously let go from playing Capone in The Untouchables and replaced with Robert DeNiro.

True. I later became aware that Pacino's Big Boy bore little resemblance to the Big Boy that was depicted in the strip during the early 1930's. As he was essentially, like you said, a stand in for Al Capone. Even the various make up tests for Pacino's Big Boy makeup bares this out. Admittedly, I do like the presentation that Pacino's Big Boy as a humpbacked gangster with a obvious Napoleon complex.

There was also a false rumor going around that Jack Nicholson was going to be The Blank. It would have been fun if they had incorporated Collin's subplot in the novelization where everyone fears The Blank is the return of a known criminal out for revenge for those who sent him to prison and disfiguring him, reflecting his appearance in the comic strip. It would have been fun to have seen Nicholson as a mugshot, like the one he had in Batman '89, but apparently he had the same sentiments as Hackman and swore not to work with Beatty again. The movie really is only missing those two actors that defined that era.

Nicholson as Frank Redrum would have been pretty cool. I wasn't aware of this false rumor, but it does get the imagination going. Actually, given the Epps treatment for the proposed third film incorporating Flattop Junior and Heartless Mahoney, and had that movie been made, I think Redrum's Blank winding up as the central villain, and perhaps pulling the strings might've made things more interesting, and bringing the overall theoretical trilogy full circle. Conceivably even having Tracy, during the rourse of the film, suspect the resurrected Blank is Heartless, given the events of the first film, but it being later revealed to be Frank Redrum instead. Just an idea.

I'm curious about that change too. I think he was just chosen based on his appearance and I believe was the only villain in the film that appeared in the 50's era of the strip. The movie is supposed to be set in 1939 and utilized villains from both the 30's and 40's. They probably wants to avoid confusion on the spelling of the character, like how Itchy went from being named Itchell Oliver to Jake Rossi. Collins' novelization originally had the comic strip names and Disney forced him to revise it to how it appeared in the script.

Ah, ok. Yeah I forgot about Itchy's name being changed as well. Something of which I wasn't aware of until I read a colorized reprint of the Itchy arc from Gladstone comics (I think). Never understood the reasoning for the Oliver/Rossi name change either. lol

Yeah, his Clarence Boddicker energy would have been warmly welcomed. I believe the makeup artists also thought his head structures would have been fun to work with to craft a Chester Gould villain.

I can see that. To William Forsythe's credit, I liked how he portrayed Flattop with the allotted screen time and few lines that he was given. His Flattop clearly exudes a outwardly smugness, and sense of menace that I don't think was always present with the other rogues in the film. Thus making Forsythe's portrayal stand out amongst a crowded field. Had Kurtwood Smith played the part, especially with that Clarence Boddicker energy, I think there would have been a air of wickedness and depravity with Flattop that would have been undeniable.

They also had their sights set on Ronald Regan returning to acting after serving his terms as the President playing  Pruneface and actually ended up basing the makeup on Regan, especially the distinctive liver spots.

I have a hard time believing that they realistically thought they could get Regan to return to acting post serving as POTUS. To humor this notion, had this actually happened, and what a tall order that would have been, I can't imagine Regan's Pruneface NOT casting a large shadow over the entire film. As that would have generated publicity that would have made the whole Warren Beatty/Madonna dating blitz insignificant, and no amount of over the top acting from Pacino could have made a difference. As that would have been a novelty of the very highest order. lol 

Part of me does wish that the movie's violence had been on the level of Bonnie and Clyde and The Godfather and the movie was already pushing the limits of what was considered to be Disney entertainment for the time. This was initially intended to be a Walt Disney Picture and they were accommodating by depicting no blood or wounds occurring when characters are killed by gun fire. This is especially clear in the final Tommy Gun shootout at the end. Despite this, they ended up releasing it though Touchstone Pictures, like what happened with Roger Rabbit. Things may have been different if it was decided to be this from the start, a lament the filmmakers of The Rocketeer felt would have strengthened the movie had it been a Touchstone release, which it got outside of the United States.

I get that. I'm pretty happy with the final product we have, but it's always fun to imagine how things might have panned out had the film incorporated a more violent tone. Which as merit in the grand scheme of things, considering that the Dick Tracy strip was a standout for decades for being considered extremely violent for that sort of format. This sentiment, being carried over into a big budget live action depiction, shouldn't be considered something out of left field considering the history.

My sentiments exactly. I do wish that Landis had directed the film because a common criticism was that under Beatty's direction it lacked a sense of kinetic energy that flows through Landis' body of work. I would have loved to have seen his version of the end shootout that would have been crazier and frantic rather than the rather systematic method it plays out with one car at a time clearing the garage. The method Beatty and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro worked out where every shot emulated a comic strip box was very effective in terms of viewing the movie in stills but in motion it made its pace seem slow and was perhaps a factor in why it didn't catch on to the public on a wider scale because it was indeed old fashioned compared to contemporary films. They seemed to just think the interest in Beatty and Madonna's relationship at the time was enough publicity, combined with the massive merchandising push that mostly ended up in discount stores.

I agree. Had Landis directed, it's debatable that perhaps the film would have been treated more kindly than as it currently stands. As the film would arguably be more energetic in it's overall presentation than what we ended up with under Beatty's direction. Which is certainly unique, and visually pleasing to look at, but as you said, not treated especially dynamic in the overall presentation.

I think the most perceivable glimpse of what a John Landis directed Dick Tracy movie could have been, that we truly got, was the first trailer for the 1990 film. Which is excellent, BTW.

I do appreciate how greater in scale The Untouchables is with its depiction of Chicago. I would have loved it if the city in Dick Tracy had been depicted like how Joel Schumacher did Gotham City in Batman Forever where set bound environments were at a minimal and real locations adapted to the comic esthetic. It would have helped another criticism that the movie feels very abandoned with very few pedestrians on the city streets and the lack of differing weather conditions makes it feel generic in a bad way. It's rather jarring to see everyone dressed for the Midwest winter setting that leads into New Year's but it looks like the temperature never changes like in Los Angeles.

True. It's like the focus was so laser fouced on the city's aesthetics where even trash cans are colored, that Beatty and crew forgot to fill it with people. There is a sense of hollowness where Tracy's Chicago is conferred. I can't deny that.

