Petty Revenge: Warren Beatty and Dick Tracy | The Internet Says it's True
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In 2009 and again in 2023, Warren Beatty shows up on TV in the middle of the night on an obscure interview-style show. He's dressed as his 1990 Dick Tracy character and the appearances are just BIZARRE. That's because they have one sole purpose: to keep the Dick Tracy rights in Beatty's name. In this episode, we talk about the Dick Tracy movie and this crazy ploy to keep the rights out of pure spite.

I guess there was a huge legal fight that he eventually won through argument and opponent apathy, so as long as he doesn’t let the character sit completely idle, he keeps the rights despite no longer giving a fuck either. It’s utterly petty, and if I cared more about Dick Tracy I’d probably find it infuriating rather than hilarious.

2009

2023

  • @wjriiOPEnglish
    23•9 hours ago

    no one is going to want to see an 87-year-old Dick Tracy

    I think he knows that as well as anybody. That’s why it’s so delightfully stupid and petty.

    • Flying SquidEnglish
      17•9 hours ago

      I wouldn’t be so sure he does. There’s a good reason a lot of people suspect Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain was written about him.

      • @[email protected]English
        15•8 hours ago

        It’s beyond suspicion now. In 2015, Carly Simon said the second verse is about him. But to your point of his vanity:

        Simon tells People, “I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren,” adding, “Warren thinks the whole thing is about him!”

        • Flying SquidEnglish
          5•8 hours ago

          I hadn’t read that before. That’s great, I love it!

      • @wjriiOPEnglish
        7•9 hours ago

        That song was clearly written about Jack Donaghy.