Dick Tracy (1990)

Based upon the comic strip created in 1931 by Chester Gould, this eye-popping live-action adaptation was long planned by Oscar-winning director Warren Beatty (Reds, Heaven Can Wait) who also elected to star as the titular square-jawwed crime fighter sporting a bright yellow jacket.  Finally green-lit and released by Disney in the wake of the breakout success the prior year of Tim Burton's Batman, the studio was hoping that it could duplicate the mega-blockbuster success of that comic book adaptation, backing its release with loads of marketing hype AND three different soundtrack albums including an assortment of original songs written by Tony-winning songwriting stage legend Stephen Sondheim (West Side Story, Into the Woods) and performed one of its co-stars....that would be Madonna who played Breathtless Mahoney, who is also a key femme fatale for the story.  She is joined by completely STACKED cast by Paul Sorvino, Mandy Patinkin, Glenne Headley, Charlie Korsmo, Charles Durning, James Caan, Dustin Hoffman, AND Al Pacino who plays the film's main villain Big Boy Caprice. 

Alas the film did solid box office but did not live up to the Batman-level hype...though it DID set a record for most Oscars won by a comic book adaptation with three for Best Makeup, Best Original Song, and Best Art Direction.  This record of three Oscars would not be matched for another 28 years until it was eventually tied by another Disney comic book release, Black Panther. 

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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