Hill's reluctance to not embrace the comic strip esthetic is definitely a blessing that he was never realized for exactly the sentiment you stated. I think the whole reason Beatty was interested in doing this was because he had an attachment to the material from his youth and emulating a comic strip was more unique and interesting than a straight laced approach that may have worked if Hill wanted it to be in black and white like the daily strips were. Thankfully everyone held out for Beatty who had secured a first look deal when it was first brought up to him in the 70's and despite Beatty wanting directors like Bob Fosse and Martin Scorsese, he eventually took on the job himself.

Yes, it's observable that Beatty remains protective of the character and has gone thru some TCM lengths to continue to hold the film rights. As much as I would like to see Beatty do something with Tracy, I think it's more about his caution of not wanting to see the character made a mockery of in the modern day. Which could very well happen. However, the public domain draws nearer every year, and there will come a time where Dick Tracy will wind up in the PD. Though, I assume the Chicago Tribune will still have some bargaining power given that the majority of the classic villains were not created until the 1940's, and thus will remain out of the public domain for a good 15-20 years or so. Given that movies/songs/written works from 1927 went into the public domain in 2023, apparently the Blank, for instance, won't fall under that purview for about 10 years from now.

[Kamdan]

I'm glad you brought that up about the Vista Series DVD, because that was actually something i was going to inquire about, as I too remember something about that being in the cards right around the same time of the release of the "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" 2-disc Vista Series DVD set. Around 2004-ish? If I am not mistaken. It's a shame that never happened. As I'm sure there are a wealth of interviews that could be conducted with the cast and crew, that would give much insight on BTS info that we've never been privy to. I'm certain a "Extras" 30-45 minute interview with William Forsythe reminiscing about his portrayal of Flattop, and the production would be absolutely fascinating to watch.

Given the visual style of the film with its emphasis on color, it seems like a 4K scan of "Dick Tracy" would be a no brainer for Disney. As such a scan would really allow for the color palette Beatty was working with to really pop visually. Personally, I would absolutely love for a physical media boutique company like Arrow, or Vinegar Syndrome to get their hands on this in order to provide a quality scan, and loads of extras. The barebones release we've been stuck with ever since the early 2000's is just a crime. 

I seem to remember that the only source to the idea of Dick Tracy getting this treatment was from Ain't it Cool News. There was never a formal announcement for it, like say the Yule Love It Edition we were supposed to get of the Richard Donner directed Bill Murray movie Scrooged. Apparently the kibosh was put on that release because it was a very troubled production, and the details of it weren't going to be special feature friendly. There's also a bit of contention on everyone's part due to a very scathing memo Jeffrey Katzenberg sent out when Dick Tracy under performed at the box office. According to a profits report, I obtained, in 1992 the movie was $90 million in the deficit so it wasn't considered a success to justify the means, and perhaps, with little reluctance from the cast to reminisce about their involvement that didn't go into contention probably made the idea of a special edition fall through and instead, we ended up with just a bare-bones release.

I do wish that we had a high definition version of the 4X3 version of the film as I've often heard that's how the movie was framed in order to accurately emulate a comic strip box. I believe we would've gotten a fullscreen version along with the widescreen version if it was a Visa, as that was done with Roger Rabbit.

True. I later became aware that Pacino's Big Boy bore little resemblance to the Big Boy that was depicted in the strip during the early 1930's. As he was essentially, like you said, a stand in for Al Capone. Even the various make up tests for Pacino's Big Boy makeup bares this out. Admittedly, I do like the presentation that Pacino's Big Boy as a humpbacked gangster with a obvious Napoleon complex.

Yeah the final results of the work was truly marvelous and thankfully they didn't go as extreme as some of the make up test shots displayed. It a great notion to make him appear diminutive with enlarged features like his chin. There's also a lot of Pacino's Richard the III in the role as well, especially with that hunchback. Not sure if you're aware of the story how Beatty got Pacino to do the film by inquiring to him who could play this part and Pacino said, "Me! I can do it!" and Beatty had to pretend like that idea didn't even occur to him. It is true that flattery will get you everywhere.

Nicholson as Frank Redrum would have been pretty cool. I wasn't aware of this false rumor, but it does get the imagination going. Actually, given the Epps treatment for the proposed third film incorporating Flattop Junior and Heartless Mahoney, and had that movie been made, I think Redrum's Blank winding up as the central villain, and perhaps pulling the strings might've made things more interesting, and bringing the overall theoretical trilogy full circle. Conceivably even having Tracy, during the rourse of the film, suspect the resurrected Blank is Heartless, given the events of the first film, but it being later revealed to be Frank Redrum instead. Just an idea.

Yeah, it would've been fun to of had The Blank be a recurring legacy character because it can literally be anyone under the faceless mask. It's an idea that I've entertained in my own treatment for a Dick Tracy series where I want it to be that The Blank's identity is never revealed and he never speaks. Every time they think they catch him, it turns out somebody is under the mask with their mouth taped shut.

Ah, ok. Yeah I forgot about Itchy's name being changed as well. Something of which I wasn't aware of until I read a colorized reprint of the Itchy arc from Gladstone comics (I think). Never understood the reasoning for the Oliver/Rossi name change either. lol

I guess it must've been an in joke for the writers because that same name was used for another villain in a previous draft and somehow Itchy inherited it. There was also rejections from Disney when Collins wanted to use Flattop's last name from the comics, Jones. Maybe there was a licensing issue that made them favor the names they created instead of pre-established ones.

I can see that. To William Forsythe's credit, I liked how he portrayed Flattop with the allotted screen time and few lines that he was given. His Flattop clearly exudes a outwardly smugness, and sense of menace that I don't think was always present with the other rogues in the film. Thus making Forsythe's portrayal stand out amongst a crowded field. Had Kurtwood Smith played the part, especially with that Clarence Boddicker energy, I think there would have been a air of wickedness and depravity with Flattop that would have been undeniable.

I do recall there was sort of a big stink about why did they want name actors in the parts when they were going to be mostly deemed unrecognizable with their heavy make ups. Much like what was said about the initial Planet of the Apes film, it was their acting ability that needed to shine through to make it work. It's a shame that we never got to see how Beatty would have looked like if he was given Tracy's hawk nose and squared jaw. Test for this look were conducted in his own home with no cameras allowed but the make up artist convinced Beatty not to cover up his own trademark face for the role and it would save him time in the make up chair when he was already pulling triple duties as lead actor, producer and director.

