Dragnet- The Big New Years (complete)

First Broadcast- November 11, 1954
New Years Eve is always a night of trouble for the cops. This year the trouble is a lot worse when Joe and Frank have to investigate the murder of a fellow cop who was gunned down in the street down for no reason.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Dragnet
• Jack
• Webb

[witwicsfan3]

@TVLubber

Either that or it was a script error.

[Richard40171]

Oddities in this great episode. Is it plausible Friday & Frank would not touch the widow until she collapses, though Friday has known the deceased cop for a long time and presumably knows the family too? Yet the scene is staged as if she were a stranger. Police are very supportive of members of their force and families. Then Frank's "Happy New Year" is incredibly strange. Who's going to wish that to a new widow? Note the stunning long take (actually sequence shot) before the call comes in.

[fromthesidelines]

Adapted from a March 8, 1951 radio episode. Future TV producer Aaron Spelling has a small role as "'Bigs' Donaldson".

[TVLubber]

@9675775

Not enough evidence to convict him of murder. Only enough for manslaughter.

[Richard40171]

Note the remarkable long take/sequence shot from 3:00-5:34. It's not just a long take for the sake of a long take but contrasts the tedium of police work with the excitement of it as the long take becomes a sequence shot, leading to the police leaving the station to answer the call. I like the little detail of Friday transferring the call, but has to do it twice. At end, is it realistic that a police office would conk someone who has his gun cocked to the head of his partner? If the gun fired?