BLB: Dick Tracy Encounters Facey

Here is another in my ongoing series of reviews on the 1960s Big Little Book series. You can find others by clicking on "BLB" at the bottom of this post.

Big Little Books were a series of story-books published by Whitman Publishers from the 1920s thru the 1980s. The books I have are 250 pages but very compact, only 10 cm x 13 cm x 2 cm (approx 4 inches x 5 3/4 inches x 1 inch). There is text on one side of each page and an illustration on the other. Although the writers were always credited, the artist never was. They began in the 1920s but then evidently stopped sometime in the 1940s? Then Whitman revisited the format. From 1967 thru the early 1970s such then-TV luminaries as Lassie, Flipper, the Lone Ranger, Bonanza, Shazzan, Space Ghost, Frankenstein Jr, Tarzan, and, yes, Aquaman, were featured. Eventually the TV series' stars fell by the way-side and were replaced with perennial favorites like Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, and Woody Woodpecker, who returned several times each.

This time we are looking at the very first book in this revised series, number ONE, Dick Tracy in Encounters Facey. Written by Paul S. Newman and published in 1967, this of course features the hard-hitting police detective and other characters created by Chester Gould. Oddly enough, the only credit goes to Chicago Tribune-NY News Syndicate, who I guess owned the copyright on the characters. The artist is not credited, but if it is not Chester Gould then it is someone who is definitely aping his style. Dick Tracy Encounters Facey as number 1 in this Big Little Book series has no precedents. However, it was probably given the number one slot because in atleast one previous iteration, Dick Tracy was the #1 spot before. This time it is followed by Bonanza, Flipper, Lassie, and Tarzan (which we already reviewed.) All of those were published in 1967.

In a down-town jewelry store, a man named Facey is wearing a similar suit to the clerk. He appears to be negotiating with the clerk about the price of a ring, when he pulls out a ball-point pen. It's really a gas gun, and it knocks out the clerk immediately.

On cue, Facey's accomplices rush in to the store and drag the clerk into the back room. Deftly, Facey alters his face and hair to match the clerk's appearance. When the owner comes from the back of the store to escort another customer out, Facey has replaced the clerk. The owner goes to put the trays of jewels back in  to the safe, and as soon as the safe is opened Facey knocks the owner unconscious, too.

Dick Tracy gets the call after the robbery is over. He heads to the jewelry store, surprised to see that the suspected clerk is still in the store. The owner swears that his assistant, Crockton, watched him display the valuable necklaces to the customer, then followed him into the vault and knocked him out. Crockton avers his innocence, but Tracy tells him to talk to his lawyer.

At the police station, Crockton tries to  tell Tracy and his partner, Sam Catchem, about being gassed, but they still insist he talk to his lawyer first. Later, his lawyer is convince that Crockton is innocent, and tells them his client wants to take a lie-detector test. Tracy, Sam, and Chief Patton discuss it, and they administer the test. Of course, the technician administering the test believes Crockton is telling the truth.

As Crockton is released on bail, Tracy and Sam decide to check the jewelry store safe for finger prints. Tracy believes that there won't be any fingerprints besides Crockton's and the owners, and he is eventually proved right. They try to re-create the crime, but cannot match the two different stories.

Elsewhere, Facey visits with the president of Metropolitan Bank. He has to have his request for a loan signed. Everything seems in order, but when Facey pulls out a pen to sign it is his gas gun, and he knocks President Dillingworth out. Facey instantly changes his face to resemble that of the bank president. He signals his team, who this time are disguised as fake armored car drivers. They arrive at the bank, Facey as Dillingworth signs the receipt to hand over the money, and they drive off with it. Facey then removes his disguise and brings the real president back from out of the closet. Dillingworth wakes up and realizes that the bank has been robbed.

Dick Tracy and Sam Catchem are called to the bank, discussing that this robbery and the jewelry store heist seem similar. Dillingworth tells of his last customer, who had worn a suit almost identical to his. They take the signed receipt back to the police station to compare it with Dillingworth's actual signature. Using dual projectors to compare them, Tracy believes the receipt signature is a forgery.

The two detectives are called out because the empty armored car has been found. No finger prints are likely, but they investigate the license plate. Sam is confused because the two jobs are so similar. Tracy thinks that possibly the main perpetrator is an actor hired by gangs of crooks.

Sure enough, in a pet store in town Facey is getting praised for his work and his share of the cut of the robberies. That night, however, Facey wakes up in his apartment with the sudden realization that he had forgotten his gas gun ball-point pen on the bank president's desk. He decides he has to go back for it.

The next day, Facey watches as Dillingworth walks out of the bank for his lunch break. Facey, made up to look like the bank president again, boldly walks into the bank. Frantic, he finally finds his gas gun pen on the desk in a cup with the other pens. As he prepares to leave, however, the security guard walks in to confront him. The real president had been wearing a brown suit, but Facey is wearing a pin-stripe blue suit! They struggle, and in the struggle the guard is shot. Facey rushes out.

When Tracy and Sam show up, they hear the guard claim that Dillingworth shot him. As he is carted away in an ambulance, the real Dillingworth returns. He claims to have been out shopping for his wife's birthday.

The detectives look over his office to find foot-prints using an ultra-violet shadow scope light. They find some remnants, and Sam takes photos of all of them. Tracy then asks for shoe prints for everyone who had been in the president's office. Sixty-four of the sixty-five prints matched up, so Tracy thinks the remaining footprint belongs to the thief. He asks Junior to draw up a shoe design based off of its print.

The next day Junior reports to Tracy that the print belongs to a specially made shoe with a support arch and higher heel. Junior did the detective work to discuss with the manufacturer and get details on the shoe. Tracy is happy with Junior's work, because now the police can print fliers and canvass shoe stores to possibly find the owner, i.e. the thief. Chief Patton announces the break in the case, and the next day Facey reads about it in the newspaper. He's nervous that his shoes may lead the police to him.

The next morning, Dick Tracy shows up at the station and asks for all the shoe data from Sam. When he tries to walk out of the station with it, Sam tries to stop him. Tracy karate chops both him and an officer who was passing by. Moments later, the real Dick Tracy arrives and they realize what has happened. Without any of their shoe information, Tracy asks Junior to meet with Bob and Dillingworth to try to sketch a resemblance of the "real" Facey.

Elsewhere, Facey is pretending to be Wendell Wentley, who with Mrs. Wentley signs a $200,000 insurance policy on "himself." As they depart, it becomes clear that this couple intends to murder Mr. Wentley and receive the insurance money.

Junior completes his initial sketch of Facey, but everyone agrees that he is so ordinary-looking that the sketch won't help them find him.

Facey is made up as Wendell again as he knocks out the real Wentley and dump him in the trunk of his car. He and Mrs. Wentley drive to the private airport, where Facey signs out Wentley's small, private airplane. Once airborne Facey stalls it, dives out of it, and crashes it. Mrs. Wentley picks Facey up from their pre-arranged site, $200,000 richer.

A few days later Tracy and Sam investigate the crashed airplane. They know that two men went up, but only one man was killed in the crash. Working on a hunch, Tracy asks Junior to combine his initial sketch of Facey with overlay portraits of Bob, Dillingworth, Tracy, and Wentley. His hope is that Junior will be able to "under-cover" the "real" Facey by picking up the commonalities between the faces he impersonated. Hours later, Junior has an improved sketch that Bob and Dillingworth both swear is the man who they interviewed before their robberies. 

Tracy takes the sketch to a theatrical booking agency, where the agent recognizes it as Freddy "Facey" Fredericks, who was once his client. He is great at make-up and at voice mimicry. Tracy gets Facey's address, so he calls Chief Patton to send police there. When they all arrive they drive straight into a shoot-out. A gang of well-armed men keep the police away long enough for them and Facey to escape. This makes Tracy think that Facey is involved with something BIG.

The next day, city official David Davis opens his balcony doors and is quickly shot by a tranquilizer. A gangster and Facey, dressed as Davis, put the man back in bed. An hour later Facey meets and greets Princess Faida from Perestan on her visit to the city. After the official welcoming ceremony ends, he escorts her to a limousine. However, two armored cars barrel up and start shooting at the police escort. Facey pulls a gun on the driver and orders him to follow the black-garbed motorcyclists now escorting them.

Tracy and Sam go to Davis' home and find the real Davis. They realize that the other Davis must be Facey. They go over the apartment for clues, and find sand on the balcony that after an investigation they find comes from Crater Canyon. If that is the gang's hide-out, the police can't drive in or fly in without alerting them. So that night, Tracy and Sam sky-dive over the canyon, landing there without alerting the hiding gangsters. And Tracy is made-up to look like Facey!

Tracy and Sam hide their chutes, then head for a cave that appears to be lit. Inside they see approximately a dozen men. Relatively confident that these are the gangsters, Sam stays hidden but covers Tracy, who boldly walks up to the guard and asks about the Princess. The guard asks him to try to get her to eat. Tracy walks in, then tells the guard standing over her to leave them alone. As soon as the guard leaves Tracy reveals the truth to her, and tells her their plan to rescue her. He calls his chopper pilot friend to fly in. He and the Princess head towards the mouth of the cave when the real Facey arrives.

Tracy thinks fast, accusing Facey of being a cop in disguise. The gang grabs him, and in the melee Tracy and the Princess escape. Realizing their mistake, the gang starts to shoot up the area. Sam tosses a gas grenade as the police helicopter arrives. The Princess rides the yoke as Tracy and Sam grab the life-line and the helicopter flies off, safe from being shot due to the lingering gas.

Chief Patton leads a raid on the gang. Within two hours the gang members are in a line-up. However, Facey is not among them! Tracy orders all the gangsters to be tossed into a steam-bath, where Facey's disguise melts off. Facey finally stands revealed, and gets his very own mug shot taken.

Commentary: 
Although I do not remember the character Dick Tracy fondly, I *do* remember this book from when my father would read it to me as a bed-time story. I think at the time this was the closest thing we had to the "criminal procedural show" that are so prevalent today. As an example, there is a quote in the story where Tracy wants a run-down on the getaway car, he says, "Give me a 10-28 on the car's license." I had no idea if that actually meant anything, but it does sound professional. A quick Google search confirms that it is a request to learn the details of the owner of a particular license plate. So, yeah. This book very much reminds me of the procedural series of the time, such as Jack Webb's Dragnet or Efram Zimbalist on The FBI, shows that I remember seeing but not actually watching all that often. Perhaps if I were to re-watch those I wouldn't find such a clear resemblance. The concept, I think is similar, though. There are no young people involved in this story. There are no people of color. It's all very Upper Middle Class or High Class crime. Bonnie and Clyde it isn't.  

As I have said before, my father would read bed-time stories to my brother and I when we were little kids; this is another one of the Big Little Books that I distinctly remember him reading to me. On the one hand the story is a bit confusing, with Facey taking the place of various other characters through the entire span of the story. On the other hand, "the double" seemed to be a trope that was popular on TV shows and cartoons and comic-books then, and Mission: Impossible had also already seeped into popular culture by the time I would have heard this story, so I don't think I was all that confused by the plot. 

The Big Little Books did not give art credits, but the artist of this book handled the assignment well. Except for Dick Tracy (he of the iconic chin and glint), everyone else looks "real" within the confines of the cartoony house style. Unfortunately, I'm not able to tell if the art is actually by Chester Gould, or just someone aping his style. Either way, I don't have any complaints about it.