I have a hard time believing that they realistically thought they could get Regan to return to acting post serving as POTUS. To humor this notion, had this actually happened, and what a tall order that would have been, I can't imagine Regan's Pruneface NOT casting a large shadow over the entire film. As that would have generated publicity that would have made the whole Warren Beatty/Madonna dating blitz insignificant, and no amount of over the top acting from Pacino could have made a difference. As that would have been a novelty of the very highest order. lol 

I'll have to look into this further, but there may have been a joking remark from Reagan at the time his term was up that he would go back to acting and that's probably what fueled that idea. You can't deny that he does closely resemble what Chester Gould drew.

I get that. I'm pretty happy with the final product we have, but it's always fun to imagine how things might have panned out had the film incorporated a more violent tone. Which as merit in the grand scheme of things, considering that the Dick Tracy strip was a standout for decades for being considered extremely violent for that sort of format. This sentiment, being carried over into a big budget live action depiction, shouldn't be considered something out of left field considering the history.

The extreme violence presented in the original comic strips does show you how the sensibilities were back then that comics weren't just for kids. Apparently it was a stipulation from the Tribune Company that's a Dick Tracy film adaptation could not be R-rated. We've all heard the stories about how Tobe Hooper attempted to make the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre PG rated with emphasis on terror and less on gory violence and we all saw how that turned out. I think they didn't want to push any envelopes like that and just shot it bloodless to avoid any potential controversy. Nowadays, you'd have no trouble depicting violence like what's in the after mention films and get away with a PG-13 rating.

I agree. Had Landis directed, it's debatable that perhaps the film would have been treated more kindly than as it currently stands. As the film would arguably be more energetic in it's overall presentation than what we ended up with under Beatty's direction. Which is certainly unique, and visually pleasing to look at, but as you said, not treated especially dynamic in the overall presentation.

I think the most perceivable glimpse of what a John Landis directed Dick Tracy movie could have been, that we truly got, was the first trailer for the 1990 film. Which is excellent, BTW. 

Absolutely spot on with that trailer! The energy driving that trailer is exactly what I would've loved to of seen in the final film. I was disappointed to see that the trailer music Danny Elfman, composed for this trailer wasn't included in the Intrada expanded edition of the score. They managed to find the one he did for the Edward Scissorhands trailer, but we're unable to locate this one that us Batfans can hear a few familiar sounding cues within it. Tying into my after mentioned words about a possible workprint, I would love to see the initial opening credits sequence that utilized the more Gershwin sounding cue that became Tess' Theme with a slower pan across the cityscape that sounds like it was to resemble the opening of Mary Poppins but was changed later to a faster pace to accommodate the change of music that became Tracy's Theme.

True. It's like the focus was so laser fouced on the city's aesthetics where even trash cans are colored, that Beatty and crew forgot to fill it with people. There is a sense of hollowness where Tracy's Chicago is conferred. I can't deny that.

The hollowness may have also been a deliberate choice as Edward Hopper was also cited as an inspiration for the look of the film and a recurring theme in his work is lots of open space.

Yes, it's observable that Beatty remains protective of the character and has gone thru some TCM lengths to continue to hold the film rights. As much as I would like to see Beatty do something with Tracy, I think it's more about his caution of not wanting to see the character made a mockery of in the modern day. Which could very well happen. However, the public domain draws nearer every year, and there will come a time where Dick Tracy will wind up in the PD. Though, I assume the Chicago Tribune will still have some bargaining power given that the majority of the classic villains were not created until the 1940's, and thus will remain out of the public domain for a good 15-20 years or so. Given that movies/songs/written works from 1927 went into the public domain in 2023, apparently the Blank, for instance, won't fall under that purview for about 10 years from now.

Beatty's reluctance to do not allow anything with his rights to the character is particularly frustrating. I was really upset when Bruce Campbell apparently wanted to do a Dick Tracy television series when he had a development deal with Disney that Beatty shut the door on him for. On the other hand, his interference helped in not getting a series to be made for The WB that likely would have been as terrible as their attempt to make a Lone Ranger series and the Sci-Fi Channel's attempt at adapting Flash Gordon to the small screen. With each passing year as it steps closer to be public domain, the interest level gets lower and lower. There was an attempt earlier this year to bring back the hard boiled Phillip Marlowe character back but the movie flopped and the Perry Mason HBO series just got cancelled. I fear that even if we hit exactly what we wanted, it wouldn't last very long.

[The Joker]

I seem to remember that the only source to the idea of Dick Tracy getting this treatment was from Ain't it Cool News.

Ok. Grain of salt then. 

 

There was never a formal announcement for it, like say the Yule Love It Edition we were supposed to get of the Richard Donner directed Bill Murray movie Scrooged. Apparently the kibosh was put on that release because it was a very troubled production, and the details of it weren't going to be special feature friendly. There's also a bit of contention on everyone's part due to a very scathing memo Jeffrey Katzenberg sent out when Dick Tracy under performed at the box office. According to a profits report, I obtained, in 1992 the movie was $90 million in the deficit so it wasn't considered a success to justify the means,

I'm kinda surprised by that, given that the budget was supposedly between $50-60 million, and the box office being a little over $162 million. I'm aware that Disney chose to spend in or around the same amount for marketing, but I figured various merchandise, licensing fees, television rights, ect would have pushed it well into the black by 1992. At the very least, break even, but not in an actual deficient. I guess it is what it is...

 

and perhaps, with little reluctance from the cast to reminisce about their involvement that didn't go into contention probably made the idea of a special edition fall through and instead, we ended up with just a bare-bones release.

That's possible. There was a youtube video I remember watching a few years ago, that had someone (his name escapes me) who was associated with the film being open to discuss his experiences, but when it came time to conduct the interview, he suddenly got cold feet. The joke from the narrator, was that Warren Beatty must have gotten to him. If I can find that video again, I'll post it.

I do wish that we had a high definition version of the 4X3 version of the film as I've often heard that's how the movie was framed in order to accurately emulate a comic strip box. I believe we would've gotten a fullscreen version along with the widescreen version if it was a Visa, as that was done with Roger Rabbit.

