Dragnet Jack Webb 1954 Movie "Fist-Fight" Scene - Fantastic!

[crescentmooncomics]

Harper Goff (Walt Disney artist and songwriter), In a few episodes and the pool hall attendent

[LuckyLadybug66]

Ha, awesome! And it looks gorgeous in color!

[Richard40171]

Ridiculously staged scene. The TV series was so much better. This is almost camp. First, no cops are going to stay seated in a disadvantageous physical position knowing they're going to be hit upon. So this is the opposite of the TV series, which aimed (& achieved) realism. Second, the punches are ludicrously choreographed and stylized. The quip Webb speaks after hitting the table is also unrealistic. The smile after the fight is unrealistic. The musical underscore is perfunctory.

[sunflowerdreamer]

Ben Alexander was a child star years before Dragnet (of course). My best friend and I met Ben Alexander back in the summer of 1960 when he owned a couple of car lots (SF, LA). We took a couple of buses across San Francisco to see him and another couple getting back. When we got to the dealership we asked to see him and he came to greet us. We told him that we were fans from his Dragnet days.He seemed rather impressed that two teenagers wanted to meet him. Great guy~very down to earth!

[sunflowerdreamer]

@sunflowerdreamer 

[sunflowerdreamer]

Ben Alexander was a child star years before Dragnet (of course). My best friend and I met Ben Alexander back in the summer of 1960 when he owned a couple of car lots (SF, LA). We took a couple of buses across San Francisco to see him and another couple getting back. When we got to the dealership we asked to see him and he came to greet us. We told him that we were fans from his Dragnet days.He seemed rather impressed that two teenagers wanted to meet him. Great guy~very down to earth!

[Boppinabe]

"Joe Friday's 3-D House of WhoopAss"...

[Boppinabe]

I swear, this scene is 3D GOLD, Baby!

[jimaroo100]

Awwwww too bad there was a fire escape outside that window when Joe Friday knocked him through the window.

[mdw188lga]

Note the CHESTERFIEDL machine at 1:53 of the clip. CHESTERFIELD was a long time sponsor of both the radio and tv versions of...DRAGNET.

[eshaw2115]

Cheap doors back in those days.

[Satchel334]

Silly, dated but a good amount of blood and POV shots of actors getting punched in the face by actor throwing the punch. Never knew a single punch was strong enough to send a person through a balsa wood door or window! Crapola! But fun! Webb's cool, for a homophobic, neocon, hypocrite fascist who hated that America didn't respect and obey the white man as much as it did when he and his fascist buddy Ronald Reagan were growing up, two guys who thought Jesus has blond hair and blue eyes.

[sleedolfine15]

The orginal 1950s Dragnet was a lot more physical than the later series.

[madbicyclist]

Too bad you don't see that kind of editing in newer movies.

[krelllabs]

Rail thin Jack and paunchy Ben against THESE guys? Err.. yeh.

[patsaxon]

Some times you have to fight to be a man! Using fists are the only way to deal with major problems than using weapons.

[mytvmemories]

I'm glad to see Frank win one. Joe had to bail his ass out of a couple fights in the original TV series

[melollylolly]

great movie...

[edybeast]

Alright, Joe! Never took crap off anyone.

[CapCrunch45]

How come we don't see this type of action in the TV series? If Jack Webb did this "Walker Texas Ranger"-style, it would have been awesome!

[andell1]

The first guy who was knocked out was absolutely delicious!!! :-)

[plainwain]

This scene is a depiction of a real occurance from the Dragna Crime family in California back in the early 50's when that family carried out a most dangerous and hideous reign of terror. Jimmy (The Weasel) Fratianno eluded to this movie as it related to some of his participation in that era from his book: " The Last Mafiosa ".

[hourlynewscaster]

Yes, Stacy Harris was a close friend of Webb's. He figured prominently in the radio series "This is your FBI." We must remember, that "Dragnet" started on radio in 1949.

[biographco]

This ROCKS!!!!

[jimbailey69]

Sergeant Friday kicks ass...

[BestOf90sCCM]

it was amazing how long his hat stayed on!

[XL500GT]

Jack Web was a "BADD MUTHA FUCA"!

Shut cho mouth!!

[mastermold2009]

LOL, at 1:45 Fryday picks the beaten guy up and bitch slaps him a bit before finishing him off.

[slingblade65]

I'd like to see Joe Friday kick some "420" burnt moron-ass that jis stain up Youtube as well

[CaptainDevereaux]

1:52  Early use of product placement for "Chesterfield" Cigarettes. Great fight too.

[Teflon65]

The guy who sat it out was in a lot of movies, and TV shows, but I can't remember who he was. The violence was kind of cartoony, but this is an interesting artifact.

[racer500gp]

His name was Stacy Harris and he was in several Dragnet episodes in the 50's and the 60's.

[ohiofan1989]

Jack's first daughter was named Stacy...as in Stacy Harris.

[Religionsrbogus]

I love the punches into the camera. Was this a 3-D movie?

[edybeast]

No, just a great camera angle.

[terrafirma91]

C'mon! Anyone that would take THAT many hard, right crosses and wicked uppercuts would either be in a hospital with severe brain hemorrhage or a county morgue. Sgt. Friday looks almost relaxed and calm with blood makeup clinging to his mug. Unrealistic.

[Karlketola]

The movie was based on the TV series which ran from 1952-1959. Jack Webb realized that they had to offer the audience something more, so they produced the movie in color, added blood (the shooting at the beginning)and some violence. I guess they couldn't fake a fight as well back then as they can now. Seriously, if you haven't seen this entire movie, and enjoy the police procedurial drama, this might be worth watching. It reminds me a little bit of "Law and Order" from today.

[soulman3111]

"Don't worry, you and your stomach can sit this one out." Classic

[Brace67]

Terrific fight scene from the full length movie Dragnet with Jack Webb and Ben Alexander. Notice the cigarette machine at the end of the fight. It has the show's sponsor plainly written on its front, Chesterfield.

[plainwain]

This movie is the "granddaddy" of the movie "Goodfellas" and it is also based upon the real life events happening during that era in California with the crime syndicate. A well known Mafia figure Jimmy Fratianno (AKA Jimmy The Weasle) mentions this very movie in his non fictional account in a book titled "The Last Mafiosa". That book can send chills down one's spine as it give account of activities of the workings within the mob.

[inkey2]

ill bet that fatty cop really throws a punch.....like an entire side of beef hitting you

[Watcher3223]

Somehow, I just knew that water dispenser on 1:33 was going to get knocked down.

[plainwain]

lol me too !

[Bertonator]

If you wanted to see this movie, it's on Comcast On-Demand for free. Great movie! Wish I could get the movie from 1967 with Harry Morgan.

[curlballn]

what was it called?

[Bertonator]

Simply "Dragnet." However, I don't think it's available now. But keep watch, It'll be on again.

[afanofoldradio]

both the radio and tv versions were great as was this movie that came out in 1954-all star cast with dennis weaver (no credit in the movie)it also had richard boone and trumpeteer dick cathcart (pete kelly's blues) but not only does the machine turn when Friday punches the guy out the window-but it shows up when frank punches the other guy into the water cooler (maybe 2 machines?)

i have seen this movie on WGN and TBS and it was great!!!

[fromthesidelines]

Note the "Chesterfield" cigarette vending machine at 1:52- that was Webb's TV and radio sponsor {Liggett & Myers), providing a little "product placement" on the set. Sgt. Friday was always seen puffing his sponsor's brand in every episode....I believe the movie was filmed in projected "3-D ratio"; hence, the moments where Friday literally punches his way towards "you".

[ahz123]

lol seriously ultraviolent.

[nohairmohair]

that is how he became the DI

[Markieo]

And he ended the fight with a smile on his face? Who knew...

[ohiofan1989]

When posting this, I was most impressed by Frank Smith (Ben Alexander). Prior to the movie, he was never very physical in the 1950's series. He was always the mild-mannered married man and let Joe do most of the "hard stuff." I love it when Frank knocks the guy into the water cooler! It was a side of him that I had never seen before!

[harwetopa]

Who knew that Jack Webb could be so physical? Wow!

[66ranchero]

that hurt my jaw just watching that. great