Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: When a truckload of furs is stolen from a warehouse and the security guard is killed, Dick Tracy is called in to investigate. With the help of an informant who loses his life as a result, Tracy is able to trace the crime to a gang led by a criminal who calls himself "the Claw" because of a prosthetic hook hand. However, instead of arresting the Claw, he lays out a sting to find out who the criminal is working for. Who's in it? The movie stars Ralph Byrd , Lyle Latell , Kay Christopher, Jack Lambert and Ian Keith . Review: So, as it turns out, I watched the Dick Tracy movies in the wrong order. Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome was the fourth and last movie in the series, not the third. As a result, I corrected the problem this morning by watching Dick Tracy's Dilemma . I am going to say it was a good choice for a film. To be honest, the plot of the film isn't anything overly complicated. There is at least an attempt to create a bit of a mystery surrounding t...

Synopsis: Pat Patton helps a fellow police officer by bringing in a drunk man who later appears to have died in the back of his car. The man, a criminal known as Gruesome, later revives in the morgue and escapes before later using the same gas that paralyzed him to rob a bank. Dick Tracy investigates and soon believes Gruesome's chemical is the work of a missing scientist. He is up against the clock though. A local news reporter is determined to print his story in a few hours, potentially jeopardizing Tracy's case. Who's in it? The movie stars Ralph Byrd, Boris Karloff , Anne Gwynne , Lyle Latell , Edward Ashley and June Clayworth. Review: I've had Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome on my watch list primarily because, as I've mentioned in the past, I'm a big Boris Karloff fan. So, now that I was caught up with the earlier Dick Tracy films, I made sure to watch it this morning. Sadly, I didn't like this one as much as the previous films, and not just because there...

Synopsis: Much to the dismay of Tess Trueheart, Dick Tracy's birthday celebration is interrupted by the murder of a man transporting $300,000 in diamonds enroute to jeweler Jules Sparkle. Tracy immediately begins to suspect an inside job and investigates two of Sparkle's employees, Mona Clyde and Simon Little. This soon puts him in the path of the man who committed the murder, Cueball, and eventually puts Tess's life in danger. Who's in it? The movie stars Morgan Conway , Anne Jeffreys , Lyle Latell , Dick Wessel and Paula Corday. Review: I wasn't certain if I would even have an opportunity to watch a movie this morning so, once I realized I did, I stuck to something familiar and gave Dick Tracy vs. Cueball a try. I had enjoyed the first Dick Tracy film in this series more than expected and, while this sequel wasn't quite as good, it still turned out to be an OK watch. Unlike the first movie, which had a bit of mystery relating to motive, this film was prett...

Synopsis: A serial killer calling himself Splitface is demanding money from seemingly random people then murdering them anyway. Police Detective Dick Tracy is assigned to the case, much to the chagrin of his jilted girlfriend, Tess Trueheart, who soon finds her own life in danger. Who's in it? The movie stars Morgan Conway, Anne Jeffreys, Mike Mazurki , Jane Greer and Lyle Latell. Review: The movie Dick Tracy has been in my film library for several weeks, but I wasn't completely sure if I wanted to watch it. I've never read the comic, and my only knowledge of the character came from the somewhat terrible 1990 Warren Beatty movie, so I just didn't know if I would enjoy it. I finally decided to give it a try this morning and it was admittedly pretty good. One of my biggest concerns about this movie was I was afraid the film would assume I read the comic and therefore would need no introduction to the characters, villain background, etc. That, however, turned out not ...