Dick Tracy


1h 45m 1990

Brief Synopsis

The intrepid comic strip detective fights off a ruthless gangster and his seductive girlfriend.

Film Details

MPAA Rating
Genre
Crime
Action
Adaptation
Adventure
Comedy
Fantasy
Romance
Release Date
1990
Distribution Company
Walt Disney Studios Distribution
Location
Los Angeles, California, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 45m

Synopsis

Based on the famed detective hero of the comics, the story finds Dick Tracy in 1938 Chicago attempting to stop the crime spree of Big Boy Caprice.

Crew

Thomas D Adelman

Production Associate

Giuseppe Alberti

Assistant Camera Operator

Henry Alberti

Set Designer

Fred Albrecht

Key Grip

George H Anderson

Dialogue Editor

James M Anderson

Director Of Photography

James M Anderson

Camera Operator

Mary Andrews

Adr Editor

Scott Austin

Sound

Bob Badami

Music Editor

Michael Bailey

Electrician

George Bamber

Production Associate

Kevin Barlia

Sound Editor

Steve Bartek

Original Music

Donah Bassett

Negative Cutting

Gary Baxley

Stunts

Gary Baxley

Assistant

Victor Bazaz

Production Assistant

Warren Beatty

Producer

Andy Bell

Song

Cheryl Bentyne

Song Performer

Elisabetta Beraldo

Costume Supervisor

Beth Bergeron

Adr Editor

Richard Bisutti

On-Set Dresser

Carissa Blix

Casting

Colin Booth

Costumes

Bill Bottrell

Music

G Spence Bove

Production Assistant

Joseph Brennan

Boom Operator

Brooke Breton

Visual Effects

Stephen David Brooks

Camera Operator

Frank L Brown

Property Master Assistant

John Brumshagen

Electrician

Jackie Burch

Casting

Billy Burton

Stunt Coordinator

William H Burton

Stunts

Fabio Cafolla

Lighting Technician

John Caglione Jr.

Makeup

David E Campbell

Sound

Glenn Campbell

Camera Operator

Mark Cane

Gaffer

Milena Canonero

Costume Designer

Randy Cantor

Driver

Jim Cash

Screenplay

Ferne Cassel

Casting Associate

Thomas Causey

Sound Mixer

Casey Cavanaugh

Special Effects

Larry Cavanaugh

Special Effects Coordinator

Steve Chambers

Stunts

Robert E Chase

Costume Supervisor

Madonna Louise Ciccone (madonna)

