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.[1][2]
Dragnet | |
---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Jack Webb |
Screenplay by | Richard L. Breen |
Produced by | Stanley D. Meyer |
Starring | Jack Webb Ben Alexander Richard Boone Ann Robinson Stacy Harris Virginia Gregg Vic Perrin |
Cinematography | Edward Colman |
Edited by | Robert M. Leeds |
Music by | Walter Schumann |
Production company | Mark VII Ltd. |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 88 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $500,000 |
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 film depicts illegal police harassment against a suspect cleared by a grand jury. 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.
Dragnet | |
---|---|
Characters |
|
Series | |
Notable episodes |
|
Films | |
Parodies |
|
Related |
Jack Webb and Mark VII Limited | |
---|---|
Television series |
|
Radio series |
|
Films | |
Miscellaneous |
|
![]() | This 1950s crime film-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |