Written by James M. Tate / 3/02/2024 / No comments / action , anne gwynne , boris karloff , crime , dick tracy , forties , franchise , horror satire , ralph byrd , skelton knaggs
RALPH BYRD AND BORIS KARLOFF IN 'DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME'
 |
| Title: DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME Year: 1947 Rating: **1/2 |
Despite the legendary Boris Karloff playing Gruesome, this is the last and weakest of the RKO four-picture series... mainly because it goes for physical comedy over dark noir-like aesthetic and frightful violence: the story taking place mostly in the daylight without the same amount of eerie shadow-play of its predecessors...
The silliness mainly derives from the weapon that Gruesome and his haphazard two-man posse (compared to effectively creepy inventor Skelton Knaggs) use: gas pellets that freeze bank customers as the gang moves in...
 |
| Boris Karloff and Lyle Latell in DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME |
Meanwhile Tess Trueheart, safe in a phone booth, witnesses everything... and when Tracy shows up, and the customers come out of their frozen comas, it's not only corny but the comedic scene lasts too long...
Overall Karloff's a one-note (Frankenstein-parody) villain that takes the franchise out with a whimper, far too aware of itself... at one point Lyle Latell's faithful lawman/sidekick Pat (cast in all four features) tells Tracy that Gruesome resembles... Boris Karlof! Thankfully, past heavies Dick Wessel, Mike Mazurki and Jack Lambert weren't that famous.
 |
| Boris Karloff and Skelton Knaggs in DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME |
 |
| Ralph Byrd in DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME |
 |
| Boris Karloff and Tony Barrett in DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME |
 |
| Anne Gwynne in DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME |
 |
| Anne Gwynne and Ralph Byrd in DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME |
 |
| From DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME |
 |
| Boris Karloff in DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME |
 |
| Boris Karloff in DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME |
All Time Popular
-
Robyn Hilton enters into an eclectic exploitation comedy career in Wonder Women circa 1973 As mentioned a few posts ago, ROBYN HILTON, b... -
year: 1978 cast: Allen Garfield, Leif Garrett, Kathleen Lloyd, Tony Alva, Pam Kenneally rating: ***1/2 Although promoted as a Leif Garr... -
Kari Michaelsen in Saturday the 14th year: 1982 In LOVE AT FIRST BITE, a popular comedy that took the vampire genre by satire, Richard ... -
Cornelia Sharpe in BUSTING Year: 1974 Rating: **** Starring Elliott Gould and Robert Blake as determined vice cops BUSTING hookers, makin... -
Mary-Louise Weller in NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE ANIMAL HOUSE, directed by John Landis and produced by Ivan Reitman, stars John Be... -
Kerri Green and John Candy in SUMMER RENTAL Year: 1985 John Candy, in his first leading role, plays a burnt-out air traffic controller ... -
Robyn Hilton on STARSKY AND HUTCH Model/Actress ROBYN HILTON played Mel Brook's secretary in BLAZING SADDLES and turns up in an epis... -
Robyn Hilton in Video Vixens the same year as Blazing Saddles: 1974 The Anthology of Comedic Parodies, already done in several Woody All... -
CADDDYSHACK is best known for the iconic leading actors: Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase, Ted Knight, and Bill Murray, but originally the ... -
Elizabeth James and Tom Laughlin on equal ground YEAR: 1967 THE BORN LOSERS wasn't supposed to happen but thank God it did since BIL...
Featured Post
RUSHING THROUGH JOHN SCHLESINGER'S 'HONKY TONK FREEWAY'
Title: HONKY TONK FREEWAY Year: 1981 Rating: **** John Schlesinger's HONKY TONK FREEWAY has two composers: Elmer Bernstein doing his usu...
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.