Dragnet (franchise): Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Radio, television, and film series, mostly about LAPD detective Joe Friday}} |
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{{Infobox Television |
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{{Other uses|Dragnet (policing)}} |
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| show_name = Dragnet |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}} |
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| image = [[Image:Dragnet title screen.jpg|200px]] |
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{{Infobox media franchise |
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| caption = Dragnet opening frame from the 1950s version |
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| image = Dragnet title screen.jpg |
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| format = |
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| caption = ''Dragnet'' opening frame from the 1950s television series |
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| camera = |
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| creator = [[Jack Webb]] |
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| picture_format = |
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| origin = [[Dragnet (radio series)|Radio series]] |
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| audio_format = |
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| owner = {{Plain list| |
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| runtime = 30 minutes (1951-1959; 1967-1970; 1989-1991)<br />60 minutes (2003-2004) |
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* [[Mark VII Limited]] |
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| creator = [[Jack Webb]] |
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* [[Universal Pictures]] |
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| developer = |
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}} |
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| producer = [[Jack Webb]] |
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| years = 1949 – 2004 |
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| executive_producer = |
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| films = {{Plain list| |
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| starring = [[Jack Webb]]<br />[[Ben Alexander]]<br />[[Harry Morgan]] |
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* [[Dragnet (1954 film)|1954 film]] (1954) |
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| voices = |
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* [[Dragnet (1987 film)|1987 film]] (1987) |
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| narrated = [[John Stephenson]]<br />[[George Fenneman]]<br />[[Jack Webb]] |
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}} |
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| theme_music_composer = |
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| tv_series = {{collapsible list| |
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| opentheme = excerpt from [[Miklós Rózsa]]'s score for [[The Killers (1946 film)|''The Killers'']] |
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* [[Dragnet (1951 TV series)|1951 television series]] (1951 – 1959) |
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| endtheme = |
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* [[Dragnet (1967 TV series)|1967 television series]] (1967 – 1970) |
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| country = [[United States]] |
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* [[List of Dragnet (1989 TV series) episodes|1989 television series]] (1989 – 1991) |
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| location = [[Los Angeles, California]], [[United States|U.S.]] |
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* [[List of Dragnet (2003 TV series) episodes|2003 television series]] (2003 – 2004) |
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| language = [[English language|English]] |
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}} |
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| network = [[NBC]]<br />[[Television syndication|Syndication]]<br />[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] |
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| tv_films = [[Dragnet 1966|1969 television film]] (1969) |
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| first_aired = 1951 |
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| radio = [[Dragnet (radio series)|1949 radio drama]] (1949 – 1957) |
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| last_aired = 2004 |
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| music = "[[Dragnet (theme music)|Dragnet]]" |
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| num_series = |
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| num_episodes = 276 (1951-1959)<br />100 (1967-1970)<br />52 (1989-1991)<br />22 (2003-2004) |
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| list_episodes = |
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| preceded_by = |
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| followed_by = |
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| related = |
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| website = |
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| imdb_id = |
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}} |
}} |
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'''''Dragnet''''' is a long-running radio and television [[police procedural]] drama about the cases of a dedicated [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] police detective, Sergeant [[Joe Friday]], and his partners. The show takes its name from an actual police term, a "[[dragnet (policing)|dragnet]]", meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects. |
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'''''Dragnet''''' is an American [[media franchise]] created by actor and producer [[Jack Webb]], following [[Los Angeles Police Department]] (LAPD) [[Detective]] [[Joe Friday]] and his partners as they conduct by-the-book police work and solve crimes in [[Los Angeles]]. Originating as a [[radio drama]] on [[NBC]] in 1949, ''Dragnet'' has been adapted into several successful [[television show]]s and [[film]]s, though the franchise's popularity has reduced since Webb's death in 1982. Its name is derived from the police term "[[dragnet (policing)|dragnet]]", a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects. |
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==Introduction== |
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''Dragnet'' was perhaps the most famous and influential [[police procedural]] drama in American media history. The series gave millions of Americans a feel for the boredom and drudgery, as well as the danger and heroism, of real-life police work. ''Dragnet'' earned praise for improving the public opinion of police officers.<ref>On a March, 1953 episode, the Detroit Police Officers' Association gave ''Dragnet'' a commendation, citing the program's efforts at increasing public esteem of policemen, and furthermore describing Dragnet as the "finest and most accurate" police program on radio or television.</ref> |
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''Dragnet'' is perhaps the most famous and influential [[police procedural]] [[crime drama]] in American media history. Webb's aims in ''Dragnet'' were for unpretentious acting and a realistic depiction of policing. The series portrayed police work as dangerous and heroic, and helped shape public perception of law enforcement in the 20th century, improving the public's opinion of police officers.<ref>On a March 1953 episode, the Detroit Police Officers' Association gave ''Dragnet'' a commendation, citing the program's efforts at increasing public esteem of policemen, and described it as the "finest and most accurate" police program on radio or television.</ref> |
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[[Actor]] and [[television producer|producer]] [[Jack Webb]]'s aims in ''Dragnet'' were for realism and unpretentious acting. He achieved both goals, and ''Dragnet'' remains a key influence on subsequent police dramas in many media. |
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''Dragnet'' remains a key influence on the police procedural genre. Its cultural impact is such that seven decades after its debut, elements of ''Dragnet'' are familiar to those who are otherwise unfamiliar with the franchise itself: |
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* |
*"[[Dragnet (theme music)|Dragnet]]", the four-note introduction to the franchise's [[brass instruments|brass]] and [[timpani]] theme music (though its origins date to [[Miklós Rózsa]]'s score for the [[The Killers (1946 film)|1946 film version of ''The Killers'']]). |
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* |
*The opening narration common across the franchise's series: "Ladies and gentlemen: the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent." Over time, the "only" and "ladies and gentlemen" were eventually dropped. The television version used in the 1950s and 1960s series replaced "hear" with "see" and had a backdrop of Joe Friday's [[badge]], number 714. |
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*"Just the facts, ma'am", a [[catchphrase]] and [[misquotation]] often attributed to Joe Friday and popularly used to reference or evoke ''Dragnet'', though Webb's portrayal of Joe Friday never said that exact phrase. |
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==Actual cases== |
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The original ''Dragnet'' starring Jack Webb as Sgt. Friday ran on radio from [[June 3]], [[1949]] to [[February 26]], [[1957]] and on television from [[December 16]] [[1951]] to [[August 23]], [[1959]], and from [[January 12]], [[1967]] to [[April 16]], [[1970]]. All of these versions ran on [[National Broadcasting Company|NBC]]. There were three ''Dragnet'' feature films, a straight adaptation starring Webb in 1954; a TV-movie produced in 1966; and a [[Dragnet (1987 film)|comedy spoof in 1987]]. There were also television revivals, without Webb, in 1989 and 2003. A newspaper comic strip version of ''Dragnet'', written by Jack Webb and Joe Scheiber, ran in newspapers from about 1952 to 1955. |
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The opening of "The story you are about to hear is true" is derived from the fact that many works in the franchise are transcribed from official LAPD case files. In some cases, the source material has been identified, including the following: |
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* ''[[List_of_Dragnet_(radio_series)_episodes#1949_season|Sullivan Kidnapping – The Wolf]]'' (Radio, 1949) – The 1927 [[Murder of Marion Parker|kidnapping and murder of Marion Parker]]. |
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==History== |
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===Creation=== |
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''Dragnet'' was created and produced by [[Jack Webb]], who starred as the terse Sgt. Friday. Webb had starred in a few mostly short-lived radio programs, but ''Dragnet'' would make him one of the major media personalities of his era. |
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* ''[[List_of_Dragnet_(radio_series)_episodes#1950_season|The Big Thank You]]'' (Radio, 1950) – [[Louise Peete]]'s post-prison years and third murder, which led to her becoming the second of only four women to be executed in the California gas chamber. |
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''Dragnet'' had its origins in Webb's small role as a police [[forensic science|forensic scientist]] in the 1948 film, ''[[He Walked by Night]]'', inspired by the actual murder of a police officer in [[Los Angeles]]. The film was depicted in [[semidocumentary]] style, and Marty Wynn (an actual [[LAPD]] sergeant from the robbery division) was a technical advisor on the film. Webb and Wynn became friends, and both thought that the day-to-day activities of police officers could be realistically depicted, and could make for compelling drama without the forced sense of [[melodrama]] then so common in radio programming. |
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* [[Dragnet_(franchise)#Dragnet_1966_(aired_1969)|1969 TV movie]] – The killing spree of serial killer [[Harvey Glatman]] in the late 1950s.<ref>{{cite book|first=M.J.|last=Hayde|title=My Name's Friday: The Unauthorized But True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb|publisher=[[Cumberland House]]|location=Nashville, Tennessee|date=2001|pages=178–9|isbn=1581821905}}</ref> Pierce Brooks, an LAPD captain who was involved in Glatman's arrest and interrogation, served as a technical advisor for the film.<ref>Hayde (2001), p. 177.</ref> |
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Webb frequently visited police headquarters, drove on night patrols with Sgt. Wynn and his partner Officer Vance Brasher, and attended police academy courses to learn authentic [[jargon]] and other details that could be featured in a radio program. When he proposed ''Dragnet'' to NBC officials, they were not especially impressed; radio was aswarm with [[private investigator]]s and crime dramas, such as Webb's earlier ''[[Pat Novak for Hire]]''. That program didn’t last long, but Webb had received high marks for his role as the titular [[private investigator]], and NBC agreed to a limited run for ''Dragnet''. |
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==Radio== |
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With writer [[James E. Moser]], Webb prepared an audition recording, then sought the LAPD's endorsement; he wanted to use cases from official files in order to demonstrate the steps taken by police officers during investigations. The official response was initially lukewarm, but in 1950 LAPD Chief [[William H. Parker]] offered Webb the endorsement he sought. Police wanted control over the program's sponsor, and insisted that police not be depicted unflatteringly. This would lead to some criticism, as LAPD [[racial segregation]] policies were never addressed, nor was there a suggestion of police corruption. |
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{{Main|Dragnet (radio series)}} |