Song Performer

Ned Claflin

Song

Vince Clarke

Song

James L Clay

Camera Operator

Bill Clevenger

Assistant Camera Operator

Lucy Coldsnow-smith

Dialogue Editor

Gil Combs

Stunts

Kim Costalupes

Post-Production

Mark Cotone

Dga Trainee

Jacqueline Cristianini

Sound Editor

Hallie D'amore

Makeup Assistant

Dwight Dalzell

Video Assist/Playback

Wayne Damore

Script Supervisor

Alice I Daniels

Costumes

Valerie Davidson

Foley Editor

Michael Davison

Assistant

Richard Dean

Makeup

Connie W Dolph

Accountant

Joe Dorn

Foley Editor

Lisa Dorney

Sound Editor

Michael Dressel

Foley Editor

Doug Drexler

Makeup

Patrick Drummond

Sound Editor

George Dunagan

Electrician

Danny Elfman

Music

Louie Elias

Stunts

Harrison Ellenshaw

Visual Effects

Bill Elliot

Song

Bradley Thomas Emmons

Electrician

Jack Epps

Screenplay

Lorraine Feather

Song Performer

Ed Felix

Special Effects

Patti Fidelibus

Music Contractor

Wayne Fitzgerald

Titles

Michael Fitzpatrick

Production Assistant

Carol A Fleming

Sound Editor

Linda Folden

Graphic Artist

Brian Fong

Assistant Director

Scott Fort

Production Assistant

Joel Franklin

Music

Gayle Fraser-baigelman

Auditor

Bruce Fuller

Film Lab

John Ganem

Sound Editor

Laura Gary

Other

Jacqueline George

Production Coordinator

David Giammarco

Dialogue Editor

Joan Giammarco

Sound Editor

Tom Gilleon

Matte Painter

Pamela Glintenkamp

Art Assistant

Bo Goldman

Consultant

David Goldstein

Other

Chester Gould

Characters As Source Material

Allen Gozales

Animator

Vickie Graef

Costumes

Pete Gregory

Other

Gregg Guellow

Grip

Margaret Guinee

Assistant

Margaret Guinee

Apprentice

Lynda Gurasich

Hair

Michael Gurasich

Production Assistant

Barbara Gutman

Accounting Assistant

Virginia G Hadfield

Hair Assistant

Mark Hadland

Electrician

Randy Hall

Stunts

Kevin Haney

Makeup

David Hardberger

Camera Operator

Barbara Harris

Casting

Craig Harris

Sound

Leon R Harris

Layout Artist

Anne Grodzicki Haschka

Sound Editor

D. M. Hemphill

Sound

Brent Lon Hershman

Production Assistant

Ellen Heuer

Foley Artist

Brandy Hill

Camera Operator

Bruce R Hogard

Costume Supervisor

Jeffrey Hornaday

Choreographer

John Hudkins

Stunts

Philip Huff

Camera Operator

Ian Hunter

Visual Effects

William Iiams Sr.

Foreman

Roger Irvin

Construction Coordinator

Rachel Jaffe

Production Assistant

Al Jarreau

Song Performer

Chris Jenkins

Sound

Randy Johnson

Boom Operator

Robert Johnson

Other

Thomas E Johnson

Costumes

Duane Katz

Stunts

David P Kelsey

Special Effects

Dick Kendall

Camera Operator

Mike Kernan

Song

James J Keys

Electrician

Carol Kim

Production Associate

Richard Kite

Boom Operator

Jonathan Klein

Adr Editor

Nicholas Vincent Korda

Adr Editor

Maggie Kusik

Associate Producer

Carlo Labella

Color Timer

Jon Landau

Unit Production Manager

Jon Landau

Coproducer

K.d. Lang

Song Performer

Kevin J. Lang

Rigging Gaffer

Paul Lasaine

Matte Painter

Jeff Lass

Song

Thomas Lawson

Foreman

Brenda Lee

Song Performer

Sharmagne Leland-st John

Assistant

Lynda Lemon

Production Supervisor

Jerry Lee Lewis

Song Performer

Rodney Liber

Production Supervisor

Art Linson

Executive Producer

Michael Lloyd

Visual Effects

Ron Macinnes

Special Effects

C J Maguire

Property Master

William Major

Visual Effects

Judianna Makovsky

Costume Designer

Brian Malouf

Music

James Mann

Camera Operator

John Marendi

Driver

Richard Marks

Editor

Richard Marks

Unit Director

Joel Marrow

Transportation Coordinator

Clayton R Marsh

Other

Essil Massinburg

Grip

David Mattingly

Matte Painter

Princess Mcclean

Assistant Director

Steven C. Mcgee

Lighting Technician

Stephen L Meek

Apprentice

Carol Meikle

Hair

Montey Menapace

Electrician

Harold Michelson

Art Director

Karen L Minahan

Sound Editor

Cheri Minns

Makeup

Michele Moen

Matte Painter

Paul Moen

Assistant Director

Joe Montenegro

Special Effects

Peter Montgomery

Camera Operator

Art Monzo

Electrician

George Mooradian

Camera Operator

Bernadene Morgan

Costumes

Deborah M Morgan

Assistant Camera Operator

David Moritz

Assistant Editor

John Phillip Morris

Grip

Gil Mosko

Film Lab

John Moy

Craft Service

James J Murakami

Set Designer

Shawn Murphy

Music

Floyd Mutrux

Executive Producer

Bill Neil

Director Of Photography

Ve Neill

Makeup

Film Details

MPAA Rating
Genre
Crime
Action
Adaptation
Adventure
Comedy
Fantasy
Romance
Release Date
1990
Distribution Company
Walt Disney Studios Distribution
Location
Los Angeles, California, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 45m

