The Greatest Cop of Them All

There are plenty of hand, feet, and even a nose prints scattered about the courtyard of The Great Movie Ride. Once upon a time guests could be thrilled by stars of television, music, or the big screen as they would come out for a ceremony where their prints would be immortalized. One set of these prints have a bigger story to tell, and they belong to none other than Warren Beatty.

June 14, 1990 was a big day in the history of Walt Disney World, and not just because Warren Beatty left his mark behind. The resort was playing host to a big time movie premiere, and this was a coming out party for the expansion of Walt Disney World.

Things got kicked off with thousands of guests and press descending on Pleasure Island, where it’s AMC theater would play host for the premiere. Those in attendance were given shirts that were black with a ticket outlined on them and the date, the ticket image proclaimed ‘WORLD PREMIERE’ with Dick Tracy and a tommy-gun front and center. These shirts would be available to midnight moviegoers elsewhere, with the ‘WORLD PREMIERE’ language replaced with ‘ADMIT ONE.’ In addition to shirts, yellow straw hats, reminiscent of Tracy’s own, were also given out to those present. The thousands of press and guests waited anxiously to see who would be walking the red carpet.

Dick Tracy himself, Warren Beatty, did not disappoint. Neither did costars Dustin Hoffman, Charlie Korsmo, Glenne Headly and a handful of others. Madonna had to beg off the engagement due to a viral infection. On Disney’s side of things, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Rich Frank made appearances as well. The film, however, was just the beginning.

Once the credits had rolled the party moved down the street from Pleasure Island to then Disney-MGM Studios. Guests attending this after party would not go hungry. Throughout the park hungry detectives could find roast beef, lamb chops, barbecue shrimp, seafood cassoulet, fettuccine, and snails California. But that’s not all! There was a fashion show featuring “Dick Tracy Detective Wear,” a motorcade of the film’s stars down Hollywood Boulevard, several showings of Dick Tracy in the Diamond Double Cross, and two performances of the Eastside Boys. The entire evening was capped off by a special performance of Sorcery in the Sky fireworks.

Of course, with all of the happenings going on it could have been easy to miss that after the motorcade a pair of celebrities were leaving their permanent mark on the park. Although, it doesn’t appear that many people missed out on the opportunity! Warren Beatty, who would at a (DT) to his signature demarking why he was there, Charlie Korsmo, Glenne Headly, and Dustin Hoffman would all take part in the handprint ceremony. Perhaps no single ceremony would have as much fanfare, short of R2-D2 and C-3PO the year prior.

The movie may not have been the hit that Disney had wished for it to be, or as popular as I wish it was, but they definitely put their best foot forward with the premiere! Signs, or should I say signatures, from that night still stand firm in the park of today for those looking for a nod to the greatest cop of them all!