Dick Tracy's Dilemma

"Dick Tracy's Dilemma" (1947) presents the iconic detective and his sidekick, Pat Patton, with the murder of a night watchman during the robbery of a shipment of valuable furs. The case leads Tracy to a hook-handed murderer called The Claw. As with other films in the series, Tracy is joined by a colorful crew, including an informant called Sightless, who hides his more-than-adequate vision behind dark glasses, and the dapper, somewhat germaphobic Vitamin Flintheart.

American actor Jack Lambert plays The Claw with a psychotic intensity that brings a true sense of menace to his scenes. In an especially potent sequence, he follows a terrified Sightless who begs protection from a suspicious homeowner. When he finally catches up to the informant, Sightless's final moments are shot to both eloquently reflect the old man's demise and to foreshadow the method of The Claw's own death. Lambert also appeared in "Bonanza," "Gunsmoke" and a number of World War II movies, westerns and crime thrillers.