Dick Tracy vs. Cueball

Be the first to write a review

Overview

Morgan Conway made his final screen appearance as Chester Gould's granite-jawed detective Dick Tracy in this RKO Radio programmer. This time around, Tracy's nemesis is baldheaded jewel thief Cueball, played with blunt menace by Dick Wessel. Double-crossed by his gang, Cueball methodically bumps them off. This would normally delight the cops, who'd been wanting to get rid of the gang anyway, but unfortunately Cueball has vowed to eliminate Tracy as well. The villain's ultimate demise is as good as anything cooked ...
See more details below
DVD (Black & White)
$6.99
BN.com price
Other sellers (DVD)
  • All (7) from $2.96   
  • New (6) from $2.96   
  • Used (1) from $8.04   

More About This Product

Overview

Morgan Conway made his final screen appearance as Chester Gould's granite-jawed detective Dick Tracy in this RKO Radio programmer. This time around, Tracy's nemesis is baldheaded jewel thief Cueball, played with blunt menace by Dick Wessel. Double-crossed by his gang, Cueball methodically bumps them off. This would normally delight the cops, who'd been wanting to get rid of the gang anyway, but unfortunately Cueball has vowed to eliminate Tracy as well. The villain's ultimate demise is as good as anything cooked up by Chester Gould for the comic strips. Directed and written in the same larger-than-life style of the Gould original, Dick Tracy vs. Cueball features such colorful characters as Tracy's main squeeze Tess Trueheart (Anne Jeffreys), pill-popping ham actor Vitamin Flintheart (Ian Keith), waterfront hag Filthy Flora (Esther Howard) and jewelry shop proprietor Jules Priceless (Douglas Walton). For reasons that defy explanation, this delightfully daffy concoction was spotlighted in the notorious volume The Fifty Worst Films of All Time.
Read More Show Less

Special Features

[None specified]
Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide - Hans J. Wollstein
A so-called film historian once listed Dick Tracy Vs. Cueball among the "Fifty Worst Films of All Time." Pay absolutely no notice! A delightful whodunit very much in the spirit of Chester Gould's original comic strip, this sometimes rather violent humdinger of a Grade-B film shouldn't be found on any "Worst Films" list at all and is actually more entertaining than Warren Beatty's critically acclaimed but over-produced blockbuster of 1990. Here are deliciously juicy performances by Ian Keith as Vitamin Flintheart, a character very much based on the latter-day John Barrymore; Esther Howard as the old waterfront hag Filthy Flora; and, of course, Dick Wessel as the rampaging title character, whose eventual demise remains a shocker. Although not popular with contemporary audiences, Morgan Conway's Tracy is actually considered the definitive version by some notable modern aficionados and if he doesn't quite resemble his comic strip alter ego, Conway's jaw-punching portrayal is perhaps closer to Gould's no-nonsense crime fighter than competitors Ralph Byrd and Warren Beatty. Anne Jeffreys, meanwhile, repeats her spirited Tess Truehart from Dick Tracy and Lyle Latell adds his usual bumbling comic by-play as sidekick Pat Patton.
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • Release Date: 2/18/2003
  • UPC: 089218410597
  • Original Release: 1946

    • Rating:

  • Source: Alpha Video
  • Region Code: 0
  • Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1)
  • Presentation: Black & White
  • Language: English
  • Time: 1:02:00
  • Format: DVD
  • Sales rank: 75,278

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Morgan Conway Dick Tracy
Anne Jeffreys Tess Trueheart
Lyle Latell Pat Patton
Dick Wessel Cueball
Rita Corday Mona Clyde
Ian Keith Vitamin Flintheart
Douglas Walton Percival Priceless
Esther Howard Filthy Flora
Joseph Crehan Chief Brandon
Byron Foulger Simon Little
Jimmy Crane Junior
Milton Parsons Higby
Skelton Knaggs Rudolph
Fred Aldrich Man
Trevor Bardette Lester Abbott
Eddie Borden Drunk
Robert Bray Steve
Jack Cheatham Cop
Harry V. Cheshire Jules Sparkle
Jimmy Clemons Butch
Ralph Dunn Cop
Lee Frederick Purser
Raoul Freeman Cop
Dorothy Granger Leeds
Perc Launders Telephone Operator
Frank Mills Drunk
William Newell Piano Player
Jason Robards Sr. Captain
Max Wagner Bartender
Bill Wallace Doorman
Philip Warren Dr. Martin
Dick Wessel Cueball
Technical Credits
Gordon M. Douglas Director
Constantin Bakaleinikoff Score Composer
Lucius O. Croxton Art Director
Russell A. Cully Special Effects
Albert S. D'Agostino Art Director
George E. Diskant Cinematographer
Robert Kent Screenwriter
Dane Lussier Screenwriter
Philip Martin Editor
Phil Ohman Score Composer
Sid Rogell Executive Producer
Herman Schlom Producer
Darrell Silvera Set Decoration/Design
Shelby Willis Set Decoration/Design
Read More Show Less

Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. Chapter 1 [9:19]
2. Chapter 2 [12:00]
3. Chapter 3 [10:37]
4. Chapter 4 [9:45]
5. Chapter 5 [9:46]
6. Chapter 6 [10:40]
Read More Show Less

Menu

Side #1 --
   Play
   Index
   Catalog
      View Catalog
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously