Jack Webb is best known for his work as Sergeant Joe Friday, the fast-thinking, fast-talking, Los Angeles detective on "Dragnet." From 1951-59, and again from 1967-70, Webb closed the books on many a crime on the small screen. In 1954, Webb took "Dragnet" to the big screen for the first and only time. In this movie, Friday and partner Frank Smith (Ben Alexander) investigate the murder of Miller Starkie (Dub Taylor), a man described as a person with "no known legitimate occupation." They do know he collected gambling debts for the mob, and evidence suggests that Starkie was ambushed. One man led Starkie to the field where he was murdered, while another pulled the trigger. Under the command of Captain James Hamilton (Richard Boone), Friday and Smith, working with other investigators, bring in a number of the mob's leading enforcers and trigger men, including Max Troy (Stacy Harris) and Chester Davitt (Willard Sage). A potential witness, Jesse Quinn (James Griffin), can place Davitt at the crime scene, but the mob persuades him not to tell that to a grand jury. Without that testimony, assistant district attorney Adolph Alexander (Victor Perrin) cannot obtain any indictments.

Friday, Smith, and Hamilton continue to work to gather evidence to gain convictions. Davitt's wife, Belle (Georgia Ellis) won't tell Friday and Smith anything, and Starkie's widow, Ethel (Virginia Gregg), can tell them little of her husband's business. They know that Troy has an interest in a restaurant called the Red Spot, so Hamilton assigns officer Grace Downey (Ann Robinson) to work undercover, and give her a small tape recorder she can fit into her purse to gather evidence against the culprits. Hamilton also assigns Friday and Smith to follow Troy day and night, often stopping him and asking him to empty his pockets. They later work on phone surveillance of the Red Spot in the effort to connect Troy and Davitt to the murder.

"Dragnet" is little more than a based-on-fact police procedural about a murder case. Webb, who also directed the movie and co-wrote the script, takes viewers from the murder to the closing of the case. Webb puts a face on the hard working officers who are sworn to serve and protect Los Angeles, and nothing more. He's a man on the clock for as many hours as the LAPD needs him. He's in his element when he's in his suit, tie, and hat, with an occasional cigarette to get him through his shifts. He's always as tough and as smart as he needs to be. When mobsters pick a fight with Friday and Smith, the officers prevail. When Max complains that Friday should be doing other things with his time, Friday responds that he's happy to be working this case for $1.82 per hour. Occasionally, Friday does smile, such as the moments where he hears music, or when the manager of a bridge club announces that he has called the police to report a fight involving Friday and Smith. The private side of Joe Friday just doesn't matter in "Dragnet." He's a career-oriented public servant whose primary concern is making the streets as safe as he can.

This feature is also the first "Dragnet" episode in color. The photography, like the story, is effective, but not spectacular. Webb does show blood in a couple of scenes, and makes it look realistic. The final shot of the film, of a signature washing away in the pouring rain, is also of note. Some of the references are dated, such as the talk of a wage and the use of a wire recorder. However, Webb primarily holds viewer interest with all of the steps the police and the DA's office need to take to gather the evidence and make the case against their suspects. The ending is not necessarily associated with the kind of ending Joe Friday usually has, but the lesson is still the same: crime does not pay.

On TV, Joe Friday and his fellow officers closed the books on some 400 cases. The result is no different the one time "Dragnet" made its way to theaters. Friday has a dedication to duty, and his duty is to stay one step ahead of the criminals who dare to commit their crimes on his beat. Webb, as Sergeant Friday, is the epitome of the sort of cop people want in law enforcement. No setback will deter him from getting the answers that will ensure justice. "Dragnet" should not be seen as a crime drama, but as a crime docudrama. When Joe Friday was assigned to a case, he and his fellow officers took every legal step they needed to solve it. He established a reputation of asking for "just the facts," and the facts always became clear on his watch.


This is my "Then" entry in the Then & Again write-off hosted by pearannoyed. Entries may be found here: http://www.epinions.com/content_4483031172

My "Again" entry can also be accessed directly: http://www.epinions.com/content_197449911940

Thanks Amy.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older