Sat 19 Oct 2019
A TV Episode Review: DRAGNET “The Big Lift.” (1955).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[11] Comments
DRAGNET “The Big Lift.” NBC, 22 September 1955 (Season 5 Episode 4). Jack Webb (Sgt. Joe Friday), Ben Alexander (Officer Frank Smith), Dan Barton, Marian Richman, Kurt Martell, Alan Harris. Opening narration: George Fenneman; closing narration: Hal Gibney. Screenplay: John Robinson. Producer-director: Jack Webb.
All of the famous hallmarks of the series were well-established by the time this episode was televised, early in the fourth season: the opening theme (!), the voiceover narration introducing the program (“The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.”), the terse almost clipped dialogue throughout the story itself, and the closing remarks (“In a moment, the results of that trial.”). All of these elements were probably there from the very first episode, back on December 14, 1951, since the series had been transferred lock stock and barrel from a highly successful radio series: Dragnet on the radio had begun earlier in 1949, running to 1955, with reruns broadcast for two more years.
I’ve not watched many of the early episodes since the the first series was on the air, so I’m not sure how common one aspect of this one was: Comic interludes! Examples: Friday and Smith are working out of Burglary and are extremely frustrated in coming up any kind of clues for a series of 17 recent break-ins. Joe Friday and his partner are sitting in a diner trying to order breakfast while being ragged by the guy on the other side of the counter (not knowing they are cops) about how the burglar is running circles around the entire police force.
The wife of a recently robbed couple, when asked if she’d seen anyone suspicious hanging around before the theft, goes into a quiet mini-rant about how housewives are far too busy to take notice of such things. When another good citizen reports seeing a strange car cruising back and forth in front of his house, he also provides Friday and Smith with a license plate number. Turns out the car was a police car.
One thing I missed in this episode is seeing the faces of actors I knew only from their voices I’d heard on the radio. The cast in this one is very good, but I recognized neither their names nor their faces.
One last thought. Not only the cast was good, but also the direction and the overall production. I wonder how much time was spent in rehearsal to get everything running so smoothly and the dialogue in sync.
October 19th, 2019 at 3:53 pm
The heavy handed conservative politics version was the one in the 1960s-70s.
This version Friday has a personal life. It was also one of the hardest series for actors. Webb knew what he wanted and found TV actors kept trying to act as if they were on any other cop show. Webb would find a small group that could handle the acting style he wanted. Hollywood thought he was crazy but the audience loved it and made it a hit.
No one has ever been able to copy DRAGNET as a drama (lots of comedy versions) and Webb never could create anything better.
The remake ruined the series for me. My favorite work of Webb is his pre-DRAGNET radio series.
October 19th, 2019 at 4:56 pm
Like you, I have little interest in the 60s/70s DRAGNET shows. Conservative in outlook or not, I found it boring.
Before Webb started DRAGNET on the radio, he starred in a number of excellent pi shows: Johnny Madero, Pier 23; Jeff Regan, Investigator; and Pete Kelly’s Blues. (The latter wasn’t a PI show, but it could have been.) All of which I agree with you 100%. They’re uniformly excellent. Any fan of PI fiction has to hunt these down. I’m sure a little bit of Googling will turn up streaming or downloadable copies.
But even before the PI shows was THE JACK WEBB SHOW, a half-hour comedy-variety program. I don’t believe it lasted long, but thinking of it always reminds me that in spite of a rather sober exterior, Jack Webb actually also had a very good sense of humor.
October 19th, 2019 at 7:31 pm
Did not know about THE JACK WEBB SHOW. Webb also did ONE OUT OF SEVEN and AMAZING MR MALONE (he performed various character each week). PAT NOVAK is probably considered the best. I like JOHNNY MADERO PIER 23 (or PAT NOVAK 2.0)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51LR2JTArDw
October 19th, 2019 at 11:27 pm
The second version of Dragnet was basically a bad self parody of itself, a paen to the controversial chief of the Los Angeles police department aimed at an audience in their late middle age freaking out over the youth movement and civil rights. The most interesting thing about it was it’s spin off, ADAM 12, which managed somehow to be more relaxed and involving, and the spin off from that EMERGENCY.
The original was often striking looking, and well written and directed. Webb not only knew the style of acting he wanted, he knew the writing and directorial styles he wanted as well.
October 20th, 2019 at 7:59 pm
I can’t even reckon up the hours of listening time I’ve given to Dragnet radio. Th TV version; only seen briefly as a kid on re-runs (Webb paired there, with the dour Harry Morgan).
‘Dragnet’ on radio is superb, reliable listening. Legendary, tight production even down to Gibney and Fenniman. Best tenure: Webb and the beloved Texas-drawling Barton Yarborough (in the role of Ben Ramirez, Joe Friday’s mentor and with whom he had unparalleled chemistry). Somehow, ‘Frank Smith’ (and whoever the subsequent fill-in was after that, ‘Ed Brady’ or something) all fell flat and drab. But there was no replacing the garrulous, outgoing, Ramirez.
Webb is a fascinating talent from his early days as a jazz DJ in ‘Cisco all the way to his Mark VII productions (that’s his own fist holding the hammer) and also his numerous film appearances (‘Dark City’, ‘Sunset Blvd’, countless others). He supposedly coined all his radio stylings from close study of pulp authors like Hammett and Chandler, both of whom fascinated him (and his early radio production partner who’s name escapes me).
What a powerhouse. His Adam-12 yes but did you know his ‘Emergency’ began the trend of local paramedic units in municipal firehouses and rural substations?
I’m pretty sure ‘The Big Lift’ (and many other Dragnet TV episodes) were probably derives from his radio plots. If you examine the radio series titles, they are ALL named ‘The Big…(something)’. ‘Big Lift’, ‘Big Man’, ‘Big Juice’, etc etc etc.
One thing struck me as odd: the opening disclaimer about ‘everything is true’. One of the radio episodes features a plot where Los Angeles city hall is evacuated; a mad bomber takes it over and Joe Friday is dangling outside the window-ledge on a harness to nab him. How does a story that big remain so little-known? I looked it up; and no –it never happened. The series disclaimer is ‘flexible’.
Ah well. The Webb I admire most –even surpassing his monumental police procedurals –is the Jack Webb of his early radio successes. ‘Johnny Madero’ and ‘Pat Novak for Hire’ and ‘Lion’s Eye’ and especially the colossal, ‘Pete Kelly’s Blues’.
‘Pete Kelly’s Blues’ deserves a special conversation all to itself. Not enough room to praise it here along with the wonderful history of ‘Dragnet’. Over time, I’ve tried to track down all of the extraordinary jazz tracks from that series as best as I can but it’s ‘a long fight with a short stick’ (as Ben Ramirez might say).
Thanks for posting a discussion anytime, on Jack Webb. A pleasure to mull over and contribute to.
October 21st, 2019 at 9:12 am
Barton Yarborough was a long time favorite of mine, at least his voice was, on the radio. Besides his long-running role as Joe Friday’s partner on DRAGNET, he played Doc Long, one of the three leading characters on I LOVE A MYSTERY and Sleepy Stevens on the short-lived radio series HASHKNIFE HARTLEY, based on characters created by western writer W. C. Tuttle. Only a few episodes are known to exist, and those as Armed Forces transcriptions. I don’t know why I remember it so vividly. I was only eight at the time.
October 21st, 2019 at 9:17 am
As for PETE KELLY’S BLUES, a few episodes exist. Here (I hope) is a link to one that’s available online. The recording is slower than it should be, but it will give everyone an idea why the series has a lot of fans:
http://otrrlibrary.org/OTRRLib/Library%20Files/P%20Series/Pete%20Kelly's%20Blues/Pete%20Kelly's%20Blues%2051-09-05%20(09)%20Zelda.mp3
October 21st, 2019 at 5:41 pm
Nitpicking Time:
Barton Yarborough’s Dragnet character was Ben Romero.
Check any reference.
October 21st, 2019 at 7:09 pm
I appreciate the fix on that name. Much obliged. Yep, Yarborough was said to have an authentic Texas accent; and I’m certainly a fan of ‘I Love a Mystery’. From what I gather the lost episodes of that serial are very much sought after by collectors.
I’ve listened to perhaps half of it so far but if I’m not mistaken, Yarborough is not exclusive to the role; all of the characters had minor switcheroo-s over time.