Award Wins

Best Art Direction

1990
Richard Sylbert

Best Makeup

1990

Best Song

1990

Award Nominations

Best Cinematography

1990

Best Costume Design

1990
Milena Canonero

Best Sound

1990

Best Supporting Actor

1990
Al Pacino

Articles

Dick Tracy (1990) - Dick Tracy


Due in equal measure to the reported $40 million-plus studio advertising blitz and the ceaseless gossip column ink devoted to the affair of its director/star and leading lady, Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy (1990) was one of the most anticipated theatrical releases of its season. In adapting the adventures of the venerable comic-strip cop, Beatty and his production team performed an eye-popping job of bringing a 1930s' Sunday-funnies milieu to three-dimensional life.

Beatty had harbored the notion of starring as Chester Gould's stalwart, incorruptible plainclothesman since the mid-'70s, biographer Ellis Amburn had noted in The Sexiest Man Alive. A planned collaboration with director Walter Hill had fallen apart over Hill's insistence on treating the project as a straight crime drama, and Beatty's vision of "a stylized hybrid--real people presented as if they were animated figures in a cartoon come to life." The star picked up the film rights to the character in the mid-'80s, and after negotiations with Martin Scorsese failed to pan out, opted to produce and direct as well.

In casting the role of the femme fatale nightclub chanteuse Breathless Mahoney, Beatty had been thinking in terms of Kathleen Turner or Kim Basinger. That was prior to his being on the receiving end of some intense lobbying from Madonna. At that time, the Material Girl's desired conquest of the film medium hadn't lived up to the initial promise shown by Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), and she felt the part could give her acting career a boost. Between her willingness to work for scale (with percentages at the back end, and the soundtrack rights), and the belief that she could give the project cross-generational appeal, Beatty gave in. (It didn't take long afterwards for the collaboration to become more than professional; the fourteen-month relationship that ensued kept the production and promotion of Dick Tracy lively.)

The film's narrative concerns Tracy's efforts to keep the streets of his generic four-color metropolis safe from the predations of its less savory element, most notably the ambitious Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino). Having rubbed out ex-mentor Lips Manlis (Paul Sorvino), Big Boy lays claim to his operations and goods, up to and including Breathless. Tracy is certain that he can make the rap for Lips' "disappearance" stick if Breathless turns state's witness; she, in turn, will only play ball if Tracy returns the seductive singer's interest.

Tempted as he is, Tracy won't stray from his "makeshift" family, enduringly patient girlfriend Tess Trueheart (Glenne Headly) and the feisty orphan "Kid" (Charlie Korsmo) that he's taken under his wing. Beyond Big Boy's redoubled efforts to take him out, the cop is also being subtly stalked by the featureless "Blank," who's playing both sides to ensure Tracy's disgrace as well as Caprice's downfall.

Looking like some strange hybrid of Richard III and Michael Corleone, Pacino brought kinetic, way-over-the-top brio to his performance as Big Boy, and he received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his efforts. Rattling off mangled aphorisms as he sends his flunkies scurrying, Pacino's bad guy very nearly steals the picture, much as Jack Nicholson's Joker had with the prior year's big-budget comic book opus, Batman (1989).

In his book, Amburn noted that Madonna had initially bristled at the numbers crafted for the soundtrack by Stephen Sondheim ("I can't sing this. This isn't me."), but acquiesced when Beatty brought the composer to the set to coach her. Sondheim was eager to see his material reach the MTV audience, and he worked with her on shaping the lyrics. As a result, Madonna won over music critics as never before with her successful tie-in album, I'm Breathless, and the tune Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man) took the Academy Award for Best Song.