At this point, I'll take anything over the barely minimum effort the film has so far received on DVD/Blu. Would be amusing to get Beatty to conduct a director's commentary by telling him that a commentary would also count in retaining the film rights. lol

Yeah the final results of the work was truly marvelous and thankfully they didn't go as extreme as some of the make up test shots displayed. It a great notion to make him appear diminutive with enlarged features like his chin. There's also a lot of Pacino's Richard the III in the role as well, especially with that hunchback. Not sure if you're aware of the story how Beatty got Pacino to do the film by inquiring to him who could play this part and Pacino said, "Me! I can do it!" and Beatty had to pretend like that idea didn't even occur to him. It is true that flattery will get you everywhere.

Haha! I wasn't aware of that, but that's pretty funny. I do recall Beatty giving an interview, speaking about, I believe, casting for "Reds", and asking Jack Nicholson just who would be believable as a romantic competitor against himself, and Jack responding something along the lines of, "Well, there can be only one choice." Referring to himself. 

Yeah, it would've been fun to of had The Blank be a recurring legacy character because it can literally be anyone under the faceless mask. It's an idea that I've entertained in my own treatment for a Dick Tracy series where I want it to be that The Blank's identity is never revealed and he never speaks. Every time they think they catch him, it turns out somebody is under the mask with their mouth taped shut.

That would be an intriguing mystery route to take, but yeah, I would say the Blank certainly could fall into a guise that different people with their own personal agendas could adopt. Sorta/kinda like there being multiple Green Goblins (along with variations) in the Marvel Comics Spider-Man history.

It's a shame that we never got to see how Beatty would have looked like if he was given Tracy's hawk nose and squared jaw. Test for this look were conducted in his own home with no cameras allowed but the make up artist convinced Beatty not to cover up his own trademark face for the role and it would save him time in the make up chair when he was already pulling triple duties as lead actor, producer and director.

True. Though I would have liked to have seen the Tracy makeup job, I can fully understand the viewpoint of the studio on this one.

I'll have to look into this further, but there may have been a joking remark from Reagan at the time his term was up that he would go back to acting and that's probably what fueled that idea. You can't deny that he does closely resemble what Chester Gould drew.

Yeah, I could see Regan making a self deprecating joke in jest. I seem to recall that Regan got a kick out of him being mentioned as President in 1985 in "Back to the Future", and Doc Brown scoffing at the notion.

The only way I can see a strong resemblance between Regan and Pruneface, would be in a caricature sort of way. Personally, I've always felt Pruneface was borderline body horror in how he's showcased (same for Mrs. Pruneface really), where Flattop is admittedly more cartoony and less of an eye sore so to speak.

The extreme violence presented in the original comic strips does show you how the sensibilities were back then that comics weren't just for kids. Apparently it was a stipulation from the Tribune Company that's a Dick Tracy film adaptation could not be R-rated. We've all heard the stories about how Tobe Hooper attempted to make the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre PG rated with emphasis on terror and less on gory violence and we all saw how that turned out. I think they didn't want to push any envelopes like that and just shot it bloodless to avoid any potential controversy. Nowadays, you'd have no trouble depicting violence like what's in the after mention films and get away with a PG-13 rating.

I wasn't aware of the Tribune stipulation, but it's understandable. As interesting as a more violent Dick Tracy movie would have been, it's readily apparent that "Batman 1989"'s success was one of the major objectives Disney wanted to emulate for the summer of 1990.

Absolutely spot on with that trailer! The energy driving that trailer is exactly what I would've loved to of seen in the final film. I was disappointed to see that the trailer music Danny Elfman, composed for this trailer wasn't included in the Intrada expanded edition of the score. They managed to find the one he did for the Edward Scissorhands trailer, but we're unable to locate this one that us Batfans can hear a few familiar sounding cues within it. Tying into my after mentioned words about a possible workprint, I would love to see the initial opening credits sequence that utilized the more Gershwin sounding cue that became Tess' Theme with a slower pan across the cityscape that sounds like it was to resemble the opening of Mary Poppins but was changed later to a faster pace to accommodate the change of music that became Tracy's Theme.

Yes indeed. A Workprint would be amazing to see. I wouldn't even care about splicing prestine looking footage with that of footage that's obviously degraded by comparison. Stuff like that doesn't bother me in the slightest. Whenever I watch "Silent Night Deadly Night", I usually always go for the unrated cut, which uses various sources with differing quality. Sure, you notice it, but it doesn't lessen the enjoyment any. 

Beatty's reluctance to do not allow anything with his rights to the character is particularly frustrating. I was really upset when Bruce Campbell apparently wanted to do a Dick Tracy television series when he had a development deal with Disney that Beatty shut the door on him for. On the other hand, his interference helped in not getting a series to be made for The WB that likely would have been as terrible as their attempt to make a Lone Ranger series and the Sci-Fi Channel's attempt at adapting Flash Gordon to the small screen. With each passing year as it steps closer to be public domain, the interest level gets lower and lower. There was an attempt earlier this year to bring back the hard boiled Phillip Marlowe character back but the movie flopped and the Perry Mason HBO series just got cancelled. I fear that even if we hit exactly what we wanted, it wouldn't last very long.

Was the Bruce Campbbell pitch during the early-mid 1990's?

Yeah, I don't think anything of real quality would have came out of any sort of WB/CW/SyFy production of Dick Tracy. I believe SyFy has tried with Lee Falk's The Phantom (which will fall into the public domain in about 9 years from now) a few different times, and those attempts are pretty much forgotten about already. The pulp/comic strip characters of the 1930's are becoming increasingly niche, and it's pretty much gotten to the point where I would expect a fan film made by passionate fans funded by a kickstarter campaign yielding better results than anything that would come out of Hollywood these days.

Fortunately, or unfortunately.

[Kamdan]

Ok. Grain of salt then. 

That's the right idea. "Insiders" like Harry Knowles can't be right all of the time, even though they act like they are.

 

I'm kinda surprised by that, given that the budget was supposedly between $50-60 million, and the box office being a little over $162 million. I'm aware that Disney chose to spend in or around the same amount for marketing, but I figured various merchandise, licensing fees, television rights, ect would have pushed it well into the black by 1992. At the very least, break even, but not in an actual deficient. I guess it is what it is...