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{{further|List of Dragnet (radio series) episodes}} |
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''Dragnet'' began as a radio series, running on the [[NBC]] radio network from 1949 to 1957.<ref>http://www.radioechoes.com/?page=series&genre=OTR-Detective&series=Dragnet {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2022}}</ref> |
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==Television==<!-- This section is linked from [[Robert Stack]] --> |
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===Radio=== |
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[[Image:JackWebb2.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Jack Webb in an advertisement for [[Fatima Cigarettes]], ca. 1951. The now-defunct Fatima brand was the primary sponsor of the early Dragnet radio episodes.]] |
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===1951–1959 original=== |
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''Dragnet'' debuted inauspiciously. The first several months were bumpy, as Webb and company worked out the program's format and eventually became comfortable with their characters (Friday was originally portrayed as more brash and forceful than his later usually relaxed demeanor). Gradually, Friday's deadpan, fast-talking persona emerged, described by [[John Dunning]] as "a cop's cop, tough but not hard, conservative but caring." (Dunning, 210) Friday's first partner was Sgt. Ben Romero, portrayed by [[Barton Yarborough]], a longtime radio actor. When ''Dragnet'' hit its stride, it became one of radio's top-rated shows. |
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{{main|Dragnet (1951 TV series)}} |
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{{Further|List of Dragnet (1951 TV series) episodes}}In 1951, ''Dragnet'' shifted to the field of television, running on NBC from 1951 to 1959. Most early episodes of the television series were dubbed or lip-synced adaptations of episodes of the radio show, but later episodes were original plotlines. Most of the cast members were veteran radio actors who could be relied upon to read the matter-of-fact dialogue naturally. |
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===1967–1970 revival=== |
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Webb insisted on realism in every aspect of the show. The dialogue was clipped, understated and sparse, influenced by the [[hardboiled]] school of crime fiction. Scripts were fast moving but didn’t seem rushed. Every aspect of police work was chronicled, step by step: From patrols and paperwork, to crime scene investigation, lab work and questioning witnesses or suspects. The detectives’ personal lives were mentioned, but rarely took center stage. (Friday was a bachelor who lived with his mother; Romero was an ever-fretful husband and father.) "Underplaying is still acting", Webb told ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. "We try to make it as real as a guy pouring a cup of coffee.” (Dunning, 209) Los Angeles police chiefs C.B. Horrall and (later) William H. Parker were credited as consultants, and many police officers were fans. |
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{{Main|Dragnet (1967 TV series)}} |
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[[File:Jack Webb Harry Morgan Dragnet 1968.JPG|thumb|200px|Webb and Morgan in 1968]] |
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Webb relaunched ''Dragnet'' in 1966, with NBC once again chosen to air the series. He tried to persuade [[Ben Alexander (actor)|Ben Alexander]] to rejoin him as Frank Smith. Alexander was then committed to an [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] police series, ''[[Felony Squad]]'', and the producers would not release him. Webb reluctantly came up with a new character to take the role of Joe Friday's partner, calling upon his longtime friend [[Harry Morgan]] to play Officer Bill Gannon. Morgan had previously portrayed rooming-house proprietor Luther Gage in the 1949 radio series episode "James Vickers". [[George Fenneman]] returned as the show's primary announcer, with [[John Stephenson (actor)|John Stephenson]] replacing [[Hal Gibney]] in the role of announcing the trial dates and subsequent punishments for the offenders. Fenneman replaced Stephenson in that role during the fourth season. Unlike the previous ''Dragnet'' series, the revival was produced and aired in color. |
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Webb was a stickler for accurate details, and ''Dragnet'' used many authentic touches, such as the LAPD's actual radio call sign ([[KMA-367]]), and the names of many real department officials, such as [[Ray Pinker]] and Lee Jones of the crime lab or Chief of Detectives [[Thad Brown]]. |
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Webb produced a [[TV movie]] [[television pilot|pilot]] for the new version of the show for Universal Television, although the pilot was not aired until January 1969. NBC bought the show on the strength of the movie, and it debuted as a midseason replacement for the sitcom ''The Hero'' on Thursday nights in January 1967. To distinguish it from the original, the year was included in the title of the show (i.e., ''Dragnet 1967''). Although Friday had been promoted to lieutenant in the final episode of the 1950s production, Webb chose to have Friday revert to sergeant with his familiar badge, "714".<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Snauffer | first1 = Douglas | title = Crime Television, The Praeger television collection | publisher = Greenwood Publishing Group | year = 2006 | isbn = 978-0275988074}}<!--| access-date = November 13, 2012 --></ref> |
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Two announcers were used. Episodes began with announcer [[George Fenneman]] intoning the series opening ("The story you are about to hear is true; only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.") and [[Hal Gibney]] describing the basic premise of the episode. "Big Saint" ([[April 26]], [[1951]]) for example, begins with, "You're a Detective Sergeant, you're assigned to [[auto theft]] detail. A well organized ring of car thieves begins operations in your city. It's one of the most puzzling cases you've ever encountered. Your job: break it." |
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When real-life LAPD Sergeant Dan Cooke, Webb's contact in the department during production of the revived ''Dragnet'' series, was promoted to lieutenant, he arranged to carry the same lieutenant's badge, number 714, as worn by Joe Friday. Cooke was technical advisor to the KNBC documentary ''Police Unit 2A-26'', directed by John Orland. He brought that to the attention of Webb, who hired Orland to direct and film ''This is the City'', a series of minidocumentaries about Los Angeles that preceded most TV episodes during the 1969 and 1970 seasons.{{citation needed|date=June 2012}} The show had good ratings on NBC's schedule for four seasons (although its popularity at that time did not exceed that of the 1950s version), but the show was canceled after the completion of the 1969-1970 season. |
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The story then usually began with footsteps and a door closing, followed by Joe Friday intoning something like: "Tuesday, [[February 12]]. It was cold in Los Angeles. We were working the day watch out of robbery division. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is Ed Backstrand, chief of detectives. My name's Friday." |
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Much as was done 11 years earlier, Webb decided voluntarily to discontinue ''Dragnet'' after its fourth season to focus on producing and directing his other projects through Mark VII Limited. The first of these projects was titled ''[[Adam-12]]'', a 30-minute police procedural similar to ''Dragnet'', but focusing on patrol officers rather than detectives. The series premiered in the fall of 1968, while ''Dragnet 1969'' was in production, and ran for seven seasons, coming to an end in 1975. In 1971, with producer [[Robert A. Cinader]], Webb developed another pilot originally intended to be centered around the staff of a Los Angeles–area medical center's emergency room. When researching for the pilot, Webb and Cinader were introduced to the [[Los Angeles County Fire Department]]'s fledgling [[paramedic]] program, and the premise was reworked to include the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and ''[[Emergency!]]'' was born; running as a weekly series until 1977, and as a series of made-for-television movies for two years after that. ''Emergency!'' was centered on the then-fictitious Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedic rescue unit, Squad 51. |
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Friday offered voice-over narration throughout the episodes, noting the time, date and place of every scene as he and his partners went through their day investigating the crime. The events related in a given episode might occur in a few hours, or might span a few months. At least one episode unfolded in [[Real time (media)|real time]]: in "City Hall Bombing" ([[July 21]], [[1949]]), Friday and Romero had less than 30 minutes to stop a man who was threatening to destroy the City Hall with a bomb. |
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During the early 1970s, reruns of this version of ''Dragnet'' were popular on local stations, usually broadcast during the late afternoon or early evenings. From 1991 to 1995, ''Dragnet'' was shown on [[Nick at Nite]], then moved to its sister cable channel [[TV Land]]. From October 1, 2011, to April 26, 2013, the series ran daily on the digital cable channel [[Antenna TV]], and before that, the show aired on the [[Retro Television Network]]. |
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At the end of the episode, announcer Hal Gibney would relate the fate of the suspect. They were usually convicted of a crime and sent to "the State Penitentiary" or a state mental hospital. Murderers were often "executed in the manner prescribed by law." Occasionally, police pursued the wrong suspect, and criminals sometimes avoided justice or escaped, at least on the radio version of ''Dragnet''. In 1950, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' quoted Webb: "We don’t even try to prove that crime doesn’t pay ... sometimes it does" (Dunning, 210) |
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''Dragnet'' was broadcast Monday through Friday on [[Me-TV]]. The show was part of the "CriMe TV" morning block with ''[[Perry Mason (1957 TV series)|Perry Mason]]'' and ''[[The Rockford Files]]'', with ''Dragnet'' shown back to back from 11:00 am until 12:00 pm. In December 2014, Me-TV added a third airing of ''Dragnet'' to its late-night lineup; the series airs at 12:30 am following a second episode of ''Perry Mason''. Me-TV ended the run of Dragnet on January 1, 2015, whereupon it became part of [[Cozi TV]]'s regular lineup. In January 2020 ''Dragnet'' returned to MeTV along with its sibling series ''[[Adam-12]]'' after Cozi TV dropped both series; ''Dragnet'' currently broadcasts one episode weekday mornings 5:30 a.m. |
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Specialized terminology was mentioned in every episode, but was rarely explained. Webb trusted the audience to determine the meanings of words or terms by their context, and furthermore, ''Dragnet'' tried to avoid the kinds of awkward, lengthy [[exposition]] that people wouldn’t actually use in daily speech. Several specialized terms (such as "A.P.B." for "[[All Points Bulletin]]" and "M.O." for "[[Modus operandi|Modus Operandi]]") were rarely used in popular culture before ''Dragnet'' introduced them to everyday America. |
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===Webb's later years=== |
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While most radio shows used one or two [[sound effect]]s experts, ''Dragnet'' needed five; a script clocking in at just under 30 minutes could require up to 300 separate effects. Accuracy was underlined: The exact number of footsteps from one room to another at Los Angeles police headquarters were imitated, and when a telephone rang at Friday's desk, the listener heard the same ring as the telephones in Los Angeles police headquarters. A single minute of ".22 Rifle for Christmas" is a representative example of the evocative sound effects featured on "Dragnet". While Friday and others investigate bloodstains in a [[suburban]] backyard, the listener hears a series of overlapping effects: a squeaking gate hinge, footsteps, a technician scraping blood into a paper envelope, the glassy chime of chemical vials, bird calls and a dog barking in the distance. |
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In 1982, Webb had begun working on a revival of ''Dragnet'', writing and producing five scripts and continuing his role as Joe Friday. Once again, he needed to create a new character for Friday's partner; Ben Alexander had died in 1969 and Harry Morgan was tied up with his commitments to ''[[M*A*S*H (TV series)|M*A*S*H]]'', and its already [[greenlit]] followup ''[[AfterMASH]]''. Webb decided on former ''[[Adam-12]]'' star Kent McCord who had several guest appearances early in the 1967 revival series, to fill the undefined role. No indication was given whether McCord would be playing his character of Jim Reed from ''Adam-12'' or a totally new character. On December 23, 1982, Webb died unexpectedly from a heart attack and the ''Dragnet'' revival was scrapped. |
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After Webb's death, LAPD Chief [[Daryl Gates]] announced that badge number 714—Webb's number on the television show—was retired, and Los Angeles city offices lowered their flags to half staff. At Webb's funeral, the LAPD provided an honor guard, and the chief of police commented on Webb's connection with the LAPD. An LAPD auditorium was named in his honor. Jack Webb's LAPD sergeant's badge and ID card are on display at the Los Angeles Police Academy. |
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Scripts tackled a number of topics, ranging from the thrilling (murders, [[missing person]]s and [[armed robbery]]) to the mundane ([[check fraud]] and [[shoplifting]]), yet "Dragnet" made them all interesting due to fast-moving plots and behind-the-scenes realism. In "The Garbage Chute" ([[15 December]] [[1949]]), they even had a [[locked room mystery]]. |
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==Film versions== |
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Though rather tame by modern standards, ''Dragnet''--especially on the radio--handled controversial subjects such as [[sex crime]]s and [[drug addiction]] with unprecedented and even startling realism. In one such example, ''Dragnet'' broke one of the unspoken (and still rarely broached) [[taboo]]s of popular entertainment in the episode ".22 Rifle for Christmas" which aired [[December 21]], [[1950]]). The episode followed the search for young Stevie Morheim, only to discover he’d been accidentally killed while playing with a rifle that belonged to a friend; his friend told Friday that Stevie was running while holding the [[rifle]] when he tripped and fell, causing the gun to discharge, fatally wounding Morheim. |
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===''Dragnet'' (1954)=== |
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{{main|Dragnet (1954 film)}} |
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In 1954, a theatrical [[feature film]] titled ''Dragnet'', an adaptation of the series, was released with Webb, Alexander, and [[Richard Boone]]. [[Dennis Weaver]] plays R. A. Lohrman, a detective captain. The film begins with the shooting of small-time hood Miller Starkie ([[Dub Taylor]]) on orders from his boss, Max Troy ([[Stacy Harris]]). Friday and Smith's superior is LAPD Intelligence Division Captain Jim Hamilton (Boone), a department member and the film's technical advisor. The Intelligence Division focused on the pursuit of organized-crime figures, and some of Max Troy's habits resemble that of [[Mickey Cohen]], the known Los Angeles underworld boss; for example, Troy's LAPD file reads that he could be found at "[[Sunset Strip]] taverns and joints", as could Cohen. The film depicts the working relationship between the LAPD and the [[Los Angeles County District Attorney]]'s office; Friday and Smith work to gather evidence that the DA's office deems sufficient to gain the indictment and ultimate conviction of Troy and his fellows. One scene contains a violent fist-fight involving the two detectives, with the [[close-up]] cinematic technique typical of Webb's style of direction. The movie's ending represents a departure from most ''Dragnet'' stories; no arrest is made at the story's conclusion. Chester Davitt ([[Willard Sage]]), Troy's underling and Starkie's killer, is killed by underworld figures, and Troy succumbs to cancer before the detectives, having gathered sufficient evidence against him, can make the arrest. |
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NBC received thousands of complaint letters, including a formal protest by the [[National Rifle Association]]. Webb forwarded many of the letters to police chief Parker who promised "ten more shows illustrating the folly of giving rifles to children." (Dunning, 211) Another episode dealt with young women who, rather than finding Hollywood stardom, fall in with fraudulent [[talent scout]]s and end up in [[pornography]] and [[prostitution]]. |
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The film earned an estimated $4.7 million at the North American box office during its first year of release.<ref>"The Top Box-Office Hits of 1954", ''Variety Weekly'', January 5, 1955</ref><ref>[http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/73581/Dragnet/articles.html TCM.com]</ref> |
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The tone was usually serious, but there were moments of [[comic relief]]: Romero was something of a [[hypochondriac]] and often seemed henpecked; though Friday dated women, he usually dodged those who tried to set him up with marriage-minded dates. |
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===''Dragnet'' 1966 (aired 1969)=== |
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Due in part to Webb's fondness for radio [[drama]], ''Dragnet'' persisted on radio until 1957 as one of the last [[old time radio]] shows to give way to television's increasing popularity. In fact, the TV show would prove to be effectively a visual version of the radio show, as the style was virtually the same. The TV show could be listened to without watching it, with no loss of understanding of the storyline. |
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''Dragnet 1966'' is a made-for-TV movie that initiated the return of the ''Dragnet'' series to television. It was produced as the TV pilot for ''Dragnet 1967'', but was not broadcast until 1969. The movie stars Jack Webb as Sgt. Friday and Harry Morgan as Officer Bill Gannon. The story focuses on crime more typical of the 1960s than of the previous ''Dragnet'' era; the detectives are assigned to find a voyeuristic serial killer similar to [[Harvey Glatman]] (played by [[Vic Perrin]], who appeared in the 1954 film as an assistant district attorney). Also appearing is [[Virginia Gregg]], who had a role in the 1954 feature and was a frequent guest actor in the 1951–59 series and the 1967–70 episodes, and [[John Roseboro]], a [[catcher]] for the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], who dabbled in acting in the off season; Roseboro played a plainclothes detective who had been the target of racial slurs by a child molester until Friday came to his aid. |
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===''Dragnet'' (1987)=== |
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===Television===<!-- This section is linked from [[Robert Stack]] --> |
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{{Main|Dragnet (1987 film)}} |
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<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:Gannon&Friday.png|right|thumb|Harry Morgan (left) as Ofc. Bill Gannon and Jack Webb (right) as Sgt. Joe Friday from the 1967 version of Dragnet.]] --> |
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When television was interested in ''Dragnet'', Webb bucked the prevailing wisdom which argued that radio staff couldn’t adapt to the new medium. He insisted on hiring radio staff (from actors to writers and production staff) as much as was feasible to work on the television version. This loyalty would endear Webb to many of his ''Dragnet'' colleagues for decades to come. |
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In 1987, a comedy film version of ''Dragnet'' was released starring [[Dan Aykroyd]] as the stiff Joe Friday (nephew of the original Sergeant Joe Friday), and [[Tom Hanks]] as his partner, Detective Pep Streebeck. The film contrasted the terse, clipped character of Friday, a hero from an earlier age, with the "real world" of Los Angeles in 1987 to broad comedic effect. Apart from Aykroyd's spot-on imitation of Webb's Joe Friday and Harry Morgan reprising his role of Bill Gannon (now Captain), the film version has few similarities with previous incarnations. This ''Dragnet'' parody was a hit with audiences, though no sequel was produced. LAPD Lieutenant Dan Cooke, who had served as technical advisor for the Jack Webb series, was also technical advisor for this production. |
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He also insisted that Friday and his partner use badges in the then-unique shield shape used by LAPD. This led to the loan of actual LAPD badges, brought in every morning from the Office of the Chief of Police in the care of an officer who acted as technical advisor. |
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==Remakes after Webb's death== |
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Television offered Webb the opportunity to increase the realism to a point unmatched by any other program for years. Many early episodes involved cases which had been handled by the Robbery or Homicide Divisions, which was at that time located in the ground floor of the Los Angeles City Hall. Webb had his set designers duplicate the "feel" of the office, including details such as the remnant of a notice which had been torn from the bulletin board, leaving only one corner. |
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===''The New Dragnet'' (1989)=== |
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{{See also|List of Dragnet (1989 TV series) episodes}} |
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A revival of ''Dragnet'' by [[Arthur L. Annecharico|The Arthur Company]], titled ''The New Dragnet'', aired in first-run [[Television syndication|syndication]] in tandem with [[Adam-12 (1990 TV series)|''The New Adam-12'']], a revival of the Jack Webb series ''[[Adam-12]]''. Like ''The New Adam-12'', ''The New Dragnet'' had entirely different characters, music, and presentation compared to the original series, and starred [[Jeff Osterhage]] as Detective Vic Daniels, [[Bernard White (actor)|Bernard White]] as Detective Carl Molina, and [[Don Stroud]] as Captain Lussen. |
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Webb, uncomfortable with firearms, mentioned this to the technical advisor. When an early script called for Friday to use a shotgun, LAPD detailed Jesse Littlejohn, a member of the Robbery Division's elite "[[Hat Squad]]", to teach Webb how to handle the riot gun. In the episode, Friday carries the shotgun using proper technique, but passes it to his partner rather than fire it himself. In thanks for this and assistance by other officers, Webb dropped their names into scripts, beginning a tradition which continued through the end of production of ''Dragnet'' and ''[[Adam-12]]''—all officers' names are real (except for recurring characters and officers suspected of wrongdoing, in which cases the names were changed to protect the innocent). |
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Fifty-two episodes were aired over two seasons. The first season aired from October 24, 1989, to January 21, 1990; the second season aired from April 19, 1990, to September 9, 1990. |
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''Dragnet'' first aired on television in December 1951 on a special presentation of the NBC program ''Sound-Off Time''. The regular series debuted in January 1952. Friday's original partner in the TV episodes (as on the radio) was Sgt. Ben Romero, played by [[Barton Yarborough]], who died after only three episodes were filmed. The Romero character was replaced by first by Detective Sergeant Ed Jacobs ([[Barney Phillips]]), and then by Officer Frank Smith. Smith was first played by Webb crony Herb Ellis. After four episodes, [[Ben Alexander]] took over the role on both television and radio. |
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===''L.A. Dragnet'' (2003)=== |
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Jack Webb thought Ben Alexander made an ideal partner. The dramatic scripts of the 1950s usually feature at least one comic interlude with Alexander to lighten the tone. Thus Frank offhandedly chats with Joe about his latest enthusiasm (favorite foods, fad diets, hobbies, home life, etc.). Alexander stayed with ''Dragnet'' through its original run, which ended in 1959. While ''Dragnet'' was still on the air, reruns began to air in syndication as ''Badge 714''. |
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{{Further|List of Dragnet (2003 TV series) episodes}} |
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In 2003, a ''Dragnet'' series was produced by [[Dick Wolf]], the producer of [[NBC]]'s ''[[Law & Order]]'' series and spin-offs. It aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], and starred [[Ed O'Neill]] as Joe Friday and [[Ethan Embry]] as Frank Smith. After a 12-episode season that followed the traditional formula, the format of the series was changed to an ensemble crime drama in an attempt to boost ratings. (The change apparently reflected Webb's intentions for the 1980s revival series, with Joe Friday promoted again to Lieutenant and overseeing a pair or group of younger detectives.) |
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When Webb remounted ''Dragnet'' in 1966, he tried to get Ben Alexander to rejoin him as Frank. Alexander was then committed to an [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] police series, ''[[Felony Squad]]'', and its producers would not release him. Webb reluctantly recast the role of Joe Friday's partner: Bill Gannon, played by movie and TV veteran [[Harry Morgan]]. Bill Gannon, like Frank Smith, was businesslike on duty but chatty in informal situations. Ben Alexander's light-comedy dialogues now fell to Harry Morgan, who played some of it more broadly; in "The Big Neighbor" his ad libs cause Jack Webb to openly burst out laughing, and in "The Weekend," Gannon's step-by-step preparation of a "garlic-nut-butter sandwich" is greeted with incredulous reactions from his friends. |
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In ''L.A. Dragnet'', Friday was promoted to lieutenant with less screen time and Frank Smith was written out, in favor of a younger and ethnically diverse cast played by [[Eva Longoria]], [[Desmond Harrington]], [[Evan Parke|Evan Dexter Parke]], and [[Christina Chang]]. [[Roselyn Sanchez]] was added to the regular cast in a few episodes. With the ''Dragnet'' formula no longer in place, the program had the feel of a typical [[procedural drama]]. It was cancelled five episodes into its second season. Three episodes premiered on [[USA Network]] in early 2004, with the final two on the [[Cloo|Sleuth]] channel in 2006. In other countries such as the Netherlands, the show is retitled ''Murder Investigation''. |
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Two other hallmarks of the TV show came at the end of |
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each episode: |
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* The arrested criminal stands uncomfortably, presumably for the [[mug shot]] and the fate of the perpetrators is stated, as a verdict of a court "in and for the City and County of Los Angeles" on an appropriate date. |
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* A sweaty, glistening left hand appeared, holding what would turn out to be a stamp for indenting metal; a heavy hammer struck the top of the handle of the stamp, twice, loudly; the stamp was removed to reveal the result, "MK VII", referring to the production company, [[Mark VII Limited]] Productions. |
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==Related works== |
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In 1954, a theatrical [[feature film]] adaptation of the series was released, with Webb, Alexander, and [[Richard Boone]]. |
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===Music=== |
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{{main|Dragnet (theme music)}} |
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The theme from ''Dragnet'' has been recorded by many artists, achieving popular success. Artists who charted with it include [[Ray Anthony]] (1953) and [[The Art of Noise]] (1987). |
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In 1958, Webb authored a book titled "The Badge." The book was a series of true stories told from the view of a patrolman, sergeant, lieutenant and others. It had a number of photographs and recently was reissued with a foreword by the author of "LA Confidential." |
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===Nonfiction=== |
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In 1966, a [[TV movie]], also called ''Dragnet'', was produced, although it did not air until 1969. Starring Jack Webb and [[Harry Morgan]] as his partner Officer Bill Gannon, it spawned a new series, ''Dragnet 1967'', which aired until 1970, the title year changing with each season. |
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* In 1958, Webb authored ''The Badge'', a book containing chapters of true stories told from the view of a patrolman, sergeant, lieutenant, and others. It had a number of photographs and recently was reissued with a foreword by [[James Ellroy]], author of ''[[L.A. Confidential]]'', which features a fictional show, ''Badge of Honor'', modeled after ''Dragnet''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Webb |first1=Jack |author-link=Jack Webb|title=The Badge: True and Terrifying Crime Stories That Could Not Be Presented on TV, from the Creator and Star of Dragnet |date=1958 |publisher=Da Capo Press |isbn=978-1560256885 |edition=Reprint}}</ref> |
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* In 2001, Michael J. Hayde wrote ''My Name's Friday: The Unauthorized But True Story of "Dragnet" and the Films of Jack Webb'', with a foreword by Harry Morgan (Bill Gannon).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hayde |first1=Michael J. |title=My Name's Friday: The Unauthorized But True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb |date=1 June 2001 |publisher=Cumberland House Publishing |isbn=978-1581821901}}</ref> |
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===Parodies=== |
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Jack Webb had begun the process of bringing ''Dragnet'' back to television yet again in 1982, writing and producing five scripts and even picking Kent McCord to play his new partner in "Dragnet '83" before suddenly passing away. |
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* ''[[The Little Shop of Horrors]]'', a 1960 cult classic comedy horror film by [[Roger Corman]], features a parody of the traditional ''Dragnet'' dry, hard-boiled voiceover narration throughout, and in the second half of the film, an onscreen parody of ''Dragnet'' and Joe Friday's robotic stoicism, a police detective named Joe Fink who says in voiceover "My name is Fink. Joe Fink... I'm a fink". |
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* "[[St. George and the Dragonet]]", a 1953 short audio satire by [[Stan Freberg]], was a smash hit reaching number one on both the ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'' and the ''[[Cash Box magazine|Cash Box]]'' record charts. In this satire, Freberg used the line "{{vanchor|Just the facts, ma'am}}", which entered popular lexicography as an actual catchphrase from ''Dragnet'', despite the line never being used on the show,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sharrett |first1=Christopher |title=Jack Webb and the Vagaries of Right-Wing TV Entertainment |journal=Cinema Journal |date=Summer 2012 |volume=51 |issue=4 |pages=165–171 |doi=10.1353/cj.2012.0087 |jstor=23253590 |s2cid=191632779 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23253590 |access-date=2 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Mikkelson |first1=David |title=Dragnet: 'Just the Facts. Ma'am' |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/just-the-facts/ |website=Snopes |access-date=2 February 2022 |date=29 March 2002}}</ref> except for Season Two, Episode Eight ("Big Lease"). Freberg followed "St. George..." with "Little Blue Riding Hood" and "Christmas Dragnet". |
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* The 1954 [[Woody Woodpecker]] cartoon ''[[Under the Counter Spy]]'' was a parody of ''Dragnet''. At the beginning, a narrator says, "The story you are about to see is a big fat lie. No names have been changed to protect anybody!" At the end, a hammer and stamp make the words "THE END", and the hammerer hits his thumb. |
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* The 1955, [[Three Stooges]] short ''[[Blunder Boys]]'' parodies ''Dragnet''. In place of the familiar "Dragnet" theme, the first four notes of "[[The Song of the Volga Boatmen]]", which is in the public domain, is used. At the end of the film, Moe stamps Larry's head with a hammer; Larry's forehead then reads, "VII 1/2 The End". |
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* A 1956 [[Looney Tunes]] short, ''[[Rocket Squad]]'', starred [[Daffy Duck]] and [[Porky Pig]] as Sgt. Joe Monday and Det. Schmoe Tuesday, respectively. Daffy narrated, giving a running timeline in the manner of Sgt. Friday. This police adventure ends with both officers convicted and imprisoned for [[false arrest]]. The opening title reads: "Ladies and Gentlemen, the story you are about to see is true. The drawings have been changed to protect the innocent". Another short, ''[[Tree Cornered Tweety]]'', featured [[Tweety]] imitating the narrator of ''Dragnet'' as he is being pursued by [[Sylvester (Looney Tunes)|Sylvester]] again. |
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* A segment of the ''[[Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'' cartoon show called "Bullwinkle's Corner", which featured Bullwinkle Moose in a poetry reading of "Tom, Tom the Piper's Son," parodied ''Dragnet'', as Bullwinkle is apprehended in the act of stealing a pig by two detectives who interrogate Bullwinkle using a terse, clipped monotone similar in style to Joe Friday and Frank Smith ("You got a name?" "I'm Tom, Tom the Piper's Son." "All right, Piperson, what were you going to do with the pig?"). |
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* A 1968 sketch entitled the "Copper Clapper Caper" during Jack Webb's appearance on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]''. Webb reprised Friday interviewing the equally deadpan victim of a robbery (played by [[Johnny Carson|Carson]]). The details of the crime started with the [[alliterative]] "k" or "kl" [[consonant]] sound, such as "Claude Cooper, the kleptomaniac from Cleveland."<ref name=clappers>{{cite AV media |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRfuTTd09vo| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211118/CRfuTTd09vo| archive-date=2021-11-18 | url-status=live|title=Funniest Moments: Copper Clapper Caper On Johnny Carson's Tonight Show|website=YouTube (official channel)|date=August 27, 2012|access-date=October 19, 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> |
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* A ''[[Sesame Street]]'' [[The Muppets|Muppet]] skit from the early 1970s, "Dragnet" featured Sgt. Thursday and his partner, Ben, searching for a fugitive letter ”W” using a drawing Ben carries with him of the letter; when they do encounter the letter W it disguises itself turning upside down into a letter “M”. |
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* The final segment of each episode of PBS's ''[[Square One Television|Square One]]'' was titled "[[Mathnet]]" and opened with the ''Dragnet'' theme and an arrangement of the lines "The story you're about to see is a fib—but it's short. The names are made up, but the problems are real." Each story arc of the show's five-season run lasted five daily episodes (one week) and featured detectives Kate Monday (seasons 1–3) or Pat Tuesday (seasons 4–5) and George Ernest Frankly (all five seasons), of the LAPD in the first two of the show's five seasons and the New York Police Department in the last three seasons, using mathematics to solve crimes. |
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* Isaac Air Freight, a Christian sketch comedy troupe, parodied ''Dragnet'' twice: on their 1978 album ''Fun in the Son'' (track 11, "Jerusalem Dragnet") and 1980 album ''Foolish Guy to Confound the Wise'' (track 8, "Jerusalem Dragnet II").<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z2Wtu8hy7I | title=Jerusalem Dragnet | website=[[YouTube]] | date=November 8, 2014 }}</ref> |
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* In 1983, "Prog #310" of UK sci-fi comic ''[[2000 AD (comics)|2000AD]]'' featured a time-travelling parody of ''Dragnet'' in the story "Chrono Cops", written by [[Alan Moore]] and illustrated by [[Dave Gibbons]]. In five pages, "Joe Saturday" and "Ed Thursday" encounter several time-travel "tropes", including a character attempting to kill his own great-grandfather.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.againwiththecomics.com/2007/11/forgotten-alan-moore-chronocops.html |title=Againwiththecomics.com |access-date=November 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102205615/http://www.againwiththecomics.com/2007/11/forgotten-alan-moore-chronocops.html |archive-date=November 2, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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* The season-five episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' titled "[[Marge on the Lam]]" centers around [[Marge Simpson]] and neighbor Ruth Powers being pursued by police while illegally driving Ruth's ex-husband's car; the episode ends with a ''Dragnet''-style epilogue detailing the characters' fates, as narrated by original series announcer George Fenneman, then the end credits run over a graphic of a police badge while a version of ''The Simpsons'' theme done in the style of the famous "Dragnet March" plays. Also, the season-seven episode "[[Mother Simpson]]" <!-- 7/8 --> has [[Homer Simpson]]'s mother, Mona Simpson, as a fugitive from [[Charles Montgomery Burns]], who is about to be captured after 27 years. Burns is helped by officers Joe Friday and Bill Gannon (voiced by Harry Morgan). |
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* ''Dragnet'' is parodied at the end of the episode of ''[[The New Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh]]'' titled: "Sorry, Wrong Slusher". Winnie-the-Pooh performs a closing narration as a mug shot of Christopher Robin is shown on screen, in the style of ''Dragnet''. |
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* The Amazon original series ''[[The Man in the High Castle (TV series)|The Man in the High Castle]]'' features a show in the fictional universe where Germany won the Second World War called "American Reich", shot in the style of ''Dragnet''. The show's title crawl music is similar to Dragnet, and the title card contains a police badge with a [[swastika]] in the center. In keeping with the alternate history, the character equivalent of Friday is a straight-laced [[Nazi]], with catchphrases including "Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein phone call" ("One people, one empire, one phone call.").<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.facebook.com/HighCastleAmazon/videos/1634726726786713/| website=[[Facebook]]|title=Don't miss American Reich, the Fall's most anticipated TV show. #HighCastle #WhatIfWeLost|date=September 25, 2015}}</ref> |
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* In the [[U.S. Acres]] segment of ''[[Garfield and Friends]]'' season six episode "How Now, Stolen Cow?" featuring Orson Pig and Bo Sheep doing their send up of the series right down to the end featuring the results of the trial...! |
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==Home media== |
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After Webb's death, the Chief of the [[Los Angeles Police Department]] announced that badge number 714—Webb's number on the television show—had been retired, and Los Angeles city offices lowered their flags to half-staff. At Webb's funeral, the LAPD provided an honor guard and the Chief of Police commented on Webb's connection with the LAPD. An LAPD Auditorium was named in his honor. |
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=== Radio series (1949–1957) === |
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===Remakes=== |
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<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:Dragnet2003.png|thumb|right|Title frame from the opening of the 2003 version.]] --> |
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<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Friday&Smith.png|right|thumb|Ed O'Neill (left) as Det. Joe Friday and [[Ethan Embry]] (right) as Det. Frank Smith from the 2003 version of Dragnet.]] --> |
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In 1987, a comedy movie version of ''Dragnet'' appeared (also titled ''[[Dragnet (1987 film)|Dragnet]]''), starring [[Dan Aykroyd]] as the stiff Joe Friday (the original Detective Friday's nephew), and [[Tom Hanks]] as his partner Pep Streebeck. The film contrasted the terse, clipped character of Friday, a hero from another age, with the 'real world' of Los Angeles in 1987 to broadly parodic effect. Beyond Aykroyd's effective imitation of Webb's Joe Friday (and [[Harry Morgan]]'s small role reprising his earlier role as Bill Gannon), this film version shares little with the previous incarnations. Although officially a remake, the film was more a parody than a true remake. Despite this criticism, the film was a hit with audiences. |
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===Original television series (1951–1959)=== |
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In 1989, ''The New Dragnet'' appeared in first-run [[television syndication|syndication]], featuring all-new characters, and aired in tandem with ''The New Adam-12'', a remake of another Webb-produced police drama, ''[[Adam-12]]''. |