The Oscar-winning make-up team of John Caglione, Jr. and Doug Drexler had the challenging assignment of recreating one of the signature elements of Gould's strip, the infamous gallery of heavies whose personalities were defined by their improbable deformities as well as their acts of cruelty. In addition to Pacino's Big Boy, Flattop (William Forsythe), Itchy (Ed O'Ross), Pruneface (R.G. Armstrong), Influence (Henry Silva), the Brow, Little Face, Shoulders, Steve the Tramp and many other major and minor Gould goons filled out Beatty's audaciously realized universe.

Credit for achieving the primary-palette world of Dick Tracy must also be shared by Oscar-winning production designers Richard Sylbert and Rick Simpson, as well as cinematographer Vittorio Storaro and costume designer Milena Canonero, who also received nominations from the Academy for their efforts. The film would ultimately haul away $110 million in domestic box office.

Producer: Warren Beatty, Jon Landau, Art Linson, Floyd Mutrux, Barrie M. Osborne, Jim Van Wyck
Director: Warren Beatty
Screenplay: Jim Cash, Jack Epps, Jr., Bo Goldman, Lorenzo Semple, Jr.
Cinematography: Vittorio Storaro
Film Editing: Richard Marks
Art Direction: Harold Michelson
Music: Danny Elfman, Jeff Lass, Andy Paley, Stephen Sondheim
Cast: Warren Beatty (Dick Tracy), Charlie Korsmo (Kid), Glenne Headly (Tess Trueheart), Madonna (Breathless Mahoney), Al Pacino (Big Boy Caprice), Dustin Hoffman (Mumbles).
C-105m. Letterboxed.

by Jay S. Steinberg
Dick Tracy (1990) - Dick Tracy

Dick Tracy (1990) - Dick Tracy

Due in equal measure to the reported $40 million-plus studio advertising blitz and the ceaseless gossip column ink devoted to the affair of its director/star and leading lady, Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy (1990) was one of the most anticipated theatrical releases of its season. In adapting the adventures of the venerable comic-strip cop, Beatty and his production team performed an eye-popping job of bringing a 1930s' Sunday-funnies milieu to three-dimensional life. Beatty had harbored the notion of starring as Chester Gould's stalwart, incorruptible plainclothesman since the mid-'70s, biographer Ellis Amburn had noted in The Sexiest Man Alive. A planned collaboration with director Walter Hill had fallen apart over Hill's insistence on treating the project as a straight crime drama, and Beatty's vision of "a stylized hybrid--real people presented as if they were animated figures in a cartoon come to life." The star picked up the film rights to the character in the mid-'80s, and after negotiations with Martin Scorsese failed to pan out, opted to produce and direct as well. In casting the role of the femme fatale nightclub chanteuse Breathless Mahoney, Beatty had been thinking in terms of Kathleen Turner or Kim Basinger. That was prior to his being on the receiving end of some intense lobbying from Madonna. At that time, the Material Girl's desired conquest of the film medium hadn't lived up to the initial promise shown by Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), and she felt the part could give her acting career a boost. Between her willingness to work for scale (with percentages at the back end, and the soundtrack rights), and the belief that she could give the project cross-generational appeal, Beatty gave in. (It didn't take long afterwards for the collaboration to become more than professional; the fourteen-month relationship that ensued kept the production and promotion of Dick Tracy lively.) The film's narrative concerns Tracy's efforts to keep the streets of his generic four-color metropolis safe from the predations of its less savory element, most notably the ambitious Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino). Having rubbed out ex-mentor Lips Manlis (Paul Sorvino), Big Boy lays claim to his operations and goods, up to and including Breathless. Tracy is certain that he can make the rap for Lips' "disappearance" stick if Breathless turns state's witness; she, in turn, will only play ball if Tracy returns the seductive singer's interest. Tempted as he is, Tracy won't stray from his "makeshift" family, enduringly patient girlfriend Tess Trueheart (Glenne Headly) and the feisty orphan "Kid" (Charlie Korsmo) that he's taken under his wing. Beyond Big Boy's redoubled efforts to take him out, the cop is also being subtly stalked by the featureless "Blank," who's playing both sides to ensure Tracy's disgrace as well as Caprice's downfall. Looking like some strange hybrid of Richard III and Michael Corleone, Pacino brought kinetic, way-over-the-top brio to his performance as Big Boy, and he received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his efforts. Rattling off mangled aphorisms as he sends his flunkies scurrying, Pacino's bad guy very nearly steals the picture, much as Jack Nicholson's Joker had with the prior year's big-budget comic book opus, Batman (1989). In his book, Amburn noted that Madonna had initially bristled at the numbers crafted for the soundtrack by Stephen Sondheim ("I can't sing this. This isn't me."), but acquiesced when Beatty brought the composer to the set to coach her. Sondheim was eager to see his material reach the MTV audience, and he worked with her on shaping the lyrics. As a result, Madonna won over music critics as never before with her successful tie-in album, I'm Breathless, and the tune Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man) took the Academy Award for Best Song. The Oscar-winning make-up team of John Caglione, Jr. and Doug Drexler had the challenging assignment of recreating one of the signature elements of Gould's strip, the infamous gallery of heavies whose personalities were defined by their improbable deformities as well as their acts of cruelty. In addition to Pacino's Big Boy, Flattop (William Forsythe), Itchy (Ed O'Ross), Pruneface (R.G. Armstrong), Influence (Henry Silva), the Brow, Little Face, Shoulders, Steve the Tramp and many other major and minor Gould goons filled out Beatty's audaciously realized universe. Credit for achieving the primary-palette world of Dick Tracy must also be shared by Oscar-winning production designers Richard Sylbert and Rick Simpson, as well as cinematographer Vittorio Storaro and costume designer Milena Canonero, who also received nominations from the Academy for their efforts. The film would ultimately haul away $110 million in domestic box office. Producer: Warren Beatty, Jon Landau, Art Linson, Floyd Mutrux, Barrie M. Osborne, Jim Van Wyck Director: Warren Beatty Screenplay: Jim Cash, Jack Epps, Jr., Bo Goldman, Lorenzo Semple, Jr. Cinematography: Vittorio Storaro Film Editing: Richard Marks Art Direction: Harold Michelson Music: Danny Elfman, Jeff Lass, Andy Paley, Stephen Sondheim Cast: Warren Beatty (Dick Tracy), Charlie Korsmo (Kid), Glenne Headly (Tess Trueheart), Madonna (Breathless Mahoney), Al Pacino (Big Boy Caprice), Dustin Hoffman (Mumbles). C-105m. Letterboxed. by Jay S. Steinberg

