Dragnet (1954)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Jack Webb

Writer:

Richard L. Breen (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 September 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

This was the hottest case to hit the department!

Plot:

Two homicide detectives investigate the brutal shotgun murder of a crime syndicate member.

Plot Keywords:

Grand Jury | Murder | Detective | Fifth Amendment | Based On TV Series

Cast

Jack Webb	...	Sgt. Joe Friday
Ben Alexander	...	Officer Frank Smith
Richard Boone	...	Capt .James E. Hamilton
Ann Robinson	...	Officer Grace Downey
Stacy Harris	...	Max Edward Troy
Virginia Gregg	...	Mrs. Ethel Starkie
Vic Perrin	...	Adolph Alexander, Asst. Chief Deputy D.A. (as Victor Perrin)
Georgia Ellis	...	Belle Davitt
James Griffith	...	Jesse Quinn
Dick Cathcart	...	Roy Cleaver
Malcolm Atterbury	...	Lee Reinhard
Willard Sage	...	Chester Davitt
Olan Soule	...	Ray Pinker, Forensic Chemist
Dennis Weaver	...	Police Captain R.A. Lohrman
Monte Masters	...	Fabian Gerard

Also Known As:

The Original Dragnet (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #17096, General Audience) | West Germany:12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

City Hall - 200 N. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Mark VII Ltd.

Trivia:

Veteran Western sidekick Dub "Cannonball" Taylor appears briefly as Miller Starkie, the murder victim.

Quotes:

Doctor: I'm sorry, was Mr. Troy a friend of yours?
Sgt. Joe Friday: No sir, we hardly knew him.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

Soundtrack:

Theme From Dragnet (Danger Ahead)

Highly underrated noir film

First, I need to point out that there is hardly any similarity between this film and the television series (both the original of the 1950s and the late 1960s versions of Dragnet). Yes, Jack Webb is playing Sgt. Friday but this film NEVER would have been shown on TV when it was first made--it was way too violent and the dialog was repulsively cool. Snappy dialog is THE reason I watch film noir and this one is among the best. Let's give a few examples: 1. The film begins with some sap betting blown away in a field with a shotgun. When Friday appears later to investigate the crime scene he says: "The first shot cut him in half--the second made him a crowd". Yuck.

2. When Friday completely ignores the Bill of Rights (and all good noir cops MUST ignore the 4, 5 and 6th amendments) by harassing the man he KNOWS committed the crime,he has MANY snappy one liners. In one case, he (for the 6th or 8th time) pulls the man over and frisks him--making him empty out all his pockets. The guy complains that he is being harassed and is tired of it. Then he requests that he get the contents of his pocket back. Friday says "you have the Cadillac--why don't you drive over and get it yourself". Cool, man.

Finally, after badgering this guy through almost the entire movie, the prime suspect literally DIES from being harassed!! Cool.

PS--read the quotes on the title page for this movie--they are INCREDIBLE!