Broadcast History: 4 February 1935 to 11 July 1935, 30 September 1935 to 24 March 1937, 3 January 1938 to 30 September 1939, and 15 March 1943 to 16 July 1948
An adventure serial based on the comic strip character created by Chester Gould and first broadcast by NBC in New England around 1934. It next went out over the airwaves courtesy of CBS and sponsored by Sterling Products for six months in 1935 who did four episodes a week. Then it was the turn of Mutual to entertain the kids from Sept 1935 to March 1937 with the usual four or five episodes a week. It was brought back on the air in January of 1938 by NBC and Quaker Oats, this time for five episodes a week at 5pm and this went on until April 1939. It must have been because of the summer months, or writers cramp or something, because the day after they took it off they brought it back but only once a week, on a Saturday.
After that it went off the air altogether for three and a half years before Tootsie Rolls decided to sponsor it in March of 1943 together with Blue Network / ABC right through to 1948.
Dick Tracy was originally played by Bob Burlen when it was first broadcast from New England in 1934. Others taking the part after that included Ned Wever who played the part from 1940 to 1945, Matt Crowley and Barry Thomson. Dick Tracy’s partner, Pat Patton was usually played by Walter Kinsella. Whilst Junior Tracy was shared between Andy Donnelly and Jackie Kelk.. Helen Lewis took the part of Tess Trueheart and the Announcers included Don Gardiner, George Gunn, Dan Seymour and Ed Herlihy. The episodes were directed by Mitchell Grayson, Charles Powers, Bob White and others, with Writers Sidney Slon and John Wray supplying the material.
The stories usually began with the Announcer introducing Dick Tracy to the sound of the radio signals. Then Tracy would say something to the effect that "This is Dick Tracy on the case of ...whatever the story title was" followed by a police siren disappearing into the distance and the Announcer declaring "Yes, it’s Dick Tracy. Protector of Law and Order."
