Warren Beatty wants to control 'Dick Tracy'

Here’s something to shout into your two-way wrist radio: Actor Warren Beatty has filed a federal suit for control of comic-strip detective Dick Tracy.

The film idol bought rights to the character two decades ago from the Tribune Company in order to make his 1990 hit movie version of the square-jawed, tough-talking gumshoe. The sale allowed Tribune, the original publishers of the classic strip, to take back the rights if Beatty didn’t film another project.

Tribune, which owns the Los Angeles Times, recently sent Beatty a letter saying time is up and it is reasserting control of the character. But the actor claims he should retain the rights because he started filming a Dick Tracy TV special earlier this month.

His attorney declined to say where or when the program will air, but insists the 71-year-old is far from done with the detective.

“Warren has always viewed Dick Tracy as a very valuable, interesting iconic character,” said attorney  Charles Shephard. “He has all sorts of creative thoughts about what he might do with this character.”

A representative from Tribune did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

-- Harriet Ryan

Comments

[A.L. Hern]

I think that the above piece is overstating the case. Tribune Company sold Beatty the FILM rights to the chracter, not all rights, which is what Times writer Harriet Ryan implies in her somewhat muddled article.

As for Beatty, his attorney's assurances that the actor is filming a "Dick Tracy" "TV special" fails the smell test. Is it mere coincidence that this "special" is underway at the very moment that Tribune reasserts its rights to "Dick Tracy"... or is it purely coincidental that he announces it on the very day that Beatty's co-star, Madonna, gets a quickie divorce in London?

C'mon, Warren! After forty years you should've learned SOMETHING from Clye Barrow; if you rob banks, admit proudly that that's what you do: "We rob banks!"

[Brian]

A "TV Special" from a multiple Academy Award winning writer/actor/director who has as much inside access as anyone in Hollywood? That seems like a strange career move at this point. And why is a 71 year old man who hasn't made a movie in years interested in a faded comic book character that he has already explored? Why would there be any dispute about a character when it takes legal agreements to obtain the rights? What are those legal agreements and could they possibly have lasted ten or twenty years?
And why does Beatty, who has a reputation for being deliberate, meticulous, and an extreme perfectionist on his projects, refuse to participate in DVD commentaries or features on his films, although he is not making new ones? Does he not understand that fans who made these films successful would value his take on how they were made? How can this be anything but a positive for him and his legacy?
It's curious that a man who wanted to make his mark on the film industry has stopped engaging with the public on any level.

[Well Shucks]

Well this is easy enough to prove or disprove. Where's the documentation, correspondence, etc. You don't just start a production in a vacuum. There are people, vendors etc. This will be easy to settle.