Morgan Conway & Anne Jeffreys in "Dick Tracy" (1945)

A city is paralyzed by fear after a string of brutal murders shocks the public. Each victim, a respected citizen, is found strangled with a silver badge marked “Splitface” left beside the body. The case falls to famed detective Dick Tracy (Morgan Conway), whose sharp intellect and unshakable resolve make him the city’s best hope. Relentless and morally grounded, Tracy is determined to unmask the killer whose spree seems driven by calculated revenge.

Tracy is aided by his loyal assistant Pat Patton (Lyle Latell), his devoted girlfriend Tess Trueheart (Anne Jeffreys), and his eager ward Junior (Mickey Kuhn), whose curiosity occasionally lands him in trouble. Their teamwork is tested as the clues grow darker and the murders more frequent. When a wealthy doctor—one of the victims—is revealed to have been involved in an old criminal trial, Tracy connects the dots: the killer, Splitface (Mike Mazurki), is a scarred ex-con seeking vengeance on the twelve jurors who sent him to prison.

The police trail winds through shadowy docks, grimy back alleys, and smoky nightclubs. Tracy and Pat follow leads to Madame Tessier (Rita Corday), a fortune-teller whose cryptic hints point to Splitface’s hideout but whose loyalties are uncertain. Splitface, aware of the pursuit, turns the tables, ambushing Tracy in a dark street. The detective narrowly survives, thanks to Junior’s sharp eye catching the killer’s car as it speeds away.

As the body count rises, Tracy uncovers a deeper motive behind the killings: Splitface is also tied to a blackmail ring preying on the city’s elite, using murder to silence witnesses and cover his crimes. In a tense climax at an abandoned waterfront warehouse, Tracy and Pat arrive to find Tess held hostage. A desperate fight erupts amid the fog and crashing waves, ending when Splitface plunges from a catwalk into the dark waters below—his vengeance unfinished and his terror ended.

With order restored, Tracy is hailed as a hero. Yet the victory feels bittersweet; he knows the struggle against corruption never truly ends. Sharing a quiet moment with Tess, he contemplates a brief rest, but the telephone rings—a new case calling him back to duty. With a wry smile, Tracy dons his hat and trench coat, striding once more into the night.

A 1945 American Black & White action crime mystery film (aka "Dick Tracy, Detective") directed by William A. Berke, produced by Herman Schlom, screenplay by Eric Taylor, based on the Dick Tracy comic strip created by Chester Gould, cinematography by Frank Redman, starring Morgan Conway, Anne Jeffreys, Mike Mazurki, Jane Greer, Lyle Latell, Joseph Crehan, Mickey Kuhn, Trevor Bardette, Morgan Wallace, Milton Parsons, and William Halligan.

Jason Robards Sr. appears as a motorist, uncredited.

The first of four installment of the Dick Tracy film series, released by RKO Radio Pictures. The series, based on Chester Gould's square-jawed comic strip crime fighter, consisted of four pictures and ran from 1945-1947. The first two starred Conway as Tracy. RKO brought Conway from Broadway to star in the title role.Ralph Byrd, who had previously starred in the four fifteen-episode Dick Tracy serials at Republic Pictures from 1937 to 1941, replaced Conway in the final two films. All of the films featured Lyle Latell as Tracy's right-hand man.

Dick Tracy drives a 1939 Buick sedan; the police car is a 1939 Dodge. At the time of production, the first of the post-WWII 1946 models had not yet rolled off the assembly line.

The exteriors of the house use the same RKO Encino Ranch set of the Peabody House in "Bringing Up Baby" (1938).

Anne Carmichael Jeffreys (1923-2017), born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, was an American actress and singer whose career spanned more than seven decades, encompassing film, stage, and television. Originally aspiring to become an opera singer, she trained in voice and even performed with the New York Municipal Opera Company before being discovered by Hollywood talent scouts in the early 1940s. She began her film career with roles in RKO productions. Her singing talent and elegance made her a popular musical theater performer throughout the 1950s. Jeffreys found renewed fame on television in the 1950s and 1960s, co-starring with her husband, actor Robert Sterling, in the hit series Topper (1953–1955. She later earned praise for her recurring roles on Falcon Crest and General Hospital, where she portrayed the wealthy socialite Amanda Barrington from the 1980s into the 2000s. Over her long career, Jeffreys was honored with several accolades, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Golden Boot Award for her contributions to western films.

Running at a brisk pace and filled with noir atmosphere, this film blends comic-strip stylization with gritty realism. The shadowy cinematography and expressionistic lighting echo German influences, heightening its suspense. Both a pulpy thriller and a prototype for the hard-boiled detective films that followed.

Видео Morgan Conway & Anne Jeffreys in "Dick Tracy" (1945) канала Donald P. Borchers