Dragnet (1951 TV series)
| Dragnet | |
|---|---|
Dragnet opening frame from the 1950s version
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| Also known as | 'Badge 714' |
| Created by | Jack Webb |
| Starring | Jack Webb Ben Alexander |
| Narrated by |
Hal Gibney John Stephenson George Fenneman Jack Webb |
| Opening theme | excerpt from Miklós Rózsa's score for The Killers |
| Composer(s) |
Walter Schumann (1951–1958) Nathan Scott (1958–1959) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 276 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Jack Webb |
| Producer(s) | Jack Webb |
| Location(s) | Los Angeles, U.S. |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Mark VII Productions (1951–1954) Mark VII Limited (1954, 1954–1959) |
| Distributor | MCA TV |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | December 16, 1951 – August 23, 1959 |
Dragnet —titled as Badge 714 in syndication— is an American television series, based on the radio series of the same name. Both shows take their name from the police term "dragnet", meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects. The show starred Jack Webb reprising his role as Sgt. Joe Friday, and his partners, including Ben Alexander as Officer Frank Smith.
The ominous, four-note introduction to the brass and tympani theme music (titled "Danger Ahead"), composed by Walter Schumann, is instantly recognizable (though its origins date to Miklós Rózsa's score for the 1946 film version of The Killers).
After its success on radio, Dragnet was popular enough to move to television. More important was that it brought continuity between the television and radio series, using the same script devices and many of the same actors.
Just before the show took its final commercial break, the show's announcer would inform the audience of something related to the case, usually the opening date on which the perpetrator's trial would take place in the Los Angeles County Superior Court (this would be accompanied by an onscreen card so the viewer could read along). After the break the camera faded in for what was presumably the perpetrator's mug shot, consisting of him/her standing uncomfortably against the wall, while the results of the trial were announced. The perpetrator's name and fate were then superimposed over the screen, specifically regarding in what prison he/she was incarcerated, or, in the case of perpetrators deemed unfit to stand trial, to what state facility he/she was committed.
The 1950s Dragnet episodes in black-and-white differ significantly from the 1960s Dragnet episodes in color. The earlier series took a documentary approach, with Sgt. Friday and the police force often encountering the seamy side of Los Angeles, with a steady succession of callous fugitives, desperate gunmen, slippery swindlers, and hardbitten women. Most of the cast members were veteran radio actors who could be relied upon to read the matter-of-fact dialogue naturally. Webb used most of his ensemble players again and again in different roles: Jack Kruschen, Vic Perrin, Harry Bartell, Peggy Webber, Barney Phillips, Herb Ellis, Carolyn Jones (then billed as Caroline Jones), Clarence Cassell, Ralph Moody, Natalie Masters, Herb Vigran, and many others. Webb staged each story with newsreel-like authenticity, enhancing the visual action with extremely tight close-ups (unheard of in the days of tiny television screens), location photography, and unusual camera angles. Much of this inventiveness went unused in the 1960s revival. Although still using convincing dialogue readings, the new Dragnet lost the documentary "look" and seemed more staged and studied, like other dramatic shows of its type.
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