History Film / DickTracy

** Blank/[[spoiler:Breathless]] was [[spoiler:in love with Tracy]] and desperate to get out from under Big Boy.

* IronicNickname: Alphonse Caprice is also referred to as "Big Boy", but he's actually [[TheNapoleon shorter]] the movie's main adult characters, including her moll Breathless Mahoney and his archenemy Dick Tracy.

* IronicNickname: Alphonse Caprice is also referred to as "Big Boy", but he's actually [[TheNapoleon shorter]] than many of the movie's main characters, including her moll Breathless Mahoney and his archenemy Dick Tracy.

* TheNapoleon: Big Boy Caprice is a definite example for this trope, considering his relatively short height when compared to the other main characters. He even mentions the real-life French revolutionary figure himself in one scene from the movie:

* TheNapoleon: Big Boy Caprice is a definite example for this trope, considering his relatively short height when compared to the other main characters. He even mentiones the actual real-life French figure himself in one scene from the movie:

* GoodIsNotNice: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. The most unsavory thing we see Tracy do... is maybe get [[DistractedByTheSexy distracted by the sexiness of]] [[TheVamp Breathless Mahoney]]. He can also act like... well, a [[IncrediblyLamePun dick]] when it comes to interrogating criminals but tends to stay away from violent methods unless it's really necessary.

--> '''Big Boy:''' "There was one Napoleon, one Washington, one me!"

** The Blank as well, although perhaps more of a VigilanteMan [[(or actually, a VigilanteWoman after that person's revelation)]].

* TheBlank: Trope namer, in this case, a faceless (literally) mystery man who undermines Big Boy's operation, and Tracy's career, too.

** The Blank as well, although perhaps more of a VigilanteMan.

* {{Catchphrase}}: "I'm on my way."

** [[spoiler: Pruneface seems like he's one of the stronger members of Big Boy's new gang, not hesitating to talk back to Big Boy when Tracy's screwing up their empire. He ends up getting killed off by the Blank around the film's midway point.]]

%%* FemmeFatale: Breathless loves playing with this trope.

%%* IronicNickname

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:The Blank.]]

* BeautyEqualsGoodness: An exaggerated trope, as all of the gangsters are [[RedRightHand deformed looking]], while anyone who is at least somewhat sympathetic looks at least normal. This follows the pattern of the original ComicStrip, which has the bad guys similarly [[RedRightHand malformed]].

** Most of Big Boy’s victims are also in the mob, but fall under this due to the brutality of their executions, especially Lips Manlis.

* HeroesWantRedheads: Tracy ultimately sticks up with the redhead Tess Trueheart. Not that the blonde Breathless didn't put up a hell of a fight...

* InvincibleHero: Dick Tracy never seems to get a blow landed on him in fistfights with dozens of hoodlums.

* AccidentalKidnapping: Big Boy unknowingly kidnaps [[spoiler:Tess]], thanks to The Blank. Big Boy, thinking Tracy is intentionally framing him, suitably freaks out.

In 1990, Creator/TouchstonePictures took Chester Gould's relatively simple crime-drama [[ComicStrip/DickTracy comic strip]] and reimagined it as a big-budget extravaganza with big-name actors, colorful costumes, special effects, comedic timing, and plenty of music. Creator/WarrenBeatty both directed the film and starred in the title role.

The movie also starred Creator/GlenneHeadly as Tess Trueheart and Charlie Korsmo as the nameless "Kid." It won Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, and Best Original Song (Music/StephenSondheim's "Sooner or Later"). Pacino was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor (in a Playboy interview, he actually listed it among his top 5 performances).

One of the striking features of the film was its attempt to replicate, in live-action, the flat colors and limited palette of the comic strip. Every yellow thing was the same bright yellow as Dick Tracy's trademark outfit, every blue thing was the same blue, every red thing the same red, and so forth. Years later, Film/SinCity did this through the use of digital tinting, but in 1990 it was done "the old-fashioned way," using specific paint and lighting techniques to create the look.%%It feels like there ought to be a trope that covers this, but if so I haven't found it.

For some reason, many people seem to be under the impression that the movie bombed at the box office, when [[http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=dicktracy.htm in fact it made double its budget back in America, and triple when you factor in the rest of the world.]] In fact, it was actually the highest-grossing film of Warren Beatty's career. However, a combination of performing under Disney's expectations (Disney had hoped that ''Dick Tracy'' would be a hit on the same level as the previous year's ''Film/Batman1989'', and initiated an ''immense'' marketing campaign accordingly, which ended up costing more than the movie itself cost to produce and enormously inflated its budget in real terms) and a decades-long battle over the rights between Beatty and the Tribune Co. [[StillbornFranchise put the kibosh on any immediate follow-ups]]. Beatty continues to hold onto the rights of the character through [[AshcanCopy in-character interview specials]] shown on Creator/TurnerClassicMovies in 2010 and 2023.

* ElectiveUnintelligible: Mumbles.

* FemmeFatale: Breathless loves playing with this trope.

* TheHyena: Flattop.

* OutsideRide: Kid's specialty.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: 88 Keys. He's killed while resisting arrest in the comic strip, in the movie he's just taken into custody, and he's given a larger role in the novelization sequel.

* TheTropeKid: Kid.
* TheUnintelligible: Mumbles
* TheVamp: Breathless Mahoney.

* KickTheDog: Big Boy smashes the fingers of 88 Keys in a piano when he becomes frustrated with the slow progress made by his performers during a rehearsal at the Club Ritz.

For some reason, many people seem to be under the impression that the movie bombed at the box office, when [[http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=dicktracy.htm in fact it made double its budget back in America, and triple when you factor in the rest of the world.]] In fact, it was actually the highest-grossing film of Warren Beatty's career. However, a combination of performing under Disney's expectations (Disney had hoped that ''Dick Tracy'' would be a hit on the same level as the previous year's ''Film/Batman1989'', and initiated an ''immense'' marketing campaign accordingly, which ended up costing more than the movie itself cost to produce and enormously inflated its budget in real terms) and a decades-long battle over the rights between Beatty and the Tribune Co. [[StillbornFranchise put the kibosh on any immediate follow-ups]]. Beatty continues to hold onto the rights of the character through [[AshcanCopy in-character interview specials]] shown on Creator/TurnerClassicMovies in 2008 and 2023.

For some reason, many people seem to be under the impression that the movie bombed at the box office, when [[http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=dicktracy.htm in fact it made double its budget back in America, and triple when you factor in the rest of the world.]] In fact, it was actually the highest-grossing film of Warren Beatty's career. However, a combination of performing under Disney's expectations (Disney had hoped that ''Dick Tracy'' would be a hit on the same level as the previous year's ''Film/Batman1989'', and initiated an ''immense'' marketing campaign accordingly, which ended up costing more than the movie itself cost to produce and enormously inflated its budget in real terms) and a decades-long battle over the rights between Beatty and the Tribune Co. [[StillbornFranchise put the kibosh on any immediate follow-ups]].

* BeautyEqualsGoodness: An exaggerated trope, as all of the gangsters are [[RedRightHand deformed looking]], while anyone who is at least somewhat sympathetic looks at least normal.

In 1990, Creator/TouchstonePictures took Chester Gould's relatively simple crime-drama [[ComicStrip/DickTracy comic strip]] and reimagined it as a big-budget extravaganza with big-name actors, colorful costumes, special effects and plenty of music. Creator/WarrenBeatty both directed the film and starred in the title role.

One of the striking features of the film was its attempt to replicate, in live action, the flat colors and limited palette of the comic strip. Every yellow thing was the same bright yellow as Dick Tracy's trademark outfit, every blue thing was the same blue, every red thing the same red, and so forth. Years later, Film/SinCity did this through the use of digital tinting, but in 1990 it was done "the old-fashioned way," using specific paint and lighting techniques to create the look.%%It feels like there ought to be a trope that covers this, but if so I haven't found it.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* ShesGotLegs: Breathless's backup singers perform or rehearse various dance numbers in short skirts and shorts (Breathless herself tends to wear long gowns, save for when she's trying to seduce Tracy) with there being occasional closeups of their legs.

For some reason, many people seem to be under the impression that the movie bombed at the box office, when [[http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=dicktracy.htm in fact it made double its budget back in America, and triple when you factor in the rest of the world.]] In fact, it was actually the highest grossing film of Warren Beatty's career. However, a combination of performing under Disney's expectations (Disney had hoped that ''Dick Tracy'' would be a hit on the same level as the previous year's ''Film/Batman1989'', and initiated an ''immense'' marketing campaign accordingly, which ended up costing more than the movie itself cost to produce and enormously inflated its budget in real terms) and a decades-long battle over the rights between Beatty and the Tribune Co. [[StillbornFranchise put the kibosh on any immediate follow-ups]].

* TheBlank: Trope namer, in this case a faceless (literally) mystery man who undermines Big Boy's operation, and Tracy's career, too.

* NiceHat: Tracy's unmistakable butter-colored chapeau.

** Tracy, when attacking a hobo, Steve the Bum, who's been abusing the Kid.

** And let's not for get Lips... despite having JabbaTableManners.