Dragnet

Year:

1954

Duration:

88 min

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

IMDB rate:

6.8

Director:

Jack Webb

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1954-09-04

Filming Locations: City Hall - 200 N. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Cast

Actor

Character

Harry Lauter

Jack Webb

Sergeant Joe Friday

Ben Alexander

Officer Frank Smith

Richard Boone

Capt. James E. Hamilton

Ann Robinson

Officer Grace Downey

Stacy Harris

Max Troy

Virginia Gregg

Ethel Starkie

Vic Perrin

Deputy D.A. Adolph Alexander

Georgia Ellis

Belle Davitt

James Griffith

Jesse Quinn

Dick Cathcart

Roy Cleaver

Malcolm Atterbury

Lee Reinhard

Willard Sage

Chester Davitt

Olan Soule

Ray Pinker

Dennis Weaver

Police Capt. R.A. Lohrman

Monte Masters

Fabian Gerard

Herb Vigran

Mr. Archer

Virginia Christine

Mrs. Caldwell

Guy Hamilton

Walker Scott

Ramsay Williams

Wesley Cannon

James Anderson

Fred Kemp

Art Aragon

Cliff Arquette

Charley Weaver

Harry Bartell

Lt. 'Tex' Stevens

William Boyett

Grand Jury Bailiff

Ralph Brooks

Detective

Thad Brown

Himself - Chief of Detectives (uncredited)

Bill Brundige

Sgt. Hank Wilde

Clarence Cassell

Walter Lewis

Dick Crockett

Balding Card Player

Aubrey Lee Dale

Minor Role

Fred Dale

Sgt. William Tilden

Jean Dean

Telephone Company Secretary

Sayre Dearing

Deputy D.A.'s Aide

Ross Elliott

Intelligence Div. Sergeant at Desk

Herbert Ellis

Booking Sergeant

Mel Ford

Jury Foreman

Art Gilmore

Doctor

Harper Goff

Bridge Club Manager

Robert Griffin

Chief Special Agent

James E. Hamilton

Intelligence Division Sergeant

Sam Harris

Passerby

Charles Hibbs

Ken the Stenotypist

Bert Holland

Opening Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Mauritz Hugo

Jailer

Gayle Kellogg

Sgt. Keeler

Fred Kelsey

Passerby

Eddy King

Eddy King (uncredited)

Patrick Miller

Policeman (uncredited)

Meg Myles

Singer at Talent Agency (uncredited)

Robert North

Floorman

Ken Osborne

Thief

W.H. Parker

Himself (uncredited)

Dick Paxton

Hotel Desk Clerk

Jack Perry

Detective

Ken Peters

Detective Gene

S. Ernest Roll

Himself - District Attorney of Los Angeles County (uncredited)

Ray Saunders

Card Player with Max and Carl

George Sawaya

Detective Mac

Hazel Shermet

Talent Agency Receptionist

Leonard Shoemaker

Minor Role

Jack Sterling

Card Player Carl

Bert Stevens

District Attorney S. Ernest Roll

Hal Taggart

Belle's Escort - Solid Color Tie (uncredited)

Dub Taylor

Miller Starkie

Harlan Warde

Doctor

Roy Whaley

Sgt. Jack McCready (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

The many closeup action scenes suggest that the producers may have been intending to release the film in 3D which was at its height from 1953-54. By the time of the film's release 3D was being replaced by the many wide screen formats,without the need of special glasses, such as CinemaScope and VistaVision.

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Richard Boone and Dennis Weaver, who portray police captains, would win fame as peace officers in the two long-running TV western series, Have Gun - Will Travel (1957) (Boone as Paladin) and Gunsmoke (1955) (Weaver as Matt Dillon's deputy, Chester).

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The movie followed the then current tendency of radio and TV shows to work in the sponsor's products wherever possible. Liggett & Meyers Tobacco was the TV/radio series' main sponsor, and though it is doubtful they had any financial involvement with the movie, packs of their Chesterfield cigarettes can be seen throughout the movie. Every public place in the movie also featured a Chesterfield vending machine.

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Goofs

The update about the streets not intersecting in real life comes under the heading of "names were changed to protect the innocent". Webb did this many times in the TV series as well as in this picture.

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The calendar on the wall of the police detective's office is an actual April 1954 calendar that shows the first day of the month falling on a Thursday and the last day of the month falling on a Friday. This wall calendar can be seen out of focus during a time when Webb's monologue voice over claims was "Saturday, April 23" and again in focus on "Monday, April 25." However, the authentic calendar on the wall is a day off from Webb's claims with Saturday being April 24 and Monday falling on April 26.

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The murder scene is an open lot bounded by Loma Vista, 3rd, Wentworth and Rachel. These are actual streets in the LA area but do not intersect or form a block.

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Quotes

Max Troy: Now you listen to me, cop, I pay your salary!

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Captain James E. Hamilton, Intelligence: He won't cop out.

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Sgt. Joe Friday: [as Troy's friend starts to stand up] Unless you're growin', Sit down!

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