Misplaced Pages

Dragnet (1954 film)

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
1954 American film
Dragnet
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJack Webb
Screenplay byRichard L. Breen
Produced byStanley D. Meyer
StarringJack Webb
Ben Alexander
Richard Boone
Ann Robinson
Stacy Harris
Virginia Gregg
Vic Perrin
CinematographyEdward Colman
Edited byRobert M. Leeds
Music byWalter Schumann
Production
company
Mark VII Ltd.
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release date
  • September 4, 1954 (1954-09-04)
Running time88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$450,000-800,000

Dragnet is a 1954 American crime film directed by Jack Webb and written by Richard L. Breen. The film stars Webb, Ben Alexander, Richard Boone, Ann Robinson, Stacy Harris, Virginia Gregg and Vic Perrin. The film was adapted from the radio series of the same name, and is part of the wider Dragnet media franchise. The film was released by Warner Bros. on September 4, 1954.

Plot

The film uses the inverted detective story format. Los Angeles police detective Sergeant Joe Friday hunts down the killer of a mobster, Miller Starkie, focusing on West Coast mafia second-in-command Max Troy (played by Harris). The vendetta between Friday and Troy becomes increasingly bitter and personal as the film proceeds, leading to a brawl at a private card game between Friday, Frank Smith, and several of Troy's henchmen. A policewoman (Robinson) infiltrates Troy's nightclub and is able to obtain vital information on the Starkie killing; Friday then gets additional evidence when an accomplice of Troy is sent out of state and killed, and the man’s wife breaks down and gives the police what they need to convict Troy. The gangster, though, winds up never being prosecuted and dies of natural causes.

Cast

Production

In January 1954 not long after the Dragnet completed its hundredth episode, it was announced Jack L. Warner would produce a feature film in color based on the series with series producers Mark VII Limited. Dragnet creator and lead actor Jack Webb directed the film and was given complete creative control by Warner Bros.. Much like the TV series, the film used an actual case as the basis for the plot with the case used considered too violent for broadcast television.

References

  1. "Jack Webb Talking Signing 3 Film WB Contract". Variety. 22 May 1957. p. 3.
  2. ^ "Dragnet (1954)". AFI. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  3. "Dragnet (1954) - Overview". TCM.com. Retrieved 2015-04-18.
  4. Crowther, Bosley (August 21, 1954). "Dragnet (1954) Article 1 -- No Title; 'Dragnet' Has Debut at Victoria Theatre". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-04-18.

External links

Dragnet
Characters
Series
Notable episodes
Films
Parodies
Related
Jack Webb and Mark VII Limited
Television series
Radio series
Films
Miscellaneous


Stub icon

This 1950s crime film-related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Stub icon

This article related to an American film of the 1950s is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: