Decoder Ring: Calling Dick Tracy! It’s Warren Beatty Again

Slow Burn

Slate Podcasts

News, Society & Culture, History, Documentary, Politics

4.6 • 25.1K Ratings

🗓️ 30 October 2024

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

(While we work on the next season of Slow Burn we're showcasing new episodes from Slate's narrative podcast Decoder Ring.) Oscar-winner Warren Beatty first secured the rights to the comic book character Dick Tracy in the lead up to his 1990 movie adaptation. Decades later, Beatty kept playing Tracy in bizarre late-night specials airing on cable TV, that confounded nearly everyone. Why is one of the most famous movie stars of the 20th century, spending the twilight of his career playing a comic strip detective of dwindling renown? In this episode, we investigate: What’s going on between Warren Beatty and Dick Tracy? This episode was written by Willa Paskin. It was edited by Lacy Roberts and Evan Chung. It was produced by Sofie Kodner. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin, Evan Chung, Katie Shepherd and Max Freedman. Derek John is Executive Producer. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director. In this episode, you’ll hear from author and artist Ryan Estrada, journalist Kim Masters, comic book store owner Matt Live, and media lawyer Celia Muller. If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, email us at [email protected] Want more Decoder Ring? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Decoder Ring show page. Or, visit slate.com/decoderplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This podcast is brought to you by Progressive Insurance,
0:04.0	Fiscally responsible, financial geniuses, monetary magicians.
0:08.0	These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to progressive and save hundreds.
0:14.0	Visit progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates.
0:20.3	Potential savings will vary, not available in all states or situations.
0:25.0	On a seemingly normal Friday evening in July of 2012, Turner Classic Movies, the cable channel that plays old films all day, was airing a seemingly normal Dick Tracy marathon.
0:44.0	Calling all cars, mobilize every truck.
0:47.0	Dick Tracy is a comic strip character, a square jaw detective who's been around for nearly hundred years. You can recognize him by his outfit.
0:55.4	He always wears an acid yellow trench coat and fedora. He used to be a household name,
1:00.0	appearing in daily newspapers and on the radio and in black and white detective films and cereals.
1:05.2	Hello, hello operator, Dick Tracy speaking. Get me the police air drone. Hurry it up.
1:11.5	In 1990, the character got the full Hollywood treatment when the Oscar-winning movie star
1:16.2	Warren Beatty directed, produced, co-wrote, and starred in a high-profile adaptation.
1:21.6	Hey, tough guy, you want to try that on somebody your own size?
1:27.0	That movie and some of the old black and white pictures were all part of the
1:30.0	TCN marathon as you'd expect.
1:33.1	But then five minutes before 10 p.m.
1:36.1	TCM ran something unexpected.
1:39.1	Everyone on social media is like,
1:40.9	the weirdest fr freaking thing just aired.
1:44.0	Ryan Estrada writes and draws comics all over the world.
1:48.0	When he woke up on the Saturday morning after TCM's marathon played,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Slate Podcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Slate Podcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.