The same profit sheet detailed that they did spend as much on advertising as they did on the film itself. This was another annoyance with Beatty as he felt this was overexposure and setting the film up to be the next Batman '89 in terms of box office receipts that pulled in just as much in merchandising. As mentioned before, most of that stuff ended up in clearance aisles and dollars stores, which may have not brought in the bucks but it definitely left an impression on those who took advantage of these mark downs and helped cement its cult status.

That's possible. There was a youtube video I remember watching a few years ago, that had someone (his name escapes me) who was associated with the film being open to discuss his experiences, but when it came time to conduct the interview, he suddenly got cold feet. The joke from the narrator, was that Warren Beatty must have gotten to him. If I can find that video again, I'll post it.

Please do if you find. I recently came across one from a technician who grew annoyed at Beatty's insistence on multiple takes on an expensive setup that kept driving the budget up. I believe he said that later came to a stop when Disney told Beatty to back off. Something that stood out to me in a behind the scenes special was when Beatty was doing shots of Tracy beating up thugs, one stuntman appears to have been launched into the air backwards as Tracy punches. After he was clear, Beatty shouted at him "GET IT RIGHT!" The stunt looked well executed to me so I'm not sure what was done wrong. Must have been the perfectionist side of Beatty he's often cited for breaking out for that particular moment.

At this point, I'll take anything over the barely minimum effort the film has so far received on DVD/Blu. Would be amusing to get Beatty to conduct a director's commentary by telling him that a commentary would also count in retaining the film rights. lol

I definitely would welcome something more complementary from Beatty. The TCM special feel very off putting hearing him mainly bring up the criticisms of the movie that are voiced through his characterization of Dick Tracy. I've often thought about what an opportunity it would be to personally speak to him about it but I've been plenty satisfied about what he said during the publicity and asking him about details that accrued over three decades ago at his age would be a stretch. He likely wouldn't even remember when Landis and Hill were slated to direct.

Haha! I wasn't aware of that, but that's pretty funny. I do recall Beatty giving an interview, speaking about, I believe, casting for "Reds", and asking Jack Nicholson just who would be believable as a romantic competitor against himself, and Jack responding something along the lines of, "Well, there can be only one choice." Referring to himself. 

Jack's wit shines through! I hope one day he'll be willing to do a long series of interviews before he passes. He was really remarkable talking about being The Joker for the special features of Batman '89.

That would be an intriguing mystery route to take, but yeah, I would say the Blank certainly could fall into a guise that different people with their own personal agendas could adopt. Sorta/kinda like there being multiple Green Goblins (along with variations) in the Marvel Comics Spider-Man history.

It's just fun to picture a character like Michael Myers lurking through Tracy's city, not knowing whether he's a friend or foe. I can definitely see why Cash and Epps singled out The Blank to be predominant villain who originally was more of a presence and Breathless was more of a background character. It wasn't until the third draft when Hill came onboard where they decided to make Breathless more predominant with her relationship with Tracy.

True. Though I would have liked to have seen the Tracy makeup job, I can fully understand the viewpoint of the studio on this one.

I've seen a portrait drawing of Beatty depicted as Tracy that was later emulated as the poster. Might be a fun project in the future to modify it to emulate Tracy's features from the comics.

Yeah, I could see Regan making a self deprecating joke in jest. I seem to recall that Regan got a kick out of him being mentioned as President in 1985 in "Back to the Future", and Doc Brown scoffing at the notion.

The only way I can see a strong resemblance between Regan and Pruneface, would be in a caricature sort of way. Personally, I've always felt Pruneface was borderline body horror in how he's showcased (same for Mrs. Pruneface really), where Flattop is admittedly more cartoony and less of an eye sore so to speak.

You're right in a realistic caricature manner. I guess it's because I can see how the final makeup design emulated Regan's features on Armstrong, abet with an emphasis on his overly wrinkled face. John Chambers actually did a more comic accurate makeup for Dick Tracy project in the 60's that had Lon Chaney Jr. in the role. Sadly, there's not exact details for what it was for other than Chambers also providing makeups for Flattop and The Brow.

I wasn't aware of the Tribune stipulation, but it's understandable. As interesting as a more violent Dick Tracy movie would have been, it's readily apparent that "Batman 1989"'s success was one of the major objectives Disney wanted to emulate for the summer of 1990.

The PG-13 was just beginning to rise in predominance with the release of Batman '89 and it would be another 13 years before Disney would allow a PG-13 rating with the first Pirates of the Caribbean. I am amazed that they allowed the shot of Madonna in her see through nightgown but they had to cut her appearance in blue outfit that showed her cleavage that appeared in the trailer.

Yes indeed. A Workprint would be amazing to see. I wouldn't even care about splicing prestine looking footage with that of footage that's obviously degraded by comparison. Stuff like that doesn't bother me in the slightest. Whenever I watch "Silent Night Deadly Night", I usually always go for the unrated cut, which uses various sources with differing quality. Sure, you notice it, but it doesn't lessen the enjoyment any. 

I feel the same way. You gotta take what you can get since a lot of this deleted material sadly disappears over time in a film format and all exists is video tape and that too fades over time. This is evident with all of the deleted material we've been graced with for John Hughes movie and is likely the only way we'll get to see that Schumacher cut of Batman Forever if it ever gets out further than Kevin Smith's screenings.

Was the Bruce Campbbell pitch during the early-mid 1990's?

Yeah, I don't think anything of real quality would have came out of any sort of WB/CW/SyFy production of Dick Tracy. I believe SyFy has tried with Lee Falk's The Phantom (which will fall into the public domain in about 9 years from now) a few different times, and those attempts are pretty much forgotten about already. The pulp/comic strip characters of the 1930's are becoming increasingly niche, and it's pretty much gotten to the point where I would expect a fan film made by passionate fans funded by a kickstarter campaign yielding better results than anything that would come out of Hollywood these days.

Fortunately, or unfortunately.

Right, it certainly was a bombshell to learn that when Campbell revealed that. He was involved in such high quality productions like Brisco County and Jack of All Trades that I'm sure would have been reflected in this series. There definitely is more freedom in creating a fan series. A hurdle that would be hard to avoid is material that's exclusive to the film. I believe that was a factor that stopped a new comic book series that was supposed to be released through Archie Comics.

