For a run-of-the-mill 'B' picture with barely an hour to do its work this entry has lots of talent going for it beginning with director Gordon Douglas who went on to shoot several prestigious films not least a handful - Young At Heart, Tony Rome, Robin And The Seven Hoods, The Detective - starring Sinatra whilst many members of the cast, including the eponymous cueball, Esther Howard, Byron Foulger etc racked up over one hundred credits apiece. The plot is mostly ho hum and Tracy's celebrated wrist-watch radio was never mentioned but Douglas keeps the pace moving along and mostly glides past any risible moments so that the 60 minutes pass fairly painlessly and there is a brilliant send-up of Jack Barrymore by Ian Keith who has not only the voice but also the mannerisms of Barrymore down pat.

Dick Tracy Vs. Cueball has Chester Gould's square jawed comic detective on the trail of some stolen diamonds which are leaving a lot of bodies in their wake, courtesy of Dick Wessel as the murderous Cueball.Wessel's been hired by a couple of employees of Douglas Walton who are planning to double cross their boss and steal some consigned diamonds. The problem is that when Cueball meets resistance he always kills so he becomes wanted from the outset of the film.He also is a strangler by inclination avoiding weapons charges to be sure but leaving a signature to his crime. Once Morgan Conway as Tracy identifies the signature, he identifies Cueball and it's only a matter of time before he's apprehended.Now I don't care that Anne Jeffreys as Tess Trueheart will do anything for her guy in a pinch, but even Dick Tracy knows there are department policies about using civilians for undercover work. But he does and it almost gets Tess killed.Byron Foulger and Rita Corday are the employees who go into business with Cueball to their regret. But a really standout performance is given by Esther Howard as Filthy Flora owner of a waterfront dive who gets greedy with her old friend Cueball and becomes one of the victims. And stealing all scenes he's in is Ian Keith as Vitamin Flintheart, ham actor and pal of Tracy's and Tess's.Crime once again does not pay in Dick Tracy's town.

The best thing about "Dick Tracy vs. Cueball" is the great cast of characters, all of whom were probably even more interesting than the title villain. I'm thinking of names like Percival Priceless (Douglas Walton), Filthy Flora (Esther Howard), and that strangely wonderful Vitamin Flintheart (Ian Keith). Even that creepy little guy named Rudolph played by Skelton Knaggs, I wish he had more screen time. You really couldn't take your eyes off him the few times he appeared. As for Cueball (Dick Wessel), there wasn't very much of a gimmick to his character - he had a bald head, and he didn't seem particularly frightening most of the time, always second guessing himself about how much he wanted for the stolen diamonds and how he was going to get it.The other cool thing about the picture was all those great period details. Come on now, could there really have been a bar named 'The Dripping Dagger'? With the neon outline of a knife and a simulated drop of blood - you just have to love that touch! With a proprietress to boot - Filthy Flora! You know, I don't doubt there could actually be a character like that for real, but I sure wouldn't want to run into her.I just saw Morgan Conway for the first time a few days ago in "Dick Tracy Detective" where he didn't make much of an impression. I liked him a lot better in this one, maybe because he seemed more in control. But that whole business about the murder weapon hat band was a little weak, Tracy having been set in the right direction by Junior Tracy (Jimmy Crane). Say, I'm curious about something. The ad for the hat band gave an address of Box 520, Desert City. You think the post office would know where to send correspondence? Keep an eye on an early scene when Mona Clyde places a note under the shop door to the Priceless Antiques shop. It appeared that she placed it entirely under the door, but when Tracy comes by to retrieve it, a large portion of the note is visible before it's picked up on the other side.At just over an hour, the film breezes by pretty smoothly, almost too quickly to enjoy the great atmosphere and impressive assortment of filming angles that add to the mystery. Just don't be too hard on the story for it's use of too convenient coincidences to solve the case, and especially that lame ending when Cueball gets his foot caught in the train tracks. Come on, don't you think even you could have gotten free?

First time of viewing: this is a no-frills man's film, to my senses a better version of a comic strip than Sin City and non-cartoon, albeit in a far more tired looking condition!Dumb Cueball only just out of prison robs and kills his way into Tracy's orbit, stealing a necklace worth USD 30,000 - a mere bagatelle in 1946 surely! The problem is: how to get rid of it? Old Mrs Bucket-Of-Mud from Farewell My Lovely also breezes in but blows out again rather hurriedly thanks to the charming mental processes of Cueball. Tracy does manage to stop the film descending into a bloodbath, his sidekick Pat has some amusing scenes at the end of blackjacks, Tess (good) and Mona (bad) both looked suitably glamorous. Some very good scenes, such as at the hastily arranged midnight autotopsy or the rather strange hidden basement at Simon's place. But sorry! I preferred the more familiar Ralph Byrd and his hat in the role of Tracy, Morgan Conway kept reminding me of a serious Milton Berle. And was there only one place in America selling hatbands in 1946?But I thoroughly enjoyed it for all that, wished it had been 2 hours long and will it put on my list of films to watch again. I just hope there's a good print around instead of the TV dupe I saw