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      Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome

      Released Sep 26, 1947 1h 5m Crime Drama List
      Reviews 36% Audience Score 100+ Ratings On-the-lam prisoner Gruesome (Boris Karloff) uses toxic gas to pull off a bank heist. Eyewitness to the crime is Tess Truehart (Anne Gwynne), who calls on police Detective Dick Tracy (Ralph Byrd) to investigate. With few leads from the bank's incapacitated customers, and press coverage threatening to create chaos, the crime fighter is in a tough spot. When Tracy learns about the mysterious disappearance of a doctor, however, it may provide the crucial break he needs to solve the crime. Read More Read Less

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      Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome

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      Critics Reviews

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      Pat Padua Spectrum Culture An inventive plot goes a long way to making this case stick. Oct 10, 2019 Full Review Phil Hall Film Threat Entertaining B-level programmer. Rated: 3/5 Jul 24, 2009 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The reason this lively B-film reaches greatness is the thoroughly delicious performance by Boris Karloff as the vicious thug Gruesome. Rated: A- Mar 14, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      isla s This is an entertaining black and white film. The supposed special effects or visual effects to make the audience believe that people in the banks were suddenly paused during the robberies are a little laughable but then this film does date from 1947. I found it amusing some of the poses the characters found themselves apparently freeze framed in. There were other aspects of the plot that made me laugh but I wouldn't say I laughed in terms of making fun of it - I was (or so I'd like to think in any case) laughing/smirking along with it, rather than at it. I suppose the plot pace is a bit slow but perhaps thats to be expected of an older film and in any case I found it quite watchable and entertaining. I enjoyed seeing the (now vintage) cars depicted as well. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a surprisingly good, well-acted bit of pulp fiction. The story is good enough to keep one's interest, and one gets the feeling that the performers had a rollicking good time during filming. I've seen other Dick Tracy films. None were as good as this. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review kevin w There's plenty going on here for fans of RKO type serials, like the punny names of incidental characters, or the constant repartee between the leads (yuck-yuck-yuck-yuck), or the silly comic page situations played seriously, but the real draw here is Karloff's total immersion into his bad guy persona. What villainy will he perpetrate next? He's the reason to see this. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Low budget serial that was soon to move to TV, featuring Ralph Byrd as the fabled detective. Here, he comes face-to-face with Boris Karloff as Gruesome, a nasty thug who gets his hands on a scientist's new chemical that has the power to freeze people in their tracks, virtually unconscious (but actually freeze-framed). This enables a major bank robbery but fortunately Dick's girlfriend Tess is in the phone booth at the bank, impervious to the gas and able to call the cops. The comic book action is writ large and fairly silly but not so much as Batman the 1960's TV series (for example). So, things might be a bit dull if the proceedings weren't lifted by Karloff's special touch. Somehow I thought Tracy would be a bit sterner but he seems a fun-loving joe here. No gadgets anywhere in sight. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Maybe the best of the Dick Tracy series this movie has humor, science, and the very appealing Lex Barker and June Clayworth. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Karloff Excels in a Solid Dick Tracy Feature--Dick Tracy vs Boris Karloff!! Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis On-the-lam prisoner Gruesome (Boris Karloff) uses toxic gas to pull off a bank heist. Eyewitness to the crime is Tess Truehart (Anne Gwynne), who calls on police Detective Dick Tracy (Ralph Byrd) to investigate. With few leads from the bank's incapacitated customers, and press coverage threatening to create chaos, the crime fighter is in a tough spot. When Tracy learns about the mysterious disappearance of a doctor, however, it may provide the crucial break he needs to solve the crime.
      Director
      John Rawlins
      Screenwriter
      Robertson White, Eric Taylor
      Distributor
      RKO Radio Pictures
      Production Co
      RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
      Genre
      Crime, Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Sep 26, 1947, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Feb 1, 2016
      Runtime
      1h 5m
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