[The Joker]

The same profit sheet detailed that they did spend as much on advertising as they did on the film itself. This was another annoyance with Beatty as he felt this was overexposure and setting the film up to be the next Batman '89 in terms of box office receipts that pulled in just as much in merchandising. As mentioned before, most of that stuff ended up in clearance aisles and dollars stores, which may have not brought in the bucks but it definitely left an impression on those who took advantage of these mark downs and helped cement its cult status.

Apparently, this is one of those situations where perception if reality. As you said, the Tracy image was literally EVERYWHERE by summer 1990, so it felt like a huge deal and evidently not as outright popular as one would be lead to believe given the profit. Another B89 factor that bled into the release of Dick Tracy.

Please do if you find. I recently came across one from a technician who grew annoyed at Beatty's insistence on multiple takes on an expensive setup that kept driving the budget up. I believe he said that later came to a stop when Disney told Beatty to back off. Something that stood out to me in a behind the scenes special was when Beatty was doing shots of Tracy beating up thugs, one stuntman appears to have been launched into the air backwards as Tracy punches. After he was clear, Beatty shouted at him "GET IT RIGHT!" The stunt looked well executed to me so I'm not sure what was done wrong. Must have been the perfectionist side of Beatty he's often cited for breaking out for that particular moment.

Yeah, I've read similar stories where Beatty would demand multiple takes for simple enough shots, and wouldn't be happy until he got exactly what he wanted or something along those lines. I've even heard the story that some Disney execuitive had to step in eventually and tell Beatty, directly right in front of the crew, that he needed to move production along, and that they couldn't continually induldge his artistic individualism on their dime.

I definitely would welcome something more complementary from Beatty. The TCM special feel very off putting hearing him mainly bring up the criticisms of the movie that are voiced through his characterization of Dick Tracy. I've often thought about what an opportunity it would be to personally speak to him about it but I've been plenty satisfied about what he said during the publicity and asking him about details that accrued over three decades ago at his age would be a stretch. He likely wouldn't even remember when Landis and Hill were slated to direct.

Yeah, true. I can appreciate the self depricating humor from the TCM specials, where Tracy the "character", doesn't have a too-high opinion of Warren Beatty the actor, but it seems like that's essentially the entire schtick of the specials. Outside of the first one having sort of a cinematic history of Tracy, but on a very moderate level of course.

Jack's wit shines through! I hope one day he'll be willing to do a long series of interviews before he passes. He was really remarkable talking about being The Joker for the special features of Batman '89.

Oh, that would be outstanding! Yeah, his then-newly filmed interview segments for the "Batman 1989" 2005 SE made it very discernable that he continues to have a unconcealed affection for the character. Even commenting that even though he could find humor in many things, there were some stuff that would make him feel uneasy (Nicholson is an art collector), but noted that the Joker had no such restraints. It's a literal free-for-all with him. 

It's just fun to picture a character like Michael Myers lurking through Tracy's city, not knowing whether he's a friend or foe. I can definitely see why Cash and Epps singled out The Blank to be predominant villain who originally was more of a presence and Breathless was more of a background character. It wasn't until the third draft when Hill came onboard where they decided to make Breathless more predominant with her relationship with Tracy.

From what I know about the newspaper strip, the Blank was one of the, if not the first, truly "colorful" villain that appeared as a antagonist. In that, it makes sense why the writers had him as the predominant villain for the film before things changed. Still, it's surprising that there's been no real push to have the "Blank" guise revived in the strip even if someone else (not Redrum) would be revealed to be under the mask.

You're right in a realistic caricature manner. I guess it's because I can see how the final makeup design emulated Regan's features on Armstrong, abet with an emphasis on his overly wrinkled face. John Chambers actually did a more comic accurate makeup for Dick Tracy project in the 60's that had Lon Chaney Jr. in the role. Sadly, there's not exact details for what it was for other than Chambers also providing makeups for Flattop and The Brow.

Kind of a shame the '60's pilot never got picked up. Even if had been successful for a brief period of time, it might have gone a long way in keeping Dick Tracy name in the public consciousness, especially if it ended up being a long-standing show for re-runs, and could have been a benefit for the 1990 film...

Right, it certainly was a bombshell to learn that when Campbell revealed that. He was involved in such high quality productions like Brisco County and Jack of All Trades that I'm sure would have been reflected in this series. There definitely is more freedom in creating a fan series. A hurdle that would be hard to avoid is material that's exclusive to the film. I believe that was a factor that stopped a new comic book series that was supposed to be released through Archie Comics.

Oh, Archie Comics was interested in doing a Dick Tracy comic? That would have been interesting. Especially so considering how Archie handled "Sonic the Hedgehog", and took "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures" from a derivative from the 1987 Fred Wolf animated series, to something that really developed and expanded the Fred Wolf TMNTverse. A Archie Comics Dick Tracy title could have had the potential to be something really unique for sure.

[Kamdan]

Apparently, this is one of those situations where perception if reality. As you said, the Tracy image was literally EVERYWHERE by summer 1990, so it felt like a huge deal and evidently not as outright popular as one would be lead to believe given the profit. Another B89 factor that bled into the release of Dick Tracy.

Yeah, it is always a good thing to ponder whether or not Tracy would have been more successful if it was not released in the wake of the success of Batman. I kind of wish it had came out a year later for the strip's 60th anniversary. Perhaps that would have been enough time for the general public to want something like that again. I always remember a post made by someone on the IMDb message boards where they thought there was too many close comparisons to Batman '89 that he apparently said out loud that he would walk out if he saw Tracy jump through a skylight. We all know how that turned out...

Yeah, I've read similar stories where Beatty would demand multiple takes for simple enough shots, and wouldn't be happy until he got exactly what he wanted or something along those lines. I've even heard the story that some Disney execuitive had to step in eventually and tell Beatty, directly right in front of the crew, that he needed to move production along, and that they couldn't continually induldge his artistic individualism on their dime.

