Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (also known as Dick Tracy Meets Karloff and Dick Tracy's Amazing Adventure) is a 1947 thriller film starring Boris Karloff, Ralph Byrd, and Anne Gwynne. The film is the fourth and final installment of the Dick Tracy film series released by RKO Radio Pictures.
A just released from prison convict named Gruesome is recruited by an old crony—the piano player Melody—to join a gang planning to use a stolen experimental nerve gas that freezes people to pull off a bank heist. Eyewitness to the crime is Tess Truehart, who calls on her boyfriend Dick Tracy to investigate. With few leads from the bank's incapacitated customers, and press coverage threatening to create chaos, Tracy is in a tough spot. When Tracy learns about the mysterious disappearance of a physicist at the university, however, it may provide the crucial break he needs to solve the crime.
Tropes:
- Bandaged Face: After the injured Melody dies, Tracy takes his place: his face disguised by a swath of bandages so Gruesome will abduct him thinking he is Melody.
- Bodybag Trick: In the morgue, Gruesome avoids Tracy by lying down on a gurney and pulling a sheet over himself. Tracy walks straight past him without noticing and Gruesome is able to escape.
- Canon Immigrant: On October 16, 2014, writer Mike Curtis and artist Joe Staton introduced a version of the Gruesome character into the Dick Tracy comic strip. They introduced a character inspired by Melody (Mel O. Dee) on October 27 of that year.
- Celebrity Paradox: On being asked to describe Gruesome, Pat says:I tell you, if I didn't know better I'd swear we were doing business with Boris Karloff.
- Contrived Clumsiness: Prof. Learned feigns clumsiness and drops the flask containing Dr. Tomic's formula so it smashes to cover up that she had stolen the formula and substituted water in its place.
- Curtain Camouflage: Gruesome gets the drop on Pat by hiding behind a hanging tiger skin the taxidermist's shop.
- Dead Person Impersonation: Tracy poses as the deceased Melody to lure Gruesome out of hiding.
- Dramatic Drop: Dr. Learned fakes one to drop the container of experimental formula to cover the fact that she stole the formula and replaced it with water.
- I Am One of Those, Too: Gruesome and X-Ray use a military Trojan Ambulance to gain access, claiming to have come from the 291st General. However, on the way out, they run into an ambulance driver who used to serve in the 291st General who spots something something fishy about their ambulance.
- Murder by Cremation: Gruesome orders X-Ray to feed the helpless Melody (actually Tracy in disguise) into the incinerator in the plastics factory. However, Tracy wakes up in time to overpower him.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Gruesome, Melody and X-Ray.
- Oral Fixation: Gruesome always has a toothpick or a cigarette in his mouth.
- The Paralyzer: Dr. A. Tomic's experimental gas causes everyone in the area who inhales it to be frozen solid for 15 minutes. Gruesome and his gang steal it and use it to paralyze everyone in a bank while they rob it.
- Pop the Tires: Pat shoots out the tyre of Gruesome's car, causing it to crash into the taxidermist's shop.
- Punny Name: Several of the character initials combined with the last name are a play on words: Dr. L.E. Thal (Dr. Lethal), Professor I.M. Learned (Prof. I Am Learned), and Dr. A. Tomic (Dr. Atomic).
- She Knows Too Much: Dr. Learned panics when she learns that Tracy knows that she stole the experimental formula from the university lab. Dr. Thal decides to get her out of town and sends Gruesome to pick her up and take her to his cabin on the lake. However, when Gruesome arrives at the meeting point, he just guns her down, then returns to Thal and explains that she knew too much about their operation and he couldn't risk her falling into the hands of the police.
- Spill Stain Sabotage: In a variant Dr. Learned attempts to hide that she has stolen the experimental formula and replaced it with by water faking a Dramatic Drop to shatter the container. However, Tracy takes a sample of the residue and has it analysed anyway.
- Tap on the Head: Gruesome knocks out several characters, including Pat, using a karate chop to the back of the neck.
- Taxidermy Terror: In the darkened taxidermist's shop, Pat backs into a stuffed gorilla and immediately puts his hands up. when nothing happens, he turns around and comes face-to-face with the gorilla and yelps in panic.
- Trojan Ambulance: Gruesome uses a military ambulance to gain admittance to the hospital when he abducts what he thinks is Melody. When he leaves, he steals one of the city's ambulance because he knows the police will be looking for the army one. He turns on the siren and drives out of the hospital past the unsuspecting Pat.
- Waking Up at the Morgue: Gruesome passes out and then freezes rigid after accidentally inhaling the experimental gas. Pat delivers what he thinks is Gruesome's corpse to morgue. When the gas wears off, Gruesome wakes up on the slab and casually lights a cigarette before seeming to notice where he is.