Hamilton Camp (1934-2005)


Hamilton Camp, the diminutive yet effervescent actor and singer-songwriter, who spent nearly his entire life in show business, including several appearances in both television and films, died of a heart attack on October 2 at his Los Angeles home. He was 70.

He was born October 30, 1934, in London, England. After World War II, he moved to Canada and then to Long Beach with his mother and sister, where the siblings performed in USO shows. In 1946, he made his first movie, Bedlam starring Boris Karloff as an extra (as Bobby Camp) and continued in that vein until he played Thorpe, one of Dean Stockwell's classmates in Kim (1950).

After Kim he received some more slightly prominent parts in films: a messenger boy in Titanic (1953); and a mailroom attendant in Executive Suite (1954), but overall, Camp was never a steadily working child actor.

Camp relocated to Chicago in the late '50s and rediscovered his childhood passion - music. He began playing in small clubs around the Chicago area, and he struck oil when he partnered with a New York based folk artist, Bob Gibson in 1961. The pair worked in clubs all over the midwest and they soon became known for their tight vocal harmonies and Gibson's 12-string guitar style. Late in 1961, they recorded an album - Gibson and Camp at the Gate of Horn, the Gate of Horn being the most renowned music venue in Chicago for the burgeoning folk scene. The record may have aged a bit over the years, but it is admired as an important progress in folk music by most scholars, particularly as a missing link between the classic era of Woody Guthrie and the modern singer-songwriter genre populated by Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.

Gibson and Camp would split within two years, and after recording some albums as a solo artist and a brief stint with Chicago's famed Second City improvisational comedy troupe, Camp struck out on his own to work as an actor in Los Angeles. His changed his name to Hamilton from Bob, and despite his lack of vertical presence (he stood only 5-foot-2), his boundless energy and quick wit made him handy to guest star in a string of familiar sitcoms of the late '60s: The Monkees, Bewitched, and Love, American Style. By the '70s there was no stopping him as he appeared on virtually every popular comedy of the day: The Mary Tyler Moore Show, M*A*S*H, Laverne & Shirley, Three's Company, and WKRP in Cincinnati.

Eventually, Camp's film roles improved too, and he did his best film work in the latter stages of his career: Blake Edward's undisciplined but still funny S.O.B. (1981); Paul Bartel's glorious cult comedy Eating Raoul (1982); and Clint Eastwood's jazz biopic on Charlie Parker Bird (1988). Among his recent work was a guest spot last season as a carpenter on Desperate Housewives, and his recent completion of a Las Vegas based comedy Hard Four which is currently in post-production. Camp is survived by six children and thirteen grandchildren.

by Michael T. Toole

Hamilton Camp (1934-2005)

Hamilton Camp, the diminutive yet effervescent actor and singer-songwriter, who spent nearly his entire life in show business, including several appearances in both television and films, died of a heart attack on October 2 at his Los Angeles home. He was 70. He was born October 30, 1934, in London, England. After World War II, he moved to Canada and then to Long Beach with his mother and sister, where the siblings performed in USO shows. In 1946, he made his first movie, Bedlam starring Boris Karloff as an extra (as Bobby Camp) and continued in that vein until he played Thorpe, one of Dean Stockwell's classmates in Kim (1950). After Kim he received some more slightly prominent parts in films: a messenger boy in Titanic (1953); and a mailroom attendant in Executive Suite (1954), but overall, Camp was never a steadily working child actor. Camp relocated to Chicago in the late '50s and rediscovered his childhood passion - music. He began playing in small clubs around the Chicago area, and he struck oil when he partnered with a New York based folk artist, Bob Gibson in 1961. The pair worked in clubs all over the midwest and they soon became known for their tight vocal harmonies and Gibson's 12-string guitar style. Late in 1961, they recorded an album - Gibson and Camp at the Gate of Horn, the Gate of Horn being the most renowned music venue in Chicago for the burgeoning folk scene. The record may have aged a bit over the years, but it is admired as an important progress in folk music by most scholars, particularly as a missing link between the classic era of Woody Guthrie and the modern singer-songwriter genre populated by Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. Gibson and Camp would split within two years, and after recording some albums as a solo artist and a brief stint with Chicago's famed Second City improvisational comedy troupe, Camp struck out on his own to work as an actor in Los Angeles. His changed his name to Hamilton from Bob, and despite his lack of vertical presence (he stood only 5-foot-2), his boundless energy and quick wit made him handy to guest star in a string of familiar sitcoms of the late '60s: The Monkees, Bewitched, and Love, American Style. By the '70s there was no stopping him as he appeared on virtually every popular comedy of the day: The Mary Tyler Moore Show, M*A*S*H, Laverne & Shirley, Three's Company, and WKRP in Cincinnati. Eventually, Camp's film roles improved too, and he did his best film work in the latter stages of his career: Blake Edward's undisciplined but still funny S.O.B. (1981); Paul Bartel's glorious cult comedy Eating Raoul (1982); and Clint Eastwood's jazz biopic on Charlie Parker Bird (1988). Among his recent work was a guest spot last season as a carpenter on Desperate Housewives, and his recent completion of a Las Vegas based comedy Hard Four which is currently in post-production. Camp is survived by six children and thirteen grandchildren. by Michael T. Toole

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Summer June 15, 1990

Released in United States on Video December 18, 1990

Released in United States September 1990

Shown at Venice Film Festival (out of competition) September 4-15, 1990.

Began shooting February 1, 1989.

Completed shooting early June 1989.

Released in United States Summer June 15, 1990

Released in United States on Video December 18, 1990

Released in United States September 1990 (Shown at Venice Film Festival (out of competition) September 4-15, 1990.)