Beatty's influence over the industry was definitely dwindling by this point in his career and the infamy of Ishtar flopping must have really put him in his place when he was told that. He was used to being right since Bonnie and Clyde was a huge success despite the powers that be saying otherwise. It says a lot when Dick Tracy was later proven to be Beatty's highest grossing film.

Yeah, true. I can appreciate the self depricating humor from the TCM specials, where Tracy the "character", doesn't have a too-high opinion of Warren Beatty the actor, but it seems like that's essentially the entire schtick of the specials. Outside of the first one having sort of a cinematic history of Tracy, but on a very moderate level of course.

What I'd love to know is if he ever got the opportunity to speak with Gould himself and what his opinion was. I know that the writers said they talked to him and the only advice he gave was to "make it hotter." I'm not sure entirely what that was in regard to but I know he was satisfied at the prospect of Tracy becominh a major motion picture instead of the B-movies that proceeded it. Collins had his criticisms of the movie's plot, which is reflected in his novelization. It was remarkable that some of the reshoots utilized material that first appeared in his novel, namely the subplot of Tess going to her mother's, whose words convince her to return and attempt to reconcile that leads to her climactic kidnapping.

Oh, that would be outstanding! Yeah, his then-newly filmed interview segments for the "Batman 1989" 2005 SE made it very discernable that he continues to have a unconcealed affection for the character. Even commenting that even though he could find humor in many things, there were some stuff that would make him feel uneasy (Nicholson is an art collector), but noted that the Joker had no such restraints. It's a literal free-for-all with him. 

It'd be great to hear more stories from him like when he told Jack Valenti, the president of the Motion Picture Association of America, at the Oscars that there wasn't an analyst qualified to estimate the top grossing figure for Batman while he caught him in the bathroom which was his method of guerilla promotion. Despite Nicholson not giving interviews at the time of Batman's release, he was doing his part to get the word out that got him the highest paycheck any actor ever received. It also great to hear any story from Michael Keaton, whom Nicholson called "Keats," when they wee filming. Hope he'll leave something behind before he passes.

From what I know about the newspaper strip, the Blank was one of the, if not the first, truly "colorful" villain that appeared as a antagonist. In that, it makes sense why the writers had him as the predominant villain for the film before things changed. Still, it's surprising that there's been no real push to have the "Blank" guise revived in the strip even if someone else (not Redrum) would be revealed to be under the mask.

Right, The Blank was indeed a first of the grotesques. It such an irony that a faceless character could be so enduring compared to the other deformities Gould depicted for his other villains. 

Kind of a shame the '60's pilot never got picked up. Even if had been successful for a brief period of time, it might have gone a long way in keeping Dick Tracy name in the public consciousness, especially if it ended up being a long-standing show for re-runs, and could have been a benefit for the 1990 film...

I'm trying to uncover more details over what exactly was in mind for the Dozier produced series. I do know that before Batman was produced, a poll was conducted on what comic character would audiences like to see turned into a television series. Tracy was ranked number one and Batman was number three or four. Dozier couldn't do Tracy at first because it was in development elsewhere. By the time a pilot was produced, the fad Batman started was dying down and the attempt at doing a serious approach with The Green Hornet didn't work out. It also didn't help that the pilot script they went with was very dull and not taking advantage of the characters and environment Gould created.

Oh, Archie Comics was interested in doing a Dick Tracy comic? That would have been interesting. Especially so considering how Archie handled "Sonic the Hedgehog", and took "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures" from a derivative from the 1987 Fred Wolf animated series, to something that really developed and expanded the Fred Wolf TMNTverse. A Archie Comics Dick Tracy title could have had the potential to be something really unique for sure.

I should clarify that this was first announced back in 2017. Some artwork for it is out there and something of note is how Tess is portrayed with red hair, an innovation of the film. This could have caused listening issues and made the comic come to a halt. Hermes Press was also supposed to do a Tracy graphic novel that hasn't seen any further development either. We've since then got two series of comics from IDW.

[The Joker]

Yeah, it is always a good thing to ponder whether or not Tracy would have been more successful if it was not released in the wake of the success of Batman. I kind of wish it had came out a year later for the strip's 60th anniversary. Perhaps that would have been enough time for the general public to want something like that again. I always remember a post made by someone on the IMDb message boards where they thought there was too many close comparisons to Batman '89 that he apparently said out loud that he would walk out if he saw Tracy jump through a skylight. We all know how that turned out...

True. There's something to that for sure. Whenever I think of 1991 with movies, the two that spring to mind first are TMNT 2: Secret of the Ooze" and "Rocketeer". Concerning the latter, it's kinda interesting to think that during the 1990's, Hollywood made several attempts in adapting pulp and strip characters (Dick Tracy, Rocketeer, The Shadow, The Phantom) with varying degrees of success. Dick Tracy being the more successful of the bunch. Especially in leaving more of an impression on a generation I would say.

Beatty's influence over the industry was definitely dwindling by this point in his career and the infamy of Ishtar flopping must have really put him in his place when he was told that. He was used to being right since Bonnie and Clyde was a huge success despite the powers that be saying otherwise. It says a lot when Dick Tracy was later proven to be Beatty's highest grossing film.

Yeah. I do recall Beatty talking about showing "Bonnie and Clyde" to one of the Warner Brothers who was still head of the studio at the time, and was asked to edit it following the screening. Beatty altered the opening (incorporating a slide show of old photographs), but left the film intacked. Following the 2nd screening, it was given the greenlight, but not before the head of the studio made sure to let Beatty know that he was aware that nothing was trimmed, but if he had actually listened to him, Beatty would make nothing but flops. 

What I'd love to know is if he ever got the opportunity to speak with Gould himself and what his opinion was. I know that the writers said they talked to him and the only advice he gave was to "make it hotter." I'm not sure entirely what that was in regard to but I know he was satisfied at the prospect of Tracy becominh a major motion picture instead of the B-movies that proceeded it. Collins had his criticisms of the movie's plot, which is reflected in his novelization. It was remarkable that some of the reshoots utilized material that first appeared in his novel, namely the subplot of Tess going to her mother's, whose words convince her to return and attempt to reconcile that leads to her climactic kidnapping.

If I am not mistaken, wasn't Dick Tracy as a franchise seriously being looked into as far back as the 1970's, as Paramount's answer to Eon and United Artists James Bond franchise? What you said about Gould makes me wonder if he had any meetings with Paramount during the developmental phase?