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Most, if not all, episodes of this series are in the [[public domain]],{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} and 52 episodes were released by many DVD labels. These collections feature a variety of the same 52 episodes. These include "The Human Bomb", "The Big Actor", "The Big Mother", "The Big Cast", "The Big September Man", "The Big Phone Call", "The Big Casing", "The Big Lamp", "The Big Seventeen", "The Big .22 Caliber Rifle for Christmas", "The Big Grandma", "The Big Show", "The Big Break", "The Big Frank", "The Big Hands", "The Big Barrette", "The Big Dance", "The Big Betty", "The Big Will", "The Big Thief", "The Big Little Jesus", "The Big Trunk", "The Big Boys", "The Big Children", "The Big Winchester", "The Big Shoplift", "The Big Hit & Run Killer", "The Big Girl", "The Big Frame", "The Big False Make", "The Big Producer", "The Big Fraud", "The Big Crime", "The Big Pair", "The Big Missing", "The Big Bar", "The Big Present", "The Big New Year", "The Big Rod", "The Big Lift", "The Big Gap", "The Big Look", "The Big Glasses", "The Big Bird", "the Big Smoke", "The Big Bounce", "The Big Deal", "The Big Hat", "The Big Net", "The Big War", "The Big Oskar", and "The Big Counterfeit". Often, some are mislabeled as no onscreen titles are used. |
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Three collections released from [[Alpha Video]] feature four episodes each. Eclectic DVD released a collection of three episodes. |
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In 2003 another ''Dragnet'' series was produced by [[Dick Wolf]], the producer of ''[[Law & Order]]'', a series that was strongly influenced by ''Dragnet''. It aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], and starred [[Ed O'Neill]] as Joe Friday and [[Ethan Embry]] as Frank Smith. After a 12-episode season that rather closely followed the traditional formula, the format of the series was changed to an ensemble crime drama. |
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Platinum Video released seven episodes from the original series in 2002. The episodes are: "Big Crime", "Big Pair", "Big Producer", "Big Break", "Big September Man", "Big Betty", and "Big Trunk". The two-disc set includes episodes from ''[[Burke's Law (1963 TV series)|Burke's Law]]''; ''[[Peter Gunn]]''; ''[[Richard Diamond, Private Detective]]''; ''Mr. Wong, Detective''; and ''[[Bulldog Drummond]]''. |
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Now titled ''L.A. Dragnet'', Friday was promoted to Lieutenant but received less screen time (Frank Smith was written out entirely) in favor of a group of younger and ethnically-diverse detectives (played by [[Eva Longoria]], [[Christina Chang]], [[Desmond Harrington]] and [[Evan Parke|Evan Dexter Parke]]). With most of the trappings that made ''Dragnet'' unique no longer in place, it became just another cops and robbers series and it was canceled only five episodes into its second season. Another three episodes aired on [[USA Network]] in early 2004, with the final two of the series' 22 episodes remaining unaired in the U.S. until the launch of the [[Sleuth (TV channel)|Sleuth]] channel in 2006. In some places (such as the [[Netherlands]]) this show is renamed ''Murder Investigation'' instead of ''Dragnet''. |
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===''Dragnet'' feature film (1954)=== |
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==Parodies== |
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This movie was released on DVD in 2009 as part of Universal Studios' "Vault Series". |
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''Dragnet'' and its unique presentation style have been frequently referenced or [[Parody|lampooned]]. |
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The movie was released on bluray in 2020 by Kino Lorber. The transfer features a 2K scan. |
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*In the third issue of ''[[Mad (magazine)|Mad]]'' (January-February, 1953), [[Harvey Kurtzman]] and [[Will Elder]] offered "Dragged Net!", a parody of the radio series. Since the show had been televised before ''Mad'' began, observant readers noted Webb was not caricatured and thus determined that Kurtzman did not yet own a TV set. The comic book's first radio-TV satire came in ''Mad'' #11 when Kurtzman and Elder offered a second "Dragged Net!", this time with caricatures. |
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===''Dragnet'' pilot movie (1966)=== |
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*Comedian [[Stan Freberg]] produced a record (a 45, of course, Capitol F2596) featuring two of his skits "[[St. George and the Dragonet]]" and "[[Little Blue Riding Hood]]" (which opened with "...only the color has been changed, to prevent an investigation!" a reference to the 1950s [[McCarthy era]]. This sold one million copies in three weeks, prompting production of "[[Christmas Dragnet]]" (Capitol F2671), which was re-released as "Yulenet" (Capitol F2986). Quotes taken from these three skits became common in American law enforcement circles; some remain, half a century later. |
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This movie is a bonus feature on [[Shout! Factory]]'s "Dragnet 1968: Season Two" (Release Date: July 6, 2010). |
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===''Dragnet'' (1967–1970)=== |
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*An early TV appearance of the [[Three Stooges]], a [[kinescope]] of which turns up on [[AMC (TV network)|AMC]] from time to time, featured a parody of the radio show's style. Each player introduced himself as a name ending in the syllable "day". They went through that schtick several times. In a comic [[triple]], [[Moe Howard]] and [[Larry Fine]] introduced themselves seriously, as "Halliday" and "Tarraday", and [[Shemp Howard]] provided the punch line: "I'm Christmas Day!" or "I'm St. Patrick's Day!" and wearing appropriate garb. They went on to do a routine talking in the deadpan, staccato style of the show. This routine was also captured in their 1955 theatrical film, ''Blunder Boys''. |
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On June 7, 2005, [[Universal Studios Home Entertainment|Universal Studios]] released the first season on DVD in Region 1. Because sales numbers did not meet Universal's expectations, no plans were made to release the remaining three seasons. |
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On March 17, 2010, Shout! Factory acquired the rights to distribute the series under license from [[Universal Studios Home Entertainment|Universal]]. They subsequently released seasons 2–4. |
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*Another parody was done on the Sid Caesar show with him and Carl Reiner playing the characters. While investigating crimes, they would walk up to a victim’s apartment, and knock on the door. As the door opened they would introduce themselves by mumbling their identities and quickly and hastily showing their badges from the underside of their suit lapels. |
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*In several [[Tums]] commercials, ''Dragnet'''s famous four-note-plus-five-note opening theme was used as a [[jingle]] ("Tum-Tum-TUM-Tum... Tum-Tum-TUM-Tum-TUMS!"; the second half was used as the main jingle for several years). [[Eric Burdon]] & [[The Animals]] also spoofed the show's opening at the beginning of their hit single "San Francisco Nights", as well as the punk band [[The Afflicted]] in their recording "Here Come the Cops". |
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*In the ''[[The Simpsons|Simpsons]]'' episode [[Mother Simpson]] Joe Friday and Bill Gannon are parodied as agents during the FBI's search for Homer's mother; Harry Morgan furnished the voice for the animated Bill Gannon. According to the DVD Commentary, the animation for Joe Friday was based on the Will Elder MAD magazine parody. |
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* Other animated references include ''[[Rocket Squad]]'', a futuristic [[parody]] with [[Daffy Duck]] and [[Porky Pig]] as Detectives Monday and Tuesday. Says Monday of Tuesday, "He always follows me." [[Woody Woodpecker]] also took a shot at the format with "Under the Counter Spy", concluding with the production company's pounding hammer missing the stamp and hitting the hammerer's thumb. The opening line was also changed to "The story you are about to hear is a BIG FAT LIE." |
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*On television, ''Dragnet'' was the subject of a popular routine (featuring Webb himself and [[Johnny Carson]]) on ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson|The Tonight Show]]'' involving "Claude Cooper, a kleptomaniac from Cleveland who copped the clean copper clappers...", the wordplay involving words primarily starting with the letters "C" and "L" between Carson and Webb goes on for almost three minutes with Webb keeping a straight face has become a ''Tonight Show'' classic. |
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* "Dragnet" was parodied by ''[[Sesame Workshop]]'', first, as a ''[[Sesame Street]]'' muppet skit involving two police detectives after a letter W, which disguises itself by turning upside down, into an M; then, much later, as "[[Mathnet]]", an ongoing film segment of the [[PBS]] series ''[[Square One TV]]''. |
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*Both the TV series ''[[Police Squad]]'' and its motion picture [[spin-off]]s, the ''[[The Naked Gun|Naked Gun]]'' series, parodied elements of the show, particularly the [[deadpan]] narration. |
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*[[James Ellroy]] featured a thinly-veiled twist on ''Dragnet'' in his ''[[L.A. Confidential]]'' [[novel]] with a popular 1950's TV police drama, ''Badge of Honor'', which is also seen in the film adaptation of ''L.A. Confidential''. Ellroy's perspective on Los Angeles cops as crooked and vice-ridden contrasts sharply with Webb's portrayals of police. The Brett Chase character in ''[[L.A. Confidential|Confidential]]'' was based on [[Jack Webb]]. Among other novels with references to ''Dragnet'' is [[Thomas Pynchon]]'s ''[[V.]]''. Pynchon described two minor characters, Patrolman Jones and Officer Ten Eyck, as "faithful viewers of the TV program ''Dragnet''. They'd cultivated deadpan expressions, unsyncopated speech rhythms, monotone voices." |
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*In ''Die Hard 2'', John McClane sends a fax message to Al Powell. When the girl who sent the fax asks him what he is doing later, McClane thumbs his wedding ring and says, "Just the fax, ma'am, just the fax." |
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*The avant-garde band [[The Residents]] announced a 2006 project, ''The River of Crime'', which is, as their website calls it, "A modern day ''Dragnet''... The series follows the reminisces of its unseen narrator as he discloses a lifelong obsession with wickedness and vice. But, as opposed to the ironic and terse Joe Friday, a classic crime solver, ''The River of Crime'''s narrator is a crime collector."<ref>[http://riverofcrime.residents.com Index of /<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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*The character Nick Brick from the 1997 video game [[LEGO Island]] has a voice that is an obvious Joe Friday impersonation. |
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*In the video game ''[[Destroy All Humans]]'' scanning a police officer a few times will bring up the thought "I'm goin' all Joe Friday; I have a [[dragnet (policing)|dragnet]] out for evildoers." |
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*Neil Gaiman's ''[[Sandman (Vertigo)|Sandman]]'' comic book has two supernatural beings ([[Loki]] and [[Puck (Shakespeare)|Puck]]) posing as stereotypical police detectives, and they are described by another character in the series as 'Dragnet refugees'. |
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*[[Alan Moore|Alan Moore's]] ''[[Watchmen]]'' graphic novel starts with a murder being investigated by two police detectives, one of which bears a strong resemblance to Jack Webb. |
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*In ''[[War Boy]]'' by [[Thorn Kief Hillsbery]], the character Radboy makes a list of satirical names for his impromptu environmental protest group trying to save the redwoods. One is "Rust the Ax Ma'am". |
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*[[First Choice (band)|First Choice]]'s ''Armed and Extremely Dangerous'' features a sample of the theme song. |
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*On the PBS aired show [[Square One Television|Square One]] was a series called [[Mathnet]]. This parody of Dragnet featured detectives at the Los Angeles Police Department (later the New York Police Department) who solved mysteries using their mathematical skills. Each episode would start off with "The story you are about to see is a fib... but it's short. The names are made up, but the problems are real". |
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==DVD Releases== |
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'''Original Series (1951)''' |
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3 collections have been released to date, 2 from [[Alpha Video]] featuring 4 episodes each and 1 from [[Eclectic DVD]] featuring 3 episodes. |
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Platinum Video released 7 episodes from the original series in 2002. |
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The episodes are: |
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Big Crime, Big Pair, Big Producer, Big Break, Big September Man, Big Betty, Big Trunk. |
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In the episode Big Crime, Jack Kruschen appears as a child molester. |
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In the episode Big Producer, Martin Milner ( Adam 12 ) appears as a high school student. He was credited as Marty Milner. |
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Also included on the 2 disc set are one episode of Burke's Law, 2 of Peter Gunn, and 2 of Richard Diamond, along with an episode of Mr. Wong, Detective and Bulldog Drummond. |
