Dragnet (1954)

55% of users liked it
(80 ratings)

At the height of the popularity of his Dragnet TV series, producer/director/star Jack Webb struck a deal with Warner Bros. to direct several feature films--the first of which, but of course, was 1954's Dragnet. This time around, the "true story" in which "only the names are changed to protect the… More At the height of the popularity of his Dragnet TV series, producer/director/star Jack Webb struck a deal with Warner Bros. to direct several feature films--the first of which, but of course, was 1954's Dragnet. This time around, the "true story" in which "only the names are changed to protect the innocent" involves the murder of former syndicate member Dub Taylor. LAPD sergeants Joe Friday (Webb) and Frank Smith (Ben Alexander) follow the trail of evidence to shifty gangster boss Stacy Harris, who during most of the film is able to avoid arrest through legal loopholes. Richard Boone plays Captain Hamilton, while Ann Robinson, best known for her screaming and scurrying about in War of the Worlds, plays policewoman Grace Downey. Most of the rest of the cast is drawn from Webb's TV and radio stock company, including Virginia Gregg, who is quite good as the amputee wife of the victim, and Vic Perrin, who would later portray the voyeuristic serial killer in the 1967 TV movie version of Dragnet. Some sources list Cliff Arquette as being in the cast of Dragnet, playing his familiar Charley Weaver character, but we can't find him. Dragnet has often been derided because of Joe Friday's reluctance to honor the civil liberties of his suspects, but remember that this was 1954, long before the "You have a right to remain silent" era. Webb's terse, tightly edited, close-up-dominated TV technique translates surprisingly well to the big screen. At its worst, Dragnet falls victim to the corny overkill of the TV version: the subtle-as-an-earthquake musical cues, Friday and Smith's ubiquitous nods and exchanged glances, etc. Still, Dragnet was a satisfying and profitable feature film directorial debut for Jack Webb, whose subsequent efforts included Pete Kelly's Blues (1955), The DI (1957), 30 (1959) and The Last Time I Saw Archie (1961). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 29 min.
Directed By: Jack Webb
Written By: Richard Breen
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: May 1, 1956 Wide
On DVD: May 23, 1991
Studio: MVD Music Video

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It beats me why Dragnet was such a popular TV show and it further surprises that this uninspiring dullish movie also did so well.

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Cast

            Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday

            Ben Alexander as Officer Frank Smith

            Richard Boone as Capt. Hamilton

            Ann Robinson as Grace Downey

            Stacy Harris as Max Troy

            Virginia Gregg as Ethel Marie Starkie

            Vic Perrin as Adolph Alexander

            Georgia Ellis as Belle Davitt

            James Griffith as Jesse Quinn

            Dick Cathcart as Roy Cleaver

            Malcolm Atterbury as Lee Reinhard

            Willard Sage as Chester Davitt

            Olan Soule as Ray Pinker

            Dennis Weaver as Captain Lohrman

            James Anderson as Fred Kemp

            Herb Vigran as Mr. Archer

            Virginia Christine as Mrs. Caldwell

            Guy Hamilton as Walker Scott

            Harry Bartell as Lt. Stevens

            Herb Ellis as Booking Sergeant

            Harlan Warde as Interne

            Cliff Arquette as Charlie Weaver

            Fred Dale as Officer Tilden

            Jean Dean as Pat the secretary

            Ross Elliott as Intelligence Officer

            Arthur Gilmore as Doctor

            Mauritz Hugo as Jailer

            Gayle Kellogg as Officer Keeler

            Harry Lauter as Officer Greeley

            Meg Myles as Cuban Singer

            Dick Paxton as Hotel Clerk

            George Sawava as McQueen

            Dub Taylor as Miller Starkie

            Roy Whaley as Sergeant McCreadie

            Henry Morgan
            
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