Dick Tracy meets Gruesome (1947) [Crime] [Action]

The movie "Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome" (also known as "Dick Tracy meets Karloff" and "Dick Tracy's Amazing Adventure") is a 1947 thriller film starring Ralph Byrd, Anne Gwynne, and Boris Karloff. The film is the fourth and final installment of the Dick Tracy film series.
Just out of jail, Gruesome goes to the Hangman's Knot saloon, where his old crime crony Melody is now playing piano. Gruesome takes him to a plastics manufacturer, where X-Ray and a mysterious mastermind are in possession of a secret formula and hatching a sinster plot. Ignoring a warning not to touch anything, Gruesome sniffs a nerve gas that paralyzes him. He appears to be dead and is taken to the city morgue. Dick Tracy is at headquarters speaking with college professor Dr. Tomic, a scientist who suspects someone has been following him. At the morgue, Tracy's sidekick Pat has his back turned when Gruesome wakes up and knocks him out. Pat describes him to Tracy as looking a lot like the actor Boris Karloff.
At a bank where Tess Trueheart happens to be, Gruesome and Melody use the nerve gas to incapacitate the customers and security guard. They rob the place of more than $100,000 and shoot a cop on the sidewalk before Tracy and his men arrive. Gruesome demands half of the loot from X-Ray .... or else. Tracy tries to learn the secret of the formula from Dr. Tomic's top assistant, Professor Learned, before going after Gruesome and his gang. It all ends in a shootout, with Gruesome shot by Tracy, and then back at headquarters, where Tracy ends up frozen by nerve gas just as he's about to kiss Tess.
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Directed by John Rawlins, produced by Herman Schlom, written by Chester Gould (characters), William Graffis and Robert E. Kent (story), starring Ralph Byrd as Dick Tracy (The tough, square-jawed detective), Anne Gwynne as Tess Truehart (Tracy's girlfriend, who witnesses the bank robbery), Boris Karloff as Gruesome (A corpse-like gangster), Skelton Knaggs as Rudolph X-Ray (Gruesome's spectacled henchman), Edward Ashley as Dr. Lee Thal (an interested party), June Clayworth as Dr. I.M. Learned (Prof. Tomic's assistant), Lyle Latell as Pat Patton (Tracy's bumbling sidekick), Tony Barrett as 'Melody' Fiske (a greedy, piano-playing thug), Jim Nolan as Dan Sterne (a nosy newspaper reporter), Joseph Crehan as Chief Brandon (Tracy's reliable boss) and Milton Parsons as Dr. A. Tomic (a State U. physicist).
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Source: "Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome" Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. 17 March 2013. Web. 6 April 2013. en.wikipedia.or....
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[@TimelessClassicMovie]

If you like this movie and our channel, please subscribe: goo.gl/0qDmXe

[@mariesparks3721]

I love this channel is there any way you can load the movie the ghost in the invisible bikini?

[@markadams7597]

Love Tracy and the gang (Karloff is his usual nasty self, brilliant!). And, this episode has a fun ending!! Thanks for posting.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

My wife found this movie on VHS, at a yard sale in Connecticut, many years ago. We loved it☺️!!! I didn't realize that there were only 4 movie's, of this series. Also didn't see, the first time viewing this, that the professional names used within this, kinda mimics the Three Stooges', humor. Y. Stuffum (a taxidermist), Dr. I. M. Learned, Dr. A. Tomic, etc………… The whole key to her buying this was, 'cause Boris Karloff, is in it😁!!!

[@tss77]

Boris Karloff was the master of his trade, not many could match his skills.

[@andrewcurtis2337]

Dr. A. Tomic Assistant I. M. Learned 😩

[@scarygary-qq1pj]

Taxidermist: Y. Stuffum. 🐯🐻🦍

[@enzogomez4575]

Couldn't believe that Tracy asked the lab assistant at (27.20) could he sample taste from a broken bottle marked unknown chemical LOL

[@101Volts]

This was also either the same time that Gas Station Attendants would taste *Motor Oil* right off the Dipstick to see how acidic it was and if it needed changed, or it wasn't long before that started.