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'''Dragnet 1967''' |
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On [[June 7]], [[2005]], [[Universal Studios Home Entertainment]] released the first season on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. It is unknown if the remaining 3 seasons will be released at some point. |
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| style="text-align:center;"|17 |
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| June 7, 2005<br />{{small|February 13, 2018 (re-release)}} |
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| [[June 7]] [[2005]] |
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| Season 2 |
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* Bonus Audio CD of the original Dragnet Radio Show |
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| July 6, 2010 |
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| Season 3 |
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| December 7, 2010 |
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| Season 4 |
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| April 12, 2011 |
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===''The New Dragnet'' (1989)=== |
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No DVD releases to date of this remake that lasted two seasons. |
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===''L.A. Dragnet'' (2003)=== |
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No DVD releases to date of this remake that lasted 2 seasons |
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[[Universal Studios Home Entertainment]] was going to release the first season of this short-lived remake on DVD on November 11, 2003, but this release was cancelled. It is not known if the set will be released.<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=731 Dragnet DVD news: Dragnet (2003) DVD Cancelled | TVShowsOnDVD.com<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041110031132/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=731 |date=November 10, 2004 }}</ref> |
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== References == |
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'''L.A. Dragnet (2003)''' |
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{{Reflist}} |
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== General sources == |
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[[Universal Studios Home Entertainment]] was going to release the first season of this short-lived remake on DVD on [[November 11]], [[2003]], but this release was subsequently cancelled. It is not known if the set will be released at some point.<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=731 Dragnet DVD news: Dragnet (2003) DVD Cancelled | TVShowsOnDVD.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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* [[John Dunning (radio historian)|Dunning, John]], ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio'', Oxford University Press, 1998, {{ISBN|0-19-507678-8}}. |
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* Michael J. Hayde, ''My Name's Friday: The Unauthorized but True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb'', Cumberland House, 2001, {{ISBN|1-58182-190-5}} |
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* [[Jason Mittell]], ''Genre and Television: From Cop Shows to Cartoons in American Culture''. Routledge, 2004, {{ISBN|0-415-96903-4}}. |
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== |
==External links== |
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{{commons category|Dragnet (series)}} |
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{{Trivia|date=June 2007}} |
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* {{InternetArchiveOTR|id=Dragnet_OTR|title=Dragnet (Radio Series)}} |
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*While "just the facts, ma'am" has come to be known as its catch phrase, it was a slight misquote. The closest he came was, "All we want are the facts, ma'am" and "All we know are the facts, ma'am".<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/dragnet.htm Urban Legends Reference Pages: Television (Just the Facts)]</ref> "Just the facts, ma'am" comes from the [[Stan Freberg]] parody "[[St. George and the Dragonet]]." |
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* {{IMDb title|0043194|Dragnet'' (1951–59)''<nowiki/>}} |
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* {{IMDb title|0046931|Dragnet'' (1954 film)''<nowiki/>}} |
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* {{IMDb title|0061248|Dragnet'' (1967)''<nowiki/>}} |
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* {{IMDb title|0092925|Dragnet'' (1987 film)''<nowiki/>}} |
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* {{IMDb title|0096570|The New Dragnet}} |
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* {{IMDb title|0319987|Dragnet'' (2003)''<nowiki/>}} |
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* {{YouTube|cjquGpmgwOo|Tonight Show/Dragnet Parody}} – "Copper Clappers" sketch, featuring Johnny Carson and Jack Webb from a 1968 ''Tonight Show'' episode |
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{{Jack Webb/Mark VII Limited}} |
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*Ethan Embry and Ed O'Neill costarred in the 2003 version of Dragnet. However, this was not the first time they had worked together on a project. They also co-starred in a movie in 1991 named ''[[Dutch (film)|Dutch]]'' when Embry started acting at the young age of 13. |
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{{Dragnet}} |
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{{Universal Studios franchises}} |
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[[Category:Dragnet (franchise)| ]] |
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*At the end of the original 1950s series, Joe Friday was promoted to Lieutenant. However, in the 1967 sequel, Friday's promotion was never mentioned and he was a Sergeant again. (The character was not demoted onscreen; the promotion was simply ignored as if it never occurred.) As Jack Webb said at the time: "Few people remember that Friday was promoted toward the end of our run. We think it's better to have Joe a sergeant again. Few detective-lieutenants get out into the field." Later, in the second season of the 2003 remake, Friday was promoted to Lieutenant. |
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[[Category:Mass media franchises introduced in 1949]] |
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[[Category:1951 American television series debuts]] |
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*[[Leiber and Stoller|Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller]] were among the first songwriters to lyrically immortalize Sergeant Friday in their 1957 hit song ''[[Searchin']]'', recorded by [[The Coasters]] |
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*Webb's portrayal of Sergeant Friday became so popular at one point that people started coming to LAPD City Hall asking to talk to Sergeant Friday, at which point they were invariably told, "Sorry, but it's the sergeant's day off".{{Fact|date=May 2008}} |
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*In 1968, ''Dragnet'' crossed over with another Jack Webb created show, ''[[Adam-12]]'', with the episode "Internal Affairs-DR-20", where [[Martin Milner]] and [[Kent McCord]] were seen in the roles of Officers Pete Malloy, and Jim Reed. |
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* In the 1980s, Dragnet inspired a series of television ads for the [[Bell Atlantic]] [[Yellow Pages]], with actor [[David Leisure]] portraying Friday. |
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*One of the many police officers who submitted actual cases to Jack Webb was future television producer [[Gene Roddenberry]], who would become famous for creating the ''[[Star Trek]]'' franchise. |
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*On the 1989 [[Beastie Boys]] album, [[Paul's Boutique]], [[Mike D]] makes a reference to Dragnet in the track, "3-Minute Rule." |
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*There are multiple explanations for the use of the badge number 714. Jack Webb was a big Babe Ruth fan, and Ruth hit 714 home runs in his baseball career. The number is also said to be from Jack's mother's birthday (July 14th). |
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However, Laurie (Dragnet advisor and LAPD Sergeant Dan Cooke's daughter) also writes: "Although plausible, these are not quite right. Sgt. Dan Cooke was closely associated with Jack Webb. He originated some of the script concepts and was the technical director for a number of the Dragnet episodes. Badge 714 was Sgt. Cooke's badge and was retired from the LAPD when Sgt. Cooke arranged for the use of his badge for the series." http://www.badge714.com/dragfaq.htm |
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*Other TV series parodied Joe Friday's narrative style, including [[James Garner]] in ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]],'' [[Hanna-Barbera]] in ''[[Huckleberry Hound]],'' and [[Larry Harmon]] in ''[[Bozo the Clown]].'' |
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John Stephenson, who announced the epilogue at the show's end, was also the voice of Mr. Slate, |
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Fred Flintstone's boss, on "The Flintstones" TV series. |
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==Notes== |
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<references /> |
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==Sources== |
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*[[John Dunning]], ''On The Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio'', Oxford University Press, 1998, ISBN 0-19-507678-8. |
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* Michael J. Hayde, ''My Name's Friday: The Unauthorized but True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb'', Cumberland House, 2001, ISBN 1-581-82190-5 |
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* Jason Mittell, ''Genre and Television: From Cop Shows to Cartoons in American Culture.'' Routledge, 2004, ISBN 0-415-96903-4. |
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==External links== |
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*{{imdb title|id=0043194|title=The 1951-59 series}} |
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*{{imdb title|id=0061248|title="Dragnet 1967"}} |
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*{{imdb title|id=0096570|title="The New Dragnet"}} |
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*{{imdb title|id=0319987|title="Dragnet (2003)"}} |
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* [http://www.badge714.com/ Badge714.com] - Information on all ''Dragnet'' shows and the works of Jack Webb. |
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* [http://www.tv.com/dragnet-1951/show/20239/summary.html ''Dragnet'' (1951)] at [[TV.com]] |
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* [http://www.tv.com/dragnet/show/644/summary.html ''Dragnet''] (1967-1970) at [[TV.com]] |
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* [http://www.tv.com/dragnet-1989/show/26959/summary.html ''Dragnet'' (1989)] at [[TV.com]] |
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* [http://www.tv.com/l.a.-dragnet/show/10687/summary.html ''L.A. Dragnet''] (2003-2004) at [[TV.com]] |
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*{{InternetArchiveOTR|id=Dragnet_OTR|title=Dragnet (Radio Series)}} |
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Latest revision as of 02:53, 2 December 2024
| Dragnet | |
|---|---|
 Dragnet opening frame from the 1950s television series | |
| Created by | Jack Webb |
| Original work | Radio series |
| Owners | |
| Years | 1949 – 2004 |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | |
| Television series | List
|
| Television film(s) | 1969 television film (1969) |
| Audio | |
| Radio program(s) | 1949 radio drama (1949 – 1957) |
| Original music | "Dragnet" |
Dragnet is an American media franchise created by actor and producer Jack Webb, following Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Detective Joe Friday and his partners as they conduct by-the-book police work and solve crimes in Los Angeles. Originating as a radio drama on NBC in 1949, Dragnet has been adapted into several successful television shows and films, though the franchise's popularity has reduced since Webb's death in 1982. Its name is derived from the police term "dragnet", a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects.
Dragnet is perhaps the most famous and influential police procedural crime drama in American media history. Webb's aims in Dragnet were for unpretentious acting and a realistic depiction of policing. The series portrayed police work as dangerous and heroic, and helped shape public perception of law enforcement in the 20th century, improving the public's opinion of police officers.[1]
Dragnet remains a key influence on the police procedural genre. Its cultural impact is such that seven decades after its debut, elements of Dragnet are familiar to those who are otherwise unfamiliar with the franchise itself:
- "Dragnet", the four-note introduction to the franchise's brass and timpani theme music (though its origins date to Miklós Rózsa's score for the 1946 film version of The Killers).
- The opening narration common across the franchise's series: "Ladies and gentlemen: the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent." Over time, the "only" and "ladies and gentlemen" were eventually dropped. The television version used in the 1950s and 1960s series replaced "hear" with "see" and had a backdrop of Joe Friday's badge, number 714.
- "Just the facts, ma'am", a catchphrase and misquotation often attributed to Joe Friday and popularly used to reference or evoke Dragnet, though Webb's portrayal of Joe Friday never said that exact phrase.
Actual cases
[edit]The opening of "The story you are about to hear is true" is derived from the fact that many works in the franchise are transcribed from official LAPD case files. In some cases, the source material has been identified, including the following:
- Sullivan Kidnapping – The Wolf (Radio, 1949) – The 1927 kidnapping and murder of Marion Parker.
