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Dragnet (1954 Film)
''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 accom ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jack Webb
John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, Television director, director, and screenwriter, most famous for his role as Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise), ''Dragnet'' franchise, which he created. He was also the founder of his own production company, Mark VII Limited. Webb started his career in the 1940s as a radio personality, starring in several Radio program, radio shows and Radio drama, dramas—including ''Dragnet'', which he created in 1949—before entering television in the 1950s, creating the television adaptation of ''Dragnet'' for NBC as well as other series. Throughout the 1960s, Webb worked in both acting and television production, creating ''Adam-12'' in 1968, and in 1970, Webb retired from acting to focus on producing, creating ''Emergency!'' in 1972. Webb continued to make television series, and although many of them were less successful and short-lived, he wished to rekindle his prior successes, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inverted Detective Story
An inverted detective story, occasionally known as a "howcatchem", is a murder mystery fiction structure in which the commission of the crime is shown or described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator. The story then describes the detective's attempt to solve the mystery. There may also be subsidiary puzzles, such as why the crime was committed, which are explained or resolved during the story. This format is the opposite of the more typical "whodunit", in which all of the details of the perpetrator of the crime are not revealed until the story's climax. The first such story was R. Austin Freeman's ''The Case of Oskar Brodski'' published in '' Pearson's Magazine'' in 1912. The television series ''Columbo'' is one of the best-known examples of this genre. Origin R. Austin Freeman described how he invented the inverted detective story in his 1912 collection of short stories '' The Singing Bone''. Some years ago I devised, as an experiment, an inv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1954 Crime Films
Events January * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head office of IBM. * January 10 – BOAC Flight 781, a de Havilland Comet jet plane, disintegrates in mid-air due to metal fatigue, and crashes in the Mediterranean near Elba; all 35 people on board are killed. * January 12 – 1954 Blons avalanches, Avalanches in Austria kill more than 200. * January 15 – Mau Mau rebellion, Mau Mau leader Waruhiu Itote is captured in Kenya. * January 17 – In Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia, Milovan Đilas, one of the leading members of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, is relieved of his duties. * January 20 – The US-based National Negro Network is established, with 46 member radio stations. * January 21 – The first nuclear-powered submarine, the , is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1954 Films
The year 1954 in film involved some significant events and memorable ones. Top-grossing films United States The top ten 1954 released films by box office gross in the United States are as follows: International Events * A reproduction of "America's First Movie Studio", Thomas Edison's Black Maria, is constructed. * May 12 — The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces wife Marion Benda. The two were married in 1927. * September 29 — '' A Star is Born'' premieres and marks Judy Garland's comeback after her termination from her contract at MGM. An astounding success with critics and audiences, ''A Star is Born'' not only marks the first time that legendary director George Cukor has made a film musical or a film in Technicolor and in anamorphic widescreen format, but also becomes regarded as one of Garland's best performances in her film career. * November 3 — The film '' Godzilla'' premieres in Japan. It becomes a huge success and the first in the ''Godzilla'' film fra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jack L
Jack Lukeman (born Seán Loughman 11 February 1973), usually simply known as Jack L, is an Irish songwriter, musician, record producer, vocal artist and broadcaster. Early life Lukeman was born as Seán Loughman in St Vincent's Hospital, Athy; son of Seán Loughman, who was a mechanic, and his wife, Rose. Lukeman grew up in Bennetsbridge, near Athy, County Kildare. Lukeman attended a youth club in Athy known as Aontas Ogra at the age of 12 years old, where he was involved in artistic ventures as well as playing music there. He left school at 15. After spending a short period in the family business, he began playing music full-time at 18 cutting his teeth on the Bohemian busking scene around Europe in the early 90s. Playing across Holland, Belgium and Germany sometimes playing with art rock band Serious Women with David Constantine and Martin Clancy whom he has continued to collaborate with over the years. His first vocal performance can be heard on Serious Women's album 38SCR, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
100 Episodes
In the U.S. television industry, 100 episodes is the traditional threshold for a television series to enter syndicated reruns. One hundred episodes are advantageous for stripped syndication because it allows for 20 weeks of weekday reruns (depending on the number of episodes produced once the program debuts in syndication) without repeating an episode, and such shows can be sold for higher per-episode pricing. One of the first series made specifically for syndication, the 1953–1955 sitcom '' Life with Elizabeth'', purposely ended its run after only 65 episodes, concerned that producing more would saturate the market and reduce the syndication package's value. In recent years, the minimum number of episodes for off-network, stripped syndication has been set at 88 (typically four seasons of 22 episodes), although some programs have been relatively successful in syndication with fewer episodes. '' The Jetsons'', for instance, only aired 75 episodes. Overview Syndication is oft ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dragnet (1951 TV Series)
''Dragnet'' – later syndicated as ''Badge 714'' – is an American crime television series, based on the radio series of the same name, both created by their star, Jack Webb. The shows take their name from the police term '' dragnet'', a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects. Webb reprised his radio role of Los Angeles police detective Sergeant Joe Friday. Ben Alexander co-starred as Friday's partner, Officer Frank Smith. The ominous, four-note introduction to the brass and tympani theme music (titled "Danger Ahead"), composed by Walter Schumann, is instantly recognizable. It is derived from Miklós Rózsa's score for the 1946 film ''The Killers''. This was the first television series in the ''Dragnet'' media franchise encompassing film, television, books and comics. The series was filmed at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. History During its early success on radio, ''Dragnet'' was popular enough to move to television. M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dennis Weaver
Billy Dennis Weaver (June 4, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor and president of the Screen Actors Guild, best known for his work in television and films from the early 1950s until just before his death in 2006. Weaver's two most famous roles were as Marshal Matt Dillon's deputy Chester Goode on the western ''Gunsmoke'' and as Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud on the police drama '' McCloud''. He starred in the 1971 television film '' Duel'', the first film of director Steven Spielberg. He is also remembered for his role as the twitchy motel attendant in Orson Welles's film '' Touch of Evil'' (1958). Early life Weaver was born June 4, 1924, in Joplin, Missouri, the son of Walter Leon "Doc" Weaver and his wife Lenna Leora ( ''née'' Prather). Weaver wanted to be an actor from childhood. He lived in Shreveport, Louisiana, for several years and for a short time in Manteca, California. He studied at Joplin Junior College, then transferred to the University of Oklahoma at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Olan Soule
Olan Soule (February 28, 1909 – February 1, 1994) was an American actor, who had professional credits in nearly 7,000 radio shows and commercials, appearances in 200 television series and television films, and in over 60 films. He was the only actor who performed on both the '' Captain Midnight'' radio and television shows. Early life Born in 1909 as Alan Evart Soule in La Harpe, Illinois, to Elbert and Ann (Williams) Soule (descendants of three ''Mayflower'' passengers), he left Illinois at the age of seven and arrived in Des Moines, Iowa, where he lived until he was seventeen. He then launched his theatrical career by joining Jack Brooks' tent show in Sabula, Jackson County, Iowa. Career Radio After leaving the tent show, Soule appeared on stage in Chicago for seven years before moving to radio in 1933, including a stint on '' Chandu the Magician'' (1935–36). On radio he performed for eleven years in the daytime soap opera '' Bachelor's Children''. Beginning in 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Willard Sage
James Willard Sage (August 13, 1922 – March 17, 1974) was a Canadian-American film and television actor. Born in London, Ontario. Sage began his career in 1951, where he appeared in the film ''The Butler's