Dragnet 1966 (TV 1969)

Sgt. Joe Friday is called back from vacation to work with his partner, Off. Bill Gannon, on a missing persons case. Two amateur female models and a young war widow have vanished, having ... See full summary »

Director:

Jack Webb

Writers:

Richard L. Breen, Richard L. Breen (screenplay),

Stars:

Jack Webb, Harry Morgan, Vic Perrin

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Webb	...	Sgt. Joe Friday
Harry Morgan	...	Officer Bill Gannon
Vic Perrin	...	Don Negler, alias J. Johnson
Virginia Gregg	...	Mrs. Eve Kruger
Gene Evans	...	Capt. Hugh Brown
John Roseboro	...	Sgt. Dave Bradford
Bobby Troup	...	George Freeman
Tom Williams	...	Melvin Gannon
Jack Ragotzy	...	Carl Rockwell
Roger Til	...	William Smith
Jean-Michel Michenaud	...	Claude LeBorg (as Gerald Michenaud)
Bruce Watson	...	Freddie
Herbert Ellis	...	Rico 'Ricky' Markell
Eddie Firestone	...	Max Shelton
Elizabeth Rogers	...	Eve Sorenson

Storyline

Sgt. Joe Friday is called back from vacation to work with his partner, Off. Bill Gannon, on a missing persons case. Two amateur female models and a young war widow have vanished, having been last seen with one J. Johnson. In the course of tracking down Johnson and the young ladies, the detectives wind up with two different descriptions of the suspect, one of which closely resembles a dead body found in a vacant lot. But the dead man, later identified as Charles LeBorg of France, proves not to be J. Johnson, when a third young model disappears.

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Plot Keywords:

detective | bound and gagged | dirty picture | criminal investigation | photographer | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 January 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

World Premiere: Dragnet

Filming Locations:

Colonial Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mark VII Ltd., Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Pierce Brooks, the technical advisor on this film, was the Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective who originally solved the actual case on which this film was based.

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Goofs

One of suspects has driver's license in which his first name is only indicated by the initial "J" with no middle name; unless a person could prove that the initial was his legal first name (highly unlikely), no municipality would ever issue a license such as that as the documents would be virtually useless as any form of identification device.

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Quotes

Carl Rockwell: Go swallow a germ you nigger cop!
Sergeant Joe Friday: Now you listen to me, you gutter-mouth punk. I've dealt with you before, and every time I did, it took me a month to wash off the filth. I'll tell you what you did to that four-year old girl out in Westlake Park: you staked out a bench like you've always done. You bought a sack of penny candy; you waited until the right little girl came along... You got her in your car. She started to cry; you hit her across the mouth twice. You cut her lip with your ring. ...

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Connections

Follows Dragnet (1954)

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Soundtracks

"Theme From Dragnet (Danger Ahead)"
Composed by Walter Schumann

User Reviews

Great pursuit scene

This is a typical Jack Webb movie, with most of his quirks in it. However, the scene near the end where multiple police units are in pursuit of the killer is wonderful and masterfully done, showing what an under-rated director Jack Webb really was. The only police car you see - until the pursuit is over - is 1-K-80 (Friday and Gannon's unmarked unit) racing through the rain in the night. You hear all of the action over the radio in the detective unit, but never see a black and white sliding around a corner, or racing down the road. Just the same, the scene builds tension and you feel the tension of the pursuit, perhaps better than if you actually saw it portrayed. I think it's one of my favorite scenes in any movie I've ever watched.