[@eeddieedwards3890]

Exactly - Yuck! I can't stand when someone touches a garbage can lid or lifts a toilet seat without using a tissue.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

​@@eeddieedwards3890Prude, are we???

[@rogerrendzak8055]

​​​@@eeddieedwards3890Prude, are we🤔️⁉️

[@MrFrontrowkid]

This is probably the best remembered Dick Tracy feature of the four films produced by RKO. Boris Karloff as Gruesome overshadows Byrd's Tracy. Future Tarzan Lex Barker has a minor role as an hospital ambulance driver.

[@richardtracy8242]

He appeared in Five Films as Tarzan.

[@alvaropelayo8084]

I have loved Lex Barker all my life. Used to have Tarzan comics with pictures of him, r.i.p.

[@debrabolton6475]

Another Boris Karloff gem. Love some of the characters' names.

[@vernalc2449]

IKR 😭. They had to have a Three Stooges writer, huh?

[@vernalc2449]

Y. Stuffum-Taxidermist They had to be a 3 Stooges writer...

[@eeddieedwards3890]

At around the 15 minute mark when the gas bomb goes off and "freezes" everyone in the bank (except Tess Truehart in the phone booth) it is very similar to the end scene of the classic 1963 TWILIGHT ZONE episode "A KIND OF A STOPWATCH" where McNulty is in the bank with his stopwatch and stops the watch "freezing" everyone in the bank (same "special effect" freeze frame style) while he makes off with the loot. I wonder if the TWILIGHT ZONE writers Michael D. Rosenthal or Rod Serling ever saw DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME???

[@derekdurham8829]

I had these movies when the 1990ish movie came out

[@biggiethecat4896]

"Where's Professor Learned? She picked up a couple bullet holes." That's hilarious.

[@johnbockelie3899]

" And if my name isn't Boris Karloff, this will be a THRILLER !!".

[@richardtracy8242]

@@johnbockelie3899 ^One of the Best Shows on Television.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

​@@richardtracy8242 CONCURRED☺️👍!!!

[@holmanrw]

Boris Karloff, Edward Ashley and Skelton Knaggs the three main villains are British. They do a good job making it appear bigger than the 65 minute filler it is.

[@randyacuna3248]

Skelton should have been used in more movies, he is even in the last cliffhanger serial called captain video in 1955. What a wonderful character actor. My favorite of his roles is in house of Dracula. He is definitely in his element. He steals every scene.

[@101Volts]

@@randyacuna3248 Skelton was good in his parts, but he also died early of his alcoholism. 1911 - 1955. Died at 43.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

​@@101Volts He was convincing, in Sherlock Holmes', 'Terror By Night' (1946)!!!

[@DBAllen]

Ain't no movie like an old movie.

[@petermaxwell2965]

This has got Skelton knaggs in it ..oh boy !

[@onlythewise1]

oh yaaa old actors bring out memory's and unique people, was always amazing so many white actors so different from each other I had few black favorites to . bet you to

[@jamesthomas7405]

Wood Plastics Inc. Reminds me of a place I worked at 40 years ago. It had a large furnace with a conveyor belt.

[@Featureman]

Very good movie with high quality image.

[@scarygary-qq1pj]

I knew this was going to be a good movie when I saw that Gordon Bau was the makeup supervisor.🙄

[@g.h.1472]

the one an only Boris karloff made the show.

[@scarygary-qq1pj]

The little guy with the coke-bottle glasses was more gruesome than he was.

[@user-nr3ut7xf8g]

Of the four Dick Tracy RKO movies, this is perhaps the best one because of the plot and Boris Karloff. Karloff was under contract at this time to RKO and no doubt studio personnel thought he would be the perfect part to play Gruesome. In fact, there is an in joke made by Pat Patton to that effect. Morgan Conway for some reason played Tracy in the first two pictures. The second two pictures were done by Ralph Byrd, who had already established himself as the cartoon detective in three Republic serials. He also played the part in an early TV series right before his death in 1952.

