Columbia Pictures: UPA: Television: The Dick Tracy Show: The Elevator Lift

The Elevator Lift Production Information

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Production Notes:

The UPA "Dick Tracy" cartoons were usually shown on local and/or network kids TV-wraparound shows during the early to mid-1960s. TV stations such as WGN in Chicago and WPIX in New York aired the films against the backdrop of a police station. The shows were hosted by Ray Rayner ("Oliver O. Oliver" on WGN-TV's "Bozo Show") as Police Detective Sergeant Pettybone, along with his police dog pal "Tracer" (who was built and manipulated by Roy Brown, the head puppeteer of Ned Locke's "Paddleboat," Ray Rayner's "Ray Rayner Show," Frazer Thomas's "Garfield Goose & Friends!" and WGN-TV's "Bozo Show." Mr. Brown also played "Cookie The Clown" on WGN-TV's "Bozo Show"). (Rayner's stint as host on WGN began on September 11, 1961. Ron McAdams was the voice of "Tracer The Police Dog.")

The New York-based TV wraparound host/performer was "Police Chief Joe" Bolton, who hosted WPIX's "Dick Tracy Show" from Thursday, September 7, 1961 to Friday August 31, 1963, and "Captain Jack" McCarthy, who hosted the "Popeye/Dick Tracy Show" weekday afternoons from Monday, September 14, 1964 to Friday, October 16, 1964. WNYW was the last New York-based TV station to screen the cartoons on its "The Fox Five Kids Club." The series was seen weekday afternoons from Monday, December 25, 1989 to Friday, March 15, 1991, and featured Craig Marin's "Flexatoon Puppets."

Officer Heap O'Calory was patterned after actor Andy Devine. Hemlock Holmes sounded, perhaps not coincidentally, like Cary Grant; B.B. Eyes' voice resembled Edward G. Robinson's, while Flattop sounded like Peter Lorre. The Retouchable Squad's name parodied the then-popular Untouchables TV show.

Dick Tracy himself appeared little during each episode.