More thoughts:
The ‘Dragnet’ radio serial had several ‘running gags’ with the original cast; after Yarbororough’s untimely demise it seemed like there were just a meager couple left between Friday and Smith.
“Frank Smith” was one of those ‘anxious’ partners who worried about catching cold or belly-fat and usually trying to make Joe Friday join him in his worry. Emotionally-needy. Every battle with his in-laws or neighbors, Joe Friday would be forced to listen in detail, (only to have his advice shunned).
Friday and Romero (the original duo) had numerous bits of humor between each other, and between themselves and citizens. In contrast to Frank Smith, Ben Romero was a kind of an impulsive, free-spirited, slightly air-headed type of cop; always rueing his hard-luck.
Most well-known gag is probably the pair always attempting to question witnesses who can’t quite stop what they’re doing to be interviewed. The detectives have to shout their questions –or even lend a hand –while the witness is baking, ironing, sawing lumber, operating equipment. [I believe this was played up in the Dan Ackroyd movie; not sure].
Another one is the cops constantly having to pay out money from their own pockets to obtain tips from their informants. After treating a greedy snitch to a generous meal, Romero is always left without any change left at all even to pay for his own lunch.
When the men eat, it’s usually in a diner they already know (saving Webb from having to set a new scene). Iron-stomach Romero always eats hearty despite his low budget. Friday has a mild appetite, often ordering milk and a sandwich.
Another: Joe Friday (a single cop who lives at home with his doting mother), takes all the dangerous physical assignments and undercover stings, while Romero (married) is denied opportunities for heroism.
There was a good handful of narcotics/juvie episodes in the radio serial; a couple ‘shot-in-line-of-duty’; one ‘dirty cop’ episode; one trip to Mexico; one forger; one ‘dirty books’ show. Only one serial killer I recall and oddly, not as many auto-theft as one would surmise.
The most typical Dragnet radio plots are: missings, kidnaps, robberies, robbery gang, bunko, stolen merchandise, tails, stakeouts, legwork. No matter what, it often results in a series-of-interviews which lead them to a suspect who when confronted, goes berserk. Or, when found, the perp will try to lie his way out of charges; forcing the team into the interrogation room where they will spend hours breaking down the alibi. Any situation which fosters talk.
But when the perp puts up a fight, or shoots-it-out, the sound effects are usually epic; Friday and Romero gasping for breath afterward. Knock-down and drag-out. Again, Romero bemoans all the fresh rips and tears in his suit, which means still more money he’ll have to spend that week. The finale almost always closes with a deadpan ironic zinger from Joe Friday.
I suspect that all this was lost in the TV version –in the natural order of things –to push the Friday character way out ahead of any other face in the show and have just one star.
October 21st, 2019 at 7:47 pm
Lazy
All those little bits of business they did on the radio DRAGNET that you’ve just reminded me of were part of what made the show so popular, I’m sure. It made the two cops down to earth, and of course the stories had to be told and easily followed through dialogue.
It also helped that by 1949 and later radio audiences had become a lot more sophisticated, shall we say, about following stories told through dialogue and sound patterns. Telling stories on the radio was peaking just as TV was coming in, and unfortunately the ability to do what a sounds effects person on radio could do was an art e that quickly got lost.
Sort of the art of making good buggy whips, I suppose, but still.
As for Barton Yarborough, I remember reading somewhere that in his natural speaking voice he had no accent at all, and that he developed his southern /western drawl to help him stand out more on the radio. If true, he certainly did a good job of it.
October 21st, 2019 at 8:39 pm
Sound patterns –very true. And the radio scripts themselves don’t hint at the layering and richness. Sound directions are very sparse in contract to the subtlety and complexity one actually hears.
Which brings me back to Pete Kelly. Six episodes only still survive supposedly, and even though they’re scratchy and hoarse in the quality (and even though I’ve seen plenty of classic crime yarns on screen) I might very well label a couple of those Kelly episodes the finest ‘noir immersion’ I’ve ever enjoyed. They’re unforgettable; and bolster my opinion that effective audio stands up to the most powerful mental imagery we usually associate foremost with the genre.
BTW, the Dragnet serial is worth comparing to two other procedurals: Everett Sloane in ’21st Precinct’ (set in Manhattan) and Joel McCrea in ‘Tales of the Texas Rangers’.