It'd be great to hear more stories from him like when he told Jack Valenti, the president of the Motion Picture Association of America, at the Oscars that there wasn't an analyst qualified to estimate the top grossing figure for Batman while he caught him in the bathroom which was his method of guerilla promotion. Despite Nicholson not giving interviews at the time of Batman's release, he was doing his part to get the word out that got him the highest paycheck any actor ever received. It also great to hear any story from Michael Keaton, whom Nicholson called "Keats," when they wee filming. Hope he'll leave something behind before he passes.

Jack's impression of Valenti's bewildered reaction towards his comment that no one in the industry was qualified to estimate the top of Batman, with Valenti exclaiming, "What? -- Wha ... What?!?" is pretty hilarious. Especially with before the Oscars were over that night, the story was starting to make the rounds back to him.

Right, The Blank was indeed a first of the grotesques. It such an irony that a faceless character could be so enduring compared to the other deformities Gould depicted for his other villains.

Right. True. I think the Blank is a cool visual, with The Question being about as closest to the overall look. Admittedly, as far as the 1990 film goes, I really do like Beatty's direction in how he chose to reveal the Blank. By briefly stepping out of the shadows to reveal the blank mask, and the line, "You don't. Because you never saw me." Very effective.

I'm trying to uncover more details over what exactly was in mind for the Dozier produced series. I do know that before Batman was produced, a poll was conducted on what comic character would audiences like to see turned into a television series. Tracy was ranked number one and Batman was number three or four. Dozier couldn't do Tracy at first because it was in development elsewhere. By the time a pilot was produced, the fad Batman started was dying down and the attempt at doing a serious approach with The Green Hornet didn't work out. It also didn't help that the pilot script they went with was very dull and not taking advantage of the characters and environment Gould created.

Now that you mentioned it, I do seem to recall something about Tracy coming in at #1 in a poll for comic properties to adapt by Dozier. Which is very telling in just how popular the character truly was, and for decades at that. Shame the show never got a season or two. The makeup work were on point for the villains at the time, but yeah, the show still needed some work in order to be ready for prime time. Unfortunately, as you noted, by the time Dozier could produce the show, that window of financial opportunity had just about closed, and apparently the risk was a bit too much for whatever reward was left to be had. I'm sure that had the Dozier Dick Tracy received a season or two, and had been spruced up to make it more fast paced and overall more entertaining, it would have had no problem in being a ultimately better representation of the strip compared to the Ralph Byrd serials and such. Which I've never really can get into all that much personally.

I should clarify that this was first announced back in 2017. Some artwork for it is out there and something of note is how Tess is portrayed with red hair, an innovation of the film. This could have caused listening issues and made the comic come to a halt. Hermes Press was also supposed to do a Tracy graphic novel that hasn't seen any further development either. We've since then got two series of comics from IDW.

Ah, ok. I was thinking you meant back in the 1990's right after the film came out or thereabout. Yeah, the IDW stuff is just okayish to me. Personally, I'd rather IDW just reprint Tracy strip arcs in color like Gladstone was doing in the early 1990's to be perfectly honest. I think IDW has done a service in their reprint collections of the Gould material, but at the same time, it is fun and a novelty seeing the same strips in comic book format, and in color. Gladstone's color reprints of the Itchy Oliver, and the 1st Mumbles arcs were my introduction to Gould's Dick Tracy as a kid.

[BatmanFurst]

Given the visual style of the film with its emphasis on color, it seems like a 4K scan of "Dick Tracy" would be a no brainer for Disney. As such a scan would really allow for the color palette Beatty was working with to really pop visually. Personally, I would absolutely love for a physical media boutique company like Arrow, or Vinegar Syndrome to get their hands on this in order to provide a quality scan, and loads of extras. The barebones release we've been stuck with ever since the early 2000's is just a crime. 

I'm shocked that they haven't done a 4K already. If they do it right that 4K could be demo disc material. As you said, this is a movie that was made for 4K. Should've been a flagship release for Disney years ago imo.

[BatmanFurst]

Ooh, I always love a conversation involving Dick Tracy as that's been my main area of research. It is true that they did indeed include a lot of characters in that film but the beauty of having a comic strip that ran for over a half a centenary at the time it was released was that was just a taste of who could appear in subsequent follow ups. Max Allan Collins was able to carry on with new villains in his follow ups to his novelization that could have gone on further if he wasn't let go from his writing position for the comic strip.

I think Beatty did a pretty good job with the 1990 Dick Tracy movie. Arguably, he incorporated as many of the heavy hitters as possible from Chester Gould's Tracy rogues gallery, but you're right, some were left. I understand there were a few prequel comics, and Max Allan Collins writing the movie novelization, along with two sequel paperbacks. Wasn't Shakey and B.B. Eyes a few of the villains he used?

Speaking of possibilities with sequels, have you heard about the sequel pitches that were thrown during the production of the film? Evidently, these treatments are stored at the MSU Library.

https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/4/archival_objects/436183

https://findingaids.lib.msu.edu/repositories/4/archival_objects/436185

Honestly, I found out about these listening to a podcast some time back covering the Beatty film. According to the guy that supposedly read them, the sequel would have taken place during WW2, focusing on an espionage plot involving Pruneface and The Brow. Which makes sense, considering the villains themselves from the strip, but apparently the writer was unaware that they were already appearing in the final film itself.

The third film's pitch was to take place during the 1950's, involving a grown Junior Tracy, with a more lethargic Dick Tracy at this point. The villains were pitched for Flattop Jr., and Heartless Mahoney. I believe it was stated on the podcast that Heartless would be Breahtless' daughter rather than sister for this version, but I could be wrong about that.

Obviously, the film didn't replicate the success of Batman, so the notions of sequels were subsequently dropped, but it is interesting finding out of what might have been had things turned out a little different.

Can I recommend another great podcast on the film? Check out Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers episode. They did a 3 hour podcast that went into the history of the comics and the film. It's a great listen.

[The Joker]

Can I recommend another great podcast on the film? Check out Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers episode. They did a 3 hour podcast that went into the history of the comics and the film. It's a great listen.

Thanks!

I'll put it right at the top of my podcasts to listen to list.