Based on the comic strip by Chester Gould, Dick Tracy (Ralph Byrd) is a master police detective with the 12th Precinct (also called “Headquarters”) in a large, unidentified metropolis. His car code is 15.
Tracy is a fair, honest, virtuous and thorough investigator who often relies on tips from his many snitches to solve a crime, believing you must think like a criminal to outwit them and bring them to justice. He also never wastes a bullet (“I always hit what I aim at”).
Dick lives with his beautiful wife Tess Trueheart (Angela Greene) in the suburbs but his job often leaves him with little time to spend with her (she sometimes says, “I wish I were born a super-criminal because that way I might get to see something of Mr Dick Tracy”).
While Dick enjoys the homemade meals Tess prepares, he often snacks on hot dogs and hamburgers while on the job.
Dick works with Sam Catchem (Joe Devlin), police chief Pat Patton (Pierre Watkin) and jovial stationhouse cop Officer Murphy (Dick Elliott). Dick and Sam communicate with each other via two-way wrist radios when on assignment.
J. Blackstone Springem (John Harmon) is an unethical criminal attorney.
The production faced an unexpected problem when the series began filming in early 1950. Congress was going through one of its first seizures against television violence, and word was flashed to Los Angeles to tone down Tracy’s escapades.
Consequently, the first two episodes of Dick Tracy, shown in September, were very mild. The third and fourth (filmed after the congressional heat had cooled) brought Tracy back to his more familiar tough guy stature. The fifth show featured two murders, a gun fight, and a fist fight. The sixth show opened with a hanging.
Even so, the show failed to make a dent in Arthur Godfrey‘s Monday night audience.
Ralph Byrd’s fatal heart attack in August 1952 put an end to the low-budget ABC series.
Dick Tracy
Ralph Byrd Tess Trueheart
Angela Greene Sam Catchem
Joe Devlin Pat Patton
Pierre Watkin J. Blackstone Springem
John Harmon Officer Murphy
Dick Elliott Narrator
William Woodson
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