Dick Tracy: The Bridge of Terror | 1937 | Episode 2 | Crime | Action | Mystery

Title: Dick Tracy – Chapter 2: The Bridge of Terror Serial Title: Dick Tracy (1937, Republic Pictures, 15-part serial) Chapter: 2 of 15 Release Date: February 20, 1937 Directed by: Alan James & Ray Taylor Written by: Morgan Cox, George H. Plympton, Barry Shipman, Winston Miller Produced by: Henry MacRae Based on: Dick Tracy comic strip by Chester Gould Studio: Republic Pictures Runtime: Approx. 20 minutes (Chapter 2) Format: Black and White, Mono Sound Language: English Country: United States Genre: Crime, Detective, Mystery, Serial, Action --- Synopsis: Picking up where Chapter 1 left off, "The Bridge of Terror" continues the story of intrepid G-Man Dick Tracy as he pursues the masked criminal mastermind known as The Spider. After surviving an attack on a commercial airliner, Tracy uncovers a plot involving the sabotage of a critical suspension bridge—an act of terror meant to halt the city’s development and spread chaos. In this thrilling installment, Tracy races to prevent the destruction of the bridge. Meanwhile, The Spider’s agents are always a step ahead, using brainwashing, coded messages, and subterfuge to undermine Tracy’s efforts. One of Tracy’s most trusted allies is captured, and an explosive trap awaits our hero atop the bridge in the chapter’s pulse-pounding cliffhanger ending. --- Main Cast: Ralph Byrd as Dick Tracy Kay Hughes as Gwen Andrews Smiley Burnette as Mike McGurk Lee Van Atta as Junior Carleton Young as Gordon Tracy (Tracy’s brainwashed brother) John Picorri as The Spider (masked villain) Francis X. Bushman Jr. as Steve Lockwood --- Key Elements: Heavy focus on high-stakes sabotage and infrastructure destruction. Introduces the concept of “hypno-ray” control used by The Spider to manipulate key figures. Features Tracy’s early forensic techniques, a hallmark of the character in print and on-screen. Ends with a suspenseful cliffhanger—Tracy left unconscious on a collapsing bridge rigged to explode. Classic serial editing: rapid pacing, wipes, and dramatic orchestral stings. --- Trivia: The bridge seen in the serial was actually a miniature model used in conjunction with live-action shots for the climactic explosion scene. Republic Pictures used leftover props from previous war serials to create The Spider's hideout. Ralph Byrd performed some of his own stunts in this chapter, including the dangerous fight sequence atop the bridge. This chapter featured early wire-work to simulate stunt falls—primitive by today’s standards, but ambitious in 1937. The name “Bridge of Terror” was reused in other serials and pulp novels due to its dramatic flair. The Spider’s identity remains hidden, as he appears again only as a mysterious masked figure with a voice-modulated tone, a technique that later inspired similar supervillain portrayals in cinema.