"Dragnet 1967" The Christmas Story (1967)

User Rating:

(awaiting 5 votes)

Director:

Jack Webb

Writer:

Richard L. Breen (written by)

TV Series:

"Dragnet 1967" (1967)

Original Air Date:

21 December 1967 (Season 2, Episode 15)

Genre:

Drama | Crime

Plot:

Friday and Gannon investigate the theft of a statue of the baby Jesus from a church's nativity scene on Christmas Eve...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Police Detective | Digit In Title | Detective Sergeant | Los Angeles California

Cast

Jack Webb	...	Sgt. Joe Friday
Harry Morgan	...	Officer Bill Gannon
Harry Bartell	...	Father Xavier Rojas
Bobby Troup	...	Claude Stroup
Byron Morrow	...	Captain Mack
Ralph Moody	...	Mr. Flavin
Herb Vigran	...	Desk Clerk
Barry Williams	...	John Heffernan
Fernando Vásquez	...	Paco Mendoza

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Mark VII Ltd.

Trivia:

A remake of "The Big Baby Jesus" from the original "Dragnet" series, the only of its kind, and one of Richard L. Breen's only two contributions to this revival version of the series.

The Christmas Story is perhaps the most touching episode of "Dragnet 1967"

Having just seen "The Big Little Jesus" episode of the original "Dragnet", I just went on Hulu to watch the remake for "Dragnet 1967" called here "The Christmas Story". It's basically word for word and scene for scene with some additions like Bill Gannon (Harry Morgan) bringing a little pine tree in the office and Friday narrating about giving suspect Claude Stroup (Bobby Troup) his rights since this episode was made after the Miranda rights were established. Once again the priest whose baby Jesus statue was stolen was played by Harry Bartell. Other reprise of original supporting actors were Herb Vigran as a hotel desk clerk and Ralph Moody as Mr. Flavin, a pawn shop owner. In fact, I chuckled when he questioned how Friday knew his name and declared they never met before! (The answer was his name being on the store window.) I should note here that altar boy John (not Joe as in the original) Hefferman was played by Barry Williams two years before he became Greg Brady on "The Brady Bunch" and that Bobby Troup was married to singer Julie London who earlier was once wed to Jack Webb. Also, Byron Morrow, who plays Captain Mack here, was born in my birthtown of Chicago, Illinois. As with before, this version of the "Dragnet" Christmas story was one of the most touching in the entire series history. Well worth seeking out. By the way, this originally aired on December 21, 1967.