Product Details

• Actors: Ralph Byrd, Phylis Isley (Jennifer Jones), Irving Pichel, Ted Pearson, Walter Miller
• Directors: William Witney, John English
• Format: Black & White, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Vci Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: July 29, 2008
• Run Time: 263 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001B0H7CW
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,606 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Dick Tracy's G-Men" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

DICK TRACY'S G MEN - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Dick Tracy's G-Men (1939) ... Ralph Byrd ... VCI Ent. (2008)", July 20, 2008

By 

J. Lovins "Mr. Jim" (Missouri-USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dick Tracy's G-Men (DVD)

VCI Entertainment and Republic Pictures present based on Chester Gould's comic strip creation -- "Dick Tracy's G-Men" (2 September 1939) (263 mins/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- Ralph Byrd was an American actor famous for playing the comic strip character Dick Tracy on screen, in serials, movies and television --- Byrd was a good, all-purpose actor with a gift for delivering dialogue in a natural, ingratiating way --- Once established in Republic Pictures' Dick Tracy serials (beginning in 1937), he was usually cast in action features (as a truck driver, lumberjack, cowboy, etc.), despite not having the usual brawny frame that went with these roles --- He had a strong, resolute jaw, however, which gave him a heroic presence.

Republic cast Byrd as Chester Gould's comic-strip detective Dick Tracy in the 1937 serial of the same name. The film was so successful that it spawned three sequels (unheard of in serials): Dick Tracy Returns, Dick Tracy's G-Men (featuring a young Jennifer Jones, under her real name of Phylis Isley), and Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc. (reissued in 1952 as Dick Tracy vs. Phantom Empire).

RKO Radio Pictures made a feature film, Dick Tracy, in 1945, but not with Ralph Byrd (see the Wikipedia entry for Morgan Conway). After two films, exhibitors complained. To them, Ralph Byrd was Dick Tracy, and only Ralph Byrd would do. RKO accepted this and hired Byrd to finish the series. Dick Tracy's Dilemma and Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (with Boris Karloff as Gruesome) were both released in 1947.

In these respects Byrd closely paralleled screen actor George Reeves (who portrayed Superman): he had the same rock-like jaw, the same acting versatility, the same pleasant personality, the same audience identification with a comic-book hero, and the same untimely death following his TV series's completion. Interestingly, Reeves and Byrd were teamed for two low-budget action thrillers in 1948, Thunder in the Pines and Jungle Goddess, both available from VCI Entertainment (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Under the production staff of:
John English - Director
William Witney - Director
Barry Shipman - original screenplay
Franklin Adreon - original screenplay
Rex Taylor - original screenplay
Ronald Davidson - original screenplay
Sol Shor - original screenplay
Cy Feuer - musical director
Robert M. Beche - associate producer
William Nobles - Cinematographer
Bernard Loftus - Film Editor
William P. Thompson - Film Editor
Edward Todd - Film Editor
John Victor Mackay - Art Director

Our story line and plot, 15 Chapters of vintage serial episodes loaded with action sequences --- As our story line has the Republic Serial villain Zanoff (Pichel) who is also a mad doctor set to be executed in the state prison --- Has Zanoff a plan to cheat death, will he be a thorn in Dick Tracy's (Byrd) side once again --- What evil plan does the mad doctor have up his sleeve --- Can Tracy survive every mortal peril that he faces in all 15 Chapters --- Each episode has our hero getting wet at sea, falling from planes and side stepping explosions --- Well "serial-buffs" don't leave the theater until the final chapter is over and done with --- And how about the Republic stunt team with George DeNormand (stunt double for Ralph Byrd), Bud Geary, Tom Steele, Ken Terrell, Bud Wolfe --- Meanwhile back to our Republic Serial which is always good till the last drop and this serial is no exception --- There is a great deal of entertainment here for the cliffhanger fans out there --- All courtesy of VCI Entertainment, who in my humble opinion is the best there is in restoring early serials and features.

the cast includes:
Ralph Byrd ... Dick Tracy
Irving Pichel ... Nicolas Zarnoff
Ted Pearson ... Agent Steve Lockwood
Jennifer Jones ... Gwen Andrews (as Phyllis Isley)
Walter Miller ... Henchman Robal
George Douglas ... Henchman Sandoval
Kenneth Harlan ... FBI Chief Clive Anderson
Robert Carson ... Agent Scott
Julian Madison ... Agent Foster
Ted Mapes ... Agent Dan Murchison
William Stahl ... Agent Bruce
Robert Wayne ... Agent Wilbur
Joe McGuinn ... Henchman Tom
Ken Terrell ... Henchman Ed
Harry Humphrey ... Warden Stover
Harrison Greene ... Baron

CHAPTER TITLES:
1.The Master Spy
2.Captured
3.The False Signal
4.The Enemy Strikes
5.Crack-up
6.Sunken Peril
7.Tracking the Enemy
8.Chamber of Doom
9.Flames of Jeopardy
10.Crackling Fury
11.Caverns of Peril
12.Fight in the Sky
13.The Fatal Ride
14.Getaway
15.The Last Stand

SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. Special Video Introduction by Max Allan Collins (author of Dick Tracy comic strip 1977-93)
2. Chapter Selection
3. Trailers

BIOS:
1. Ralph Byrd (as Dick Tracy)
Birth Date: 4/22/1909 - Dayton, Ohio
Died: 8/18/1952 - Tarzana, CA

2. Chester Gould (creator of Dick Tracy)
Birth Date:11/20/1900 - Pawnee, Oklahoma
Died: 5/11/1985 - Woodstock, Illinois

3. William Witney (Director)
Birth Date: 5/15/1910
Died: 3/17/2002 - Pioneer, CA

4. John English (Director)
Birth Date: 6/25/1903 - Cumberland, England, UK
Died: 10/11/1969 - Los Angeles, CA

Hats off and thanks to Robert Blair and his staff at VCI Entertainment --- VCI was named in Variety and Hollywood Reporter as the first company to produce and release motion pictures directly to the home marketplace --- order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- VCI are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector -- looking forward to more Nostalgic Collections.

Total Time: 263 mins on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment 8504 ~ (7/29/2008)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST OF THE TRACY TETRALOGY, March 4, 2011

By 

James Doherty "Jim Doherty" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dick Tracy's G-Men (DVD)

This is the best of the four TRACY serials Republic released between 1937 and 1941. Though we weren't in it yet, WW2 impinges on the series as our hero (still a West Coast FBI agent rather than the Midwestern local police detective he was in the comics) is pitted against Nicolas Zarnoff (Irving Pichel in a great performance), a spy/saboteur in the pay of the Axis (though, in those days of American neutrality, his employers could only be referred to as "The Three Powers") who rather resembles Boris Arson, a villain from the newspaper strip that inspired the film. Great action. Great story. Great direction from English and Witney. Plus the annoying Junior and comic relief character "Mike McGurk," from the first two serials in the series, are blessedly absent. The framing device with which the first chapter opens makes one wonder if Orson Welles might have seen this film, since it so resembles the beginning of Welles's 1941 masterpiece CITIZEN KANE. An introduction by former TRACY scribe Max Allan Collins serves to put the film in historical context. One of the best serials ever in a great package.

4.0 out of 5 stars I love Jennifer Jones, whatever name she goes by..., April 20, 2009

By 

Neal C. Reynolds (Indianapolis, Indiana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dick Tracy's G-Men (DVD)

Jennifer Jones as Gwen really helped make ths one for me. She conveyed a very pleasant reality and was very definitely more noticeable than the other actresses who portrayed Gwen.Other than that, this serial continued the fast action of the previous Tracy ones. The choreographed fight scenes which were a staple in the later Republic serials were outstanding in this and there was one quite spectacular chapter ending, the burning dirigible. Highly recommended.