From the same people who brought us the live action 60's 'Batman' (and 'The Green Hornet') TV series, this un-aired and little seen TV pilot was clearly trying to mimic the style and tone of the latter. With Dick Tracy's colorful rogue's gallery It should've been a slam dunk. So why does this pilot whiff so badly?
For one, it lacks the energy of 'Batman', which was always in perpetual motion. 'Dick Tracy' on the other hand is a lifeless slog. The best comp is that 'Batman' is a pair of running shoes and 'Dick Tracy' is more like a pair of steel-toed boots.
'Dick Tracy' also has none of the flair that marked 'Batman'. No Dutch angles. No colorful sets. It's just visually bland and uninspired. Why would a series in the age when color TV had become the norm not feature Tracy with his signature yellow coat?
Then there's our villain. As I mentioned, Dick Tracy has one of the more visually interesting and unique rogue's galleries in all of comicdom. So why would you not use any of them and instead substitute in an original creation in the form of Victor Bruno's Mr. Memory? Bruno is fine, playing a character in his wheelhouse, but there's not much for him to do and nothing to really make the character stand out. That he's also visually dull certainly doesn't help.
The idea of a 60's Dick Tracy series in the mold of 'Batman' and 'The Green Hornet' sounds like a lot of fun. Unfortunately this pilot is anything but.
For one, it lacks the energy of 'Batman', which was always in perpetual motion. 'Dick Tracy' on the other hand is a lifeless slog. The best comp is that 'Batman' is a pair of running shoes and 'Dick Tracy' is more like a pair of steel-toed boots.
'Dick Tracy' also has none of the flair that marked 'Batman'. No Dutch angles. No colorful sets. It's just visually bland and uninspired. Why would a series in the age when color TV had become the norm not feature Tracy with his signature yellow coat?
Then there's our villain. As I mentioned, Dick Tracy has one of the more visually interesting and unique rogue's galleries in all of comicdom. So why would you not use any of them and instead substitute in an original creation in the form of Victor Bruno's Mr. Memory? Bruno is fine, playing a character in his wheelhouse, but there's not much for him to do and nothing to really make the character stand out. That he's also visually dull certainly doesn't help.
The idea of a 60's Dick Tracy series in the mold of 'Batman' and 'The Green Hornet' sounds like a lot of fun. Unfortunately this pilot is anything but.