Title: Dick Tracy – Chapter 5: Brother Against Brother Serial Title: Dick Tracy (1937, Republic Pictures, 15-part serial) Chapter: 5 of 15 Release Date: March 13, 1937 Directed by: Alan James & Ray Taylor Written by: George H. Plympton, Morgan Cox, Barry Shipman, Winston Miller Produced by: Henry MacRae Based on: Dick Tracy comic strip by Chester Gould Studio: Republic Pictures Runtime: Approx. 20 minutes Format: Black and White, Mono Sound Language: English Country: United States Genres: Crime, Detective, Action, Mystery, Serial --- Synopsis: Chapter 5 explores the emotional and moral turmoil at the heart of the serial: Dick Tracy’s secret about his brother Gordon, who has been brainwashed by The Spider. Picking up from the previous episode’s cliffhanger, Tracy survives his fall from the enemy aircraft with only minor injuries. He resumes his investigation, now suspecting an insider is feeding intelligence to The Spider’s organization. While examining recently decoded transmissions intercepted from The Spider’s radio network, Tracy discovers a cipher key that links back to Gordon. Stunned, Tracy begins to piece together the possibility that his own brother may be working against him—unknowingly or otherwise. Meanwhile, Gordon, operating under the alias “X-3,” is assigned to sabotage a police ammunition shipment. Tracy sets up an ambush to capture X-3, unaware that it is Gordon. The resulting standoff ends in a brutal fistfight between the two brothers, neither initially recognizing the other. As Gordon prepares to deal a final blow, Tracy spots the family signet ring on his assailant’s hand—realizing with horror who he’s been fighting. Gordon escapes before full recognition sets in, leaving Tracy torn and confused. The episode ends with Tracy vowing to uncover the truth—no matter the cost. --- Main Cast: Ralph Byrd as Dick Tracy Kay Hughes as Gwen Andrews Lee Van Atta as Junior Carleton Young as Gordon Tracy (as X-3) Smiley Burnette as Mike McGurk John Picorri as The Spider John Dilson as Dr. Moloch (Spider’s chief scientist) Robert Kent as Captain of the Guard --- Key Elements: The conflict between duty and family is introduced as a major theme. Gwen continues developing a high-frequency scanner that may unmask Spider agents. Junior discovers encrypted blueprints hidden in Gordon’s old apartment. An intense nighttime fight scene between Dick and Gordon inside a derelict warehouse. Introduction of The Spider’s “Blackout Grenades,” used for covert operations. A flashback reveals Gordon’s abduction and psychological conditioning at the hands of Dr. Moloch. Cliffhanger: Gordon is ordered to assassinate a public official—while Tracy races to stop him. --- Trivia: This chapter’s title Brother Against Brother is a classic serial trope, echoing earlier war and crime dramas. Carleton Young performs his own stunts during the fight scene with Ralph Byrd. The episode uses split-lighting and shadow composition to highlight Tracy’s inner conflict. Dr. Moloch’s lab set was repurposed from The Phantom Empire (1935), another Republic serial. This is the first chapter where Tracy verbally expresses doubt in his mission. One early promotional still featured Gordon with visible scarring, later removed in the final cut to preserve ambiguity.