Dick Tracy (1937)

In early 1937, Republic Pictures released the first chapter of its first Dick Tracy serial. Dick Tracy (affiliate link) consisted of 15 chapters for a total of almost 300 minutes. Ralph Byrd played the popular comic book detective Dick Tracy.

In this serial, the Spider, whose true identity is unknown, leads a gang of criminals dedicated to enriching themselves and eliminating Dick Tracy.

A unique plot twist involves The Spider’s men kidnapping Dick Tracy’s brother Gordon. The Spider’s main henchman Dr. Moloch performs a brain operation on Gordon Tracy. Gordon becomes The Spider’s slave and turns against his brother.

John Picorri plays Dr. Moloch. Picorri was born in London, England on August 4, 1895. Piccorri played in 43 films from 1935 to 1942 before returning to the stage. All 43 films were serials or “B” films. Picorri passed away in Los Angeles, California on July 1, 1976 at 80 years of age.

Each episode is approximately 20 minutes in length. If you decide to watch the series, let me know what you think.

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