Tribune Loses Dick Tracy Lawsuit To Warren Beatty
By Rob Christopher in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 29, 2011 2:30PM
Looks like Annette Benning's hubby is free to don that yellow trenchcoat again, if he so chooses.
Tribune Co. and Warren Beatty had been fighting over the rights to Dick Tracy since 2008. Beatty claimed that even after directing the 1990 movie the rights were still his; Tribune countered that his lack of active exploitation of the character meant that the rights should revert to them. Now a U.S. District court has ruled that, in fact, Beatty does indeed still have control over the character.
Chester Gould's comic strip debuted in 1931. It was the 61st cartoon-strip idea he'd submitted to the Trib--the first 60 had been rejected. He drew the strip until he retired in 1977. The Chester Gould-Dick Tracy Museum in Woodstock opened in 1991.
Dick Tracy starred Beatty, Madonna, Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino alongside a gallery of distinctive character actors. Aside from Madonna's patently terrible performance, we think it holds up pretty well. Will a 130-minute "director's cut" now finally see the light of day? In order to retain the rights, Beatty is obligated to do another "major" Tracy project within the next few years. Seeing as how the original strip was inspired by Chicago gangsters, might we suggest any possible sequel be shot right here? Mayor Daley can play Mumbles.