- The Big Thank You (Radio, 1950) – Louise Peete's post-prison years and third murder, which led to her becoming the second of only four women to be executed in the California gas chamber.
- 1969 TV movie – The killing spree of serial killer Harvey Glatman in the late 1950s.[2] Pierce Brooks, an LAPD captain who was involved in Glatman's arrest and interrogation, served as a technical advisor for the film.[3]
Radio
[edit]Dragnet began as a radio series, running on the NBC radio network from 1949 to 1957.[4]
Television
[edit]1951–1959 original
[edit]In 1951, Dragnet shifted to the field of television, running on NBC from 1951 to 1959. Most early episodes of the television series were dubbed or lip-synced adaptations of episodes of the radio show, but later episodes were original plotlines. Most of the cast members were veteran radio actors who could be relied upon to read the matter-of-fact dialogue naturally.
1967–1970 revival
[edit]
Webb relaunched Dragnet in 1966, with NBC once again chosen to air the series. He tried to persuade Ben Alexander to rejoin him as Frank Smith. Alexander was then committed to an ABC police series, Felony Squad, and the producers would not release him. Webb reluctantly came up with a new character to take the role of Joe Friday's partner, calling upon his longtime friend Harry Morgan to play Officer Bill Gannon. Morgan had previously portrayed rooming-house proprietor Luther Gage in the 1949 radio series episode "James Vickers". George Fenneman returned as the show's primary announcer, with John Stephenson replacing Hal Gibney in the role of announcing the trial dates and subsequent punishments for the offenders. Fenneman replaced Stephenson in that role during the fourth season. Unlike the previous Dragnet series, the revival was produced and aired in color.
Webb produced a TV movie pilot for the new version of the show for Universal Television, although the pilot was not aired until January 1969. NBC bought the show on the strength of the movie, and it debuted as a midseason replacement for the sitcom The Hero on Thursday nights in January 1967. To distinguish it from the original, the year was included in the title of the show (i.e., Dragnet 1967). Although Friday had been promoted to lieutenant in the final episode of the 1950s production, Webb chose to have Friday revert to sergeant with his familiar badge, "714".[5]
When real-life LAPD Sergeant Dan Cooke, Webb's contact in the department during production of the revived Dragnet series, was promoted to lieutenant, he arranged to carry the same lieutenant's badge, number 714, as worn by Joe Friday. Cooke was technical advisor to the KNBC documentary Police Unit 2A-26, directed by John Orland. He brought that to the attention of Webb, who hired Orland to direct and film This is the City, a series of minidocumentaries about Los Angeles that preceded most TV episodes during the 1969 and 1970 seasons.[citation needed] The show had good ratings on NBC's schedule for four seasons (although its popularity at that time did not exceed that of the 1950s version), but the show was canceled after the completion of the 1969-1970 season.
Much as was done 11 years earlier, Webb decided voluntarily to discontinue Dragnet after its fourth season to focus on producing and directing his other projects through Mark VII Limited. The first of these projects was titled Adam-12, a 30-minute police procedural similar to Dragnet, but focusing on patrol officers rather than detectives. The series premiered in the fall of 1968, while Dragnet 1969 was in production, and ran for seven seasons, coming to an end in 1975. In 1971, with producer Robert A. Cinader, Webb developed another pilot originally intended to be centered around the staff of a Los Angeles–area medical center's emergency room. When researching for the pilot, Webb and Cinader were introduced to the Los Angeles County Fire Department's fledgling paramedic program, and the premise was reworked to include the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Emergency! was born; running as a weekly series until 1977, and as a series of made-for-television movies for two years after that. Emergency! was centered on the then-fictitious Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedic rescue unit, Squad 51.
During the early 1970s, reruns of this version of Dragnet were popular on local stations, usually broadcast during the late afternoon or early evenings. From 1991 to 1995, Dragnet was shown on Nick at Nite, then moved to its sister cable channel TV Land. From October 1, 2011, to April 26, 2013, the series ran daily on the digital cable channel Antenna TV, and before that, the show aired on the Retro Television Network.
Dragnet was broadcast Monday through Friday on Me-TV. The show was part of the "CriMe TV" morning block with Perry Mason and The Rockford Files, with Dragnet shown back to back from 11:00 am until 12:00 pm. In December 2014, Me-TV added a third airing of Dragnet to its late-night lineup; the series airs at 12:30 am following a second episode of Perry Mason. Me-TV ended the run of Dragnet on January 1, 2015, whereupon it became part of Cozi TV's regular lineup. In January 2020 Dragnet returned to MeTV along with its sibling series Adam-12 after Cozi TV dropped both series; Dragnet currently broadcasts one episode weekday mornings 5:30 a.m.
Webb's later years
[edit]In 1982, Webb had begun working on a revival of Dragnet, writing and producing five scripts and continuing his role as Joe Friday. Once again, he needed to create a new character for Friday's partner; Ben Alexander had died in 1969 and Harry Morgan was tied up with his commitments to M*A*S*H, and its already greenlit followup AfterMASH. Webb decided on former Adam-12 star Kent McCord who had several guest appearances early in the 1967 revival series, to fill the undefined role. No indication was given whether McCord would be playing his character of Jim Reed from Adam-12 or a totally new character. On December 23, 1982, Webb died unexpectedly from a heart attack and the Dragnet revival was scrapped.
After Webb's death, LAPD Chief Daryl Gates announced that badge number 714—Webb's number on the television show—was retired, and Los Angeles city offices lowered their flags to half staff. At Webb's funeral, the LAPD provided an honor guard, and the chief of police commented on Webb's connection with the LAPD. An LAPD auditorium was named in his honor. Jack Webb's LAPD sergeant's badge and ID card are on display at the Los Angeles Police Academy.
Film versions
[edit]Dragnet (1954)
[edit]In 1954, a theatrical feature film titled Dragnet, an adaptation of the series, was released with Webb, Alexander, and Richard Boone. Dennis Weaver plays R. A. Lohrman, a detective captain. The film begins with the shooting of small-time hood Miller Starkie (Dub Taylor) on orders from his boss, Max Troy (Stacy Harris). Friday and Smith's superior is LAPD Intelligence Division Captain Jim Hamilton (Boone), a department member and the film's technical advisor. The Intelligence Division focused on the pursuit of organized-crime figures, and some of Max Troy's habits resemble that of Mickey Cohen, the known Los Angeles underworld boss; for example, Troy's LAPD file reads that he could be found at "Sunset Strip taverns and joints", as could Cohen. The film depicts the working relationship between the LAPD and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office; Friday and Smith work to gather evidence that the DA's office deems sufficient to gain the indictment and ultimate conviction of Troy and his fellows. One scene contains a violent fist-fight involving the two detectives, with the close-up cinematic technique typical of Webb's style of direction. The movie's ending represents a departure from most Dragnet stories; no arrest is made at the story's conclusion. Chester Davitt (Willard Sage), Troy's underling and Starkie's killer, is killed by underworld figures, and Troy succumbs to cancer before the detectives, having gathered sufficient evidence against him, can make the arrest.
The film earned an estimated $4.7 million at the North American box office during its first year of release.[6][7]
Dragnet 1966 (aired 1969)
[edit]Dragnet 1966 is a made-for-TV movie that initiated the return of the Dragnet series to television. It was produced as the TV pilot for Dragnet 1967, but was not broadcast until 1969. The movie stars Jack Webb as Sgt. Friday and Harry Morgan as Officer Bill Gannon. The story focuses on crime more typical of the 1960s than of the previous Dragnet era; the detectives are assigned to find a voyeuristic serial killer similar to Harvey Glatman (played by Vic Perrin, who appeared in the 1954 film as an assistant district attorney). Also appearing is Virginia Gregg, who had a role in the 1954 feature and was a frequent guest actor in the 1951–59 series and the 1967–70 episodes, and John Roseboro, a catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who dabbled in acting in the off season; Roseboro played a plainclothes detective who had been the target of racial slurs by a child molester until Friday came to his aid.
Dragnet (1987)
[edit]In 1987, a comedy film version of Dragnet was released starring Dan Aykroyd as the stiff Joe Friday (nephew of the original Sergeant Joe Friday), and Tom Hanks as his partner, Detective Pep Streebeck. The film contrasted the terse, clipped character of Friday, a hero from an earlier age, with the "real world" of Los Angeles in 1987 to broad comedic effect. Apart from Aykroyd's spot-on imitation of Webb's Joe Friday and Harry Morgan reprising his role of Bill Gannon (now Captain), the film version has few similarities with previous incarnations. This Dragnet parody was a hit with audiences, though no sequel was produced. LAPD Lieutenant Dan Cooke, who had served as technical advisor for the Jack Webb series, was also technical advisor for this production.
Remakes after Webb's death
[edit]The New Dragnet (1989)
[edit]A revival of Dragnet by The Arthur Company, titled The New Dragnet, aired in first-run syndication in tandem with The New Adam-12, a revival of the Jack Webb series Adam-12. Like The New Adam-12, The New Dragnet had entirely different characters, music, and presentation compared to the original series, and starred Jeff Osterhage as Detective Vic Daniels, Bernard White as Detective Carl Molina, and Don Stroud as Captain Lussen.
Fifty-two episodes were aired over two seasons. The first season aired from October 24, 1989, to January 21, 1990; the second season aired from April 19, 1990, to September 9, 1990.
L.A. Dragnet (2003)
[edit]In 2003, a Dragnet series was produced by Dick Wolf, the producer of NBC's Law & Order series and spin-offs. It aired on ABC, and starred Ed O'Neill as Joe Friday and Ethan Embry as Frank Smith. After a 12-episode season that followed the traditional formula, the format of the series was changed to an ensemble crime drama in an attempt to boost ratings. (The change apparently reflected Webb's intentions for the 1980s revival series, with Joe Friday promoted again to Lieutenant and overseeing a pair or group of younger detectives.)
In L.A. Dragnet, Friday was promoted to lieutenant with less screen time and Frank Smith was written out, in favor of a younger and ethnically diverse cast played by Eva Longoria, Desmond Harrington, Evan Dexter Parke, and Christina Chang. Roselyn Sanchez was added to the regular cast in a few episodes. With the Dragnet formula no longer in place, the program had the feel of a typical procedural drama. It was cancelled five episodes into its second season. Three episodes premiered on USA Network in early 2004, with the final two on the Sleuth channel in 2006. In other countries such as the Netherlands, the show is retitled Murder Investigation.
Related works
[edit]Music
[edit]The theme from Dragnet has been recorded by many artists, achieving popular success. Artists who charted with it include Ray Anthony (1953) and The Art of Noise (1987).
Nonfiction
[edit]- In 1958, Webb authored The Badge, a book containing chapters of true stories told from the view of a patrolman, sergeant, lieutenant, and others. It had a number of photographs and recently was reissued with a foreword by James Ellroy, author of L.A. Confidential, which features a fictional show, Badge of Honor, modeled after Dragnet.[8]
- In 2001, Michael J. Hayde wrote My Name's Friday: The Unauthorized But True Story of "Dragnet" and the Films of Jack Webb, with a foreword by Harry Morgan (Bill Gannon).[9]
Parodies
[edit]- The Little Shop of Horrors, a 1960 cult classic comedy horror film by Roger Corman, features a parody of the traditional Dragnet dry, hard-boiled voiceover narration throughout, and in the second half of the film, an onscreen parody of Dragnet and Joe Friday's robotic stoicism, a police detective named Joe Fink who says in voiceover "My name is Fink. Joe Fink... I'm a fink".
- "St. George and the Dragonet", a 1953 short audio satire by Stan Freberg, was a smash hit reaching number one on both the Billboard and the Cash Box record charts. In this satire, Freberg used the line "Just the facts, ma'am", which entered popular lexicography as an actual catchphrase from Dragnet, despite the line never being used on the show,[10][11] except for Season Two, Episode Eight ("Big Lease"). Freberg followed "St. George..." with "Little Blue Riding Hood" and "Christmas Dragnet".
- The 1954 Woody Woodpecker cartoon Under the Counter Spy was a parody of Dragnet. At the beginning, a narrator says, "The story you are about to see is a big fat lie. No names have been changed to protect anybody!" At the end, a hammer and stamp make the words "THE END", and the hammerer hits his thumb.
- The 1955, Three Stooges short Blunder Boys parodies Dragnet. In place of the familiar "Dragnet" theme, the first four notes of "The Song of the Volga Boatmen", which is in the public domain, is used. At the end of the film, Moe stamps Larry's head with a hammer; Larry's forehead then reads, "VII 1/2 The End".
- A 1956 Looney Tunes short, Rocket Squad, starred Daffy Duck and Porky Pig as Sgt. Joe Monday and Det. Schmoe Tuesday, respectively. Daffy narrated, giving a running timeline in the manner of Sgt. Friday. This police adventure ends with both officers convicted and imprisoned for false arrest. The opening title reads: "Ladies and Gentlemen, the story you are about to see is true. The drawings have been changed to protect the innocent". Another short, Tree Cornered Tweety, featured Tweety imitating the narrator of Dragnet as he is being pursued by Sylvester again.
- A segment of the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon show called "Bullwinkle's Corner", which featured Bullwinkle Moose in a poetry reading of "Tom, Tom the Piper's Son," parodied Dragnet, as Bullwinkle is apprehended in the act of stealing a pig by two detectives who interrogate Bullwinkle using a terse, clipped monotone similar in style to Joe Friday and Frank Smith ("You got a name?" "I'm Tom, Tom the Piper's Son." "All right, Piperson, what were you going to do with the pig?").
- A 1968 sketch entitled the "Copper Clapper Caper" during Jack Webb's appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Webb reprised Friday interviewing the equally deadpan victim of a robbery (played by Carson). The details of the crime started with the alliterative "k" or "kl" consonant sound, such as "Claude Cooper, the kleptomaniac from Cleveland."[12]
- A Sesame Street Muppet skit from the early 1970s, "Dragnet" featured Sgt. Thursday and his partner, Ben, searching for a fugitive letter ”W” using a drawing Ben carries with him of the letter; when they do encounter the letter W it disguises itself turning upside down into a letter “M”.
- The final segment of each episode of PBS's Square One was titled "Mathnet" and opened with the Dragnet theme and an arrangement of the lines "The story you're about to see is a fib—but it's short. The names are made up, but the problems are real." Each story arc of the show's five-season run lasted five daily episodes (one week) and featured detectives Kate Monday (seasons 1–3) or Pat Tuesday (seasons 4–5) and George Ernest Frankly (all five seasons), of the LAPD in the first two of the show's five seasons and the New York Police Department in the last three seasons, using mathematics to solve crimes.
- Isaac Air Freight, a Christian sketch comedy troupe, parodied Dragnet twice: on their 1978 album Fun in the Son (track 11, "Jerusalem Dragnet") and 1980 album Foolish Guy to Confound the Wise (track 8, "Jerusalem Dragnet II").[13]
- In 1983, "Prog #310" of UK sci-fi comic 2000AD featured a time-travelling parody of Dragnet in the story "Chrono Cops", written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. In five pages, "Joe Saturday" and "Ed Thursday" encounter several time-travel "tropes", including a character attempting to kill his own great-grandfather.[14]
- The season-five episode of The Simpsons titled "Marge on the Lam" centers around Marge Simpson and neighbor Ruth Powers being pursued by police while illegally driving Ruth's ex-husband's car; the episode ends with a Dragnet-style epilogue detailing the characters' fates, as narrated by original series announcer George Fenneman, then the end credits run over a graphic of a police badge while a version of The Simpsons theme done in the style of the famous "Dragnet March" plays. Also, the season-seven episode "Mother Simpson" has Homer Simpson's mother, Mona Simpson, as a fugitive from Charles Montgomery Burns, who is about to be captured after 27 years. Burns is helped by officers Joe Friday and Bill Gannon (voiced by Harry Morgan).
- Dragnet is parodied at the end of the episode of The New Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh titled: "Sorry, Wrong Slusher". Winnie-the-Pooh performs a closing narration as a mug shot of Christopher Robin is shown on screen, in the style of Dragnet.
- The Amazon original series The Man in the High Castle features a show in the fictional universe where Germany won the Second World War called "American Reich", shot in the style of Dragnet. The show's title crawl music is similar to Dragnet, and the title card contains a police badge with a swastika in the center. In keeping with the alternate history, the character equivalent of Friday is a straight-laced Nazi, with catchphrases including "Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein phone call" ("One people, one empire, one phone call.").[15]
- In the U.S. Acres segment of Garfield and Friends season six episode "How Now, Stolen Cow?" featuring Orson Pig and Bo Sheep doing their send up of the series right down to the end featuring the results of the trial...!
Home media
[edit]Radio series (1949–1957)
[edit]Original television series (1951–1959)
[edit]Most, if not all, episodes of this series are in the public domain,[citation needed] and 52 episodes were released by many DVD labels. These collections feature a variety of the same 52 episodes. These include "The Human Bomb", "The Big Actor", "The Big Mother", "The Big Cast", "The Big September Man", "The Big Phone Call", "The Big Casing", "The Big Lamp", "The Big Seventeen", "The Big .22 Caliber Rifle for Christmas", "The Big Grandma", "The Big Show", "The Big Break", "The Big Frank", "The Big Hands", "The Big Barrette", "The Big Dance", "The Big Betty", "The Big Will", "The Big Thief", "The Big Little Jesus", "The Big Trunk", "The Big Boys", "The Big Children", "The Big Winchester", "The Big Shoplift", "The Big Hit & Run Killer", "The Big Girl", "The Big Frame", "The Big False Make", "The Big Producer", "The Big Fraud", "The Big Crime", "The Big Pair", "The Big Missing", "The Big Bar", "The Big Present", "The Big New Year", "The Big Rod", "The Big Lift", "The Big Gap", "The Big Look", "The Big Glasses", "The Big Bird", "the Big Smoke", "The Big Bounce", "The Big Deal", "The Big Hat", "The Big Net", "The Big War", "The Big Oskar", and "The Big Counterfeit". Often, some are mislabeled as no onscreen titles are used.
Three collections released from Alpha Video feature four episodes each. Eclectic DVD released a collection of three episodes.
Platinum Video released seven episodes from the original series in 2002. The episodes are: "Big Crime", "Big Pair", "Big Producer", "Big Break", "Big September Man", "Big Betty", and "Big Trunk". The two-disc set includes episodes from Burke's Law; Peter Gunn; Richard Diamond, Private Detective; Mr. Wong, Detective; and Bulldog Drummond.
Dragnet feature film (1954)
[edit]This movie was released on DVD in 2009 as part of Universal Studios' "Vault Series".
The movie was released on bluray in 2020 by Kino Lorber. The transfer features a 2K scan.
Dragnet pilot movie (1966)
[edit]This movie is a bonus feature on Shout! Factory's "Dragnet 1968: Season Two" (Release Date: July 6, 2010).
Dragnet (1967–1970)
[edit]On June 7, 2005, Universal Studios released the first season on DVD in Region 1. Because sales numbers did not meet Universal's expectations, no plans were made to release the remaining three seasons.
On March 17, 2010, Shout! Factory acquired the rights to distribute the series under license from Universal. They subsequently released seasons 2–4.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 17 | June 7, 2005 February 13, 2018 (re-release) |
| Season 2 | 28 | July 6, 2010 |
| Season 3 | 27 | December 7, 2010 |
| Season 4 | 26 | April 12, 2011 |
The New Dragnet (1989)
[edit]No DVD releases to date of this remake that lasted two seasons.
L.A. Dragnet (2003)
[edit]Universal Studios Home Entertainment was going to release the first season of this short-lived remake on DVD on November 11, 2003, but this release was cancelled. It is not known if the set will be released.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ On a March 1953 episode, the Detroit Police Officers' Association gave Dragnet a commendation, citing the program's efforts at increasing public esteem of policemen, and described it as the "finest and most accurate" police program on radio or television.
- ^ Hayde, M.J. (2001). My Name's Friday: The Unauthorized But True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb. Nashville, Tennessee: Cumberland House. pp. 178–9. ISBN 1581821905.
- ^ Hayde (2001), p. 177.
- ^ http://www.radioechoes.com/?page=series&genre=OTR-Detective&series=Dragnet [bare URL]
- ^ Snauffer, Douglas (2006). Crime Television, The Praeger television collection. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0275988074.
- ^ "The Top Box-Office Hits of 1954", Variety Weekly, January 5, 1955
- ^ TCM.com
- ^ Webb, Jack (1958). The Badge: True and Terrifying Crime Stories That Could Not Be Presented on TV, from the Creator and Star of Dragnet (Reprint ed.). Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-1560256885.
- ^ Hayde, Michael J. (June 1, 2001). My Name's Friday: The Unauthorized But True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb. Cumberland House Publishing. ISBN 978-1581821901.
- ^ Sharrett, Christopher (Summer 2012). "Jack Webb and the Vagaries of Right-Wing TV Entertainment". Cinema Journal. 51 (4): 165–171. doi:10.1353/cj.2012.0087. JSTOR 23253590. S2CID 191632779. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ Mikkelson, David (March 29, 2002). "Dragnet: 'Just the Facts. Ma'am'". Snopes. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ Funniest Moments: Copper Clapper Caper On Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. YouTube (official channel). August 27, 2012. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
- ^ "Jerusalem Dragnet". YouTube. November 8, 2014.
- ^ "Againwiththecomics.com". Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
- ^ "Don't miss American Reich, the Fall's most anticipated TV show. #HighCastle #WhatIfWeLost". Facebook. September 25, 2015.
- ^ Dragnet DVD news: Dragnet (2003) DVD Cancelled | TVShowsOnDVD.com Archived November 10, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
General sources
[edit]- Dunning, John, On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, Oxford University Press, 1998, ISBN 0-19-507678-8.
- Michael J. Hayde, My Name's Friday: The Unauthorized but True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb, Cumberland House, 2001, ISBN 1-58182-190-5
- Jason Mittell, Genre and Television: From Cop Shows to Cartoons in American Culture. Routledge, 2004, ISBN 0-415-96903-4.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dragnet (series).
- Dragnet (Radio Series) in the Internet Archive's Old-Time Radio Collection
- Dragnet (1951–59) at IMDb
- Dragnet (1954 film) at IMDb
- Dragnet (1967) at IMDb
- Dragnet (1987 film) at IMDb
- The New Dragnet at IMDb
- Dragnet (2003) at IMDb
- Tonight Show/Dragnet Parody on YouTube – "Copper Clappers" sketch, featuring Johnny Carson and Jack Webb from a 1968 Tonight Show episode
Categories:
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