[@chrisbowen9043]

GOT to be the best one with Boris Karloff. . .

[@partssman1]

V. Stuffum taxidermist LMBO

[@marygreer9575]

Boris great actor

[@101Volts]

Spoiler about the ending ahead: ... ... .. I'm glad that even though Karloff's "Gruesome" character fell in the log-loader for the incinerator, Dick Tracy didn't let Gruesome die. That's a nice change of pace in crime dramas, where the lead man shows some mercy. Granted that he will be in prison, but there's still some chance for him to reform himself in that kind of a case.

[@marbleman52]

Another commenter spotted the names on the scientist's door: Dr. A. Tomic and the assistant I.M. Learned...LOL...and then the sign in the taxidermist shop: Y. Stuffum...Ha..!! But where was his watch with the built in video communicator ?

[@eggmannega6895]

Skelton Knaggs.

[@juddthweatt1407]

The amazing Dr Rigamorto strikes again!!! ;)

[@scarygary-qq1pj]

No he doesn't.

[@keithammleter3824]

I've watched a couple of these Dick Tracy movies - they are very corny with a strange charm. There is no attempt to realism - it's just like a comic, but with nice photography. One thing that intrigues me: Whenever somebody gets killed by some villain, people are shown crowding round the body. In my (limited) experience, any time a violent crime occurs, bystanders scatter. They don't want to know, they don't want to be involved. Smart move actually - the police are going to detain anyone standing around.

[@randyhonea3543]

Did you notice the Dr's name. Dr. A. Tomic

[@richio1763]

...and the lady professor, I M Learned.

[@101Volts]

What of the name of the Taxidermist who you don't see? You see his name after the car crashes. "Y. Stuffum"

[@bobpettit6653]

Great movie. Thanks for sharing

[@ecwnikos]

wow thank you for this classic film.

[@FlyingOverTr0ut]

Man, the guy playing Dick Tracy was a charisma vacuum. Otherwise, great cast and well directed.

[@bobcabo4509]

Yeah, I liked Morgan Conway better. They say audiences at the time liked Ralph Byrd because he looked more like the comic strip. I think had the personality of a blank sheet of paper.

[@suchahermit55]

Ralph Byrd had been playing Dick Tracy for years in the low budget serial shorts and the audience at that time was used to him in the role and didn't welcome Conway even though he was clearly the better actor. So after two movies with Conway in the role Byrd was brought back by popular demand.

[@randyacuna3248]

@@suchahermit55 Ralph is the definitive tracy but Morgan is a good replacement.

[@eddancer6469]

Timeless Classic Movies Another great classic Ed

[@HarborGuy]

Where did they find these characters. I remember the comic strip..

[@ralphwgraham729]

I like Dick Tracy since I was a child I'm 64 years old

[@richardtracy8242]

Well the advantage of tracking down Gruesome was that he looked exactly like Boris Karloff, So there weren't many places that he could hide.

[@brianshawkey2910]

Great historic film!

[@okuradani]

Boris made a brave effort to sound American

[@carlnapp8673]

That's a terrible thing to say!

[@matthewcarmichael3331]

I'll take dick Tracy over Sherlock Holmes any day

[@alainarchambault2331]

34:14 Tracy, "You're sure you can identify this mummy was one of the bank robbers?" Tess, "Why yes I'd recognized that bandaged face anywhere." Tracy, "Good then we'll unleash this hoard of bank witnesses to see if they can remember seeing a fully bandaged face that was at the bank at the time of the bank robbery." 🤦‍♂️ Seriously?

[@keithammleter3824]

When this film was made, they shot each scene - vision and sound, the actors spoke but they mostly though away the sound, because even with boom mikes the voices were not usually clear and there was too much background noise. Then they got the actors together again in a sound studio, clustered close to a mike and got them to speak their lines again, and they added that to the film, plus added sound effects. In this case they must have slipped up the match up - it just doesn't make any sense. Perhaps the script called for the bandages to be temporarily unwrapped, but that got discarded in editing. Incidentally, now they have highly directional mikes and tiny mikes they can hide, this sort of post-vision sound recording isn't essential. That's why in today's movies the sound is a lot more natural but diction isn't as clear.

[@alainarchambault2331]

@@keithammleter3824 Well, then the editor should have been fired. I mean nowadays people nitpick and zoom way into the distance in slow-mo just to see a gaff I wouldn't have noticed otherwise. This was right in your face logical fallacy.

[@keithammleter3824]

@@alainarchambault2331 : Firing seems a bit much. It's not the only movie made with a glaring blooper, nor the only glaringly obvious blooper in a Dick Tracy movie (for instance, tire squealing on gravel roads - a not uncommon error in other 1940's movies too, and this movie has an identical car chase sequence to another movie). RKO turned out half a dozen of these Dick Tracy corny movies in 1945-46. So there would have been time and cost pressures. They all feature stupid implausible scripts, corny names like I Stuffem Taxidermist, but beautiful photography. For all that, they have a certain charm and I enjoyed watching a couple plus this one, while bad weather prevents me going out.

[@101Volts]

@@keithammleter3824 The whole tire squealing thing was also in the Ace Drummond serial - they had tire squealing on *dirt roads.* Too bad that series only had a comic strip and the one serial, it was a decent enough serial about a Pilot fighting off Airline Terrorism in Mongolia.

[@keithammleter3824]

@@101Volts : It's a Hollywood thing to have squealing tires - I don't know why. I saw an Imax film "Speed". It featured 2 teenagers in an old car going along a dirt road with a cop chasing them. It looked like it was filmed at 30 MPH judging by the body roll of the cars, but played back much faster. Plenty of tire squealing on corners, and the cop keeps leaning out his window and yelling at them to stop. You could hear the cop as clear as if he was standing next to you. Recently I have watched "Highway Patrol" on KZbin. It's a Hollywood TV cop show made in the 1950's. Plenty of tire squeal on gravel roads, and tire squeal on take-offs without any wheel spin.

[@derekseven1647]

Jeremy Irons sounds ;like Boris K.

[@Prionic77]

I've always thought so as well. I also felt that if they ever did a bio-pic about Karloff that Irons would be a great choice for the part.

[@andrewcurtis2337]

Y. Stuffum Taxidermist 😫

[@luciamariasobreiradealbuqu4986]

Colocar legenda em português por favor

[@TheAnimatedLegendaryCoyote2008]

VHS 1987

[@santinamarie4699]

This was very ok

[@magicprofessor010]

Gruesome may be gruesome but not handsome and not very smart. Ignored a warning./

[@quintonagee8724]

? Q&A

[@randyhonea3543]

Y. STUFFEM TAXIDERMIST WHERE DID THEY COME UP WITH THESE NAMES?

[@101Volts]

I'd like to joke that there could be a book with the title "The Puntiful List of Names." However, I'm also not sure if that book was ever published.

[@rogerrendzak8055]

The Three Stooges, where else???

[@quintonagee8724]

Repeat , foe what !

[@marcogarau8253]

Ne avete tradotti in italiano?

[@quintonagee8724]

Yo , yo u grew yet ,

[@wojciechdziuba1485]

.3

[@Moronvideos1940]

Commercials are bad for my patience and benevolence

[@Gravydog316]

Same omg...

[@eeddieedwards3890]

AD nauseam.

[@bumpusjones.1978]

It’s no secret how Hollywood portrayed minorities and women at this time it was a surprise that the Tracy did not talk down to the female scientists and accepted what she said without question. I was watching a Flash Gordon serial from this time and Flash’s rocket was under attack and surrounded by enemy ships and Flash’s female sidekick Dale was piloting the ship while Flash was doing something and when he was finished he walks up to Dale at the helm and this sexist gem poured out of his mouth “ok Dale I got it you should go lay down for awhile” surrounded by ships and taking fire from all directions and tells the woman to go lay down.

[@scarygary-qq1pj]

wrong

[@GyrlBlaque]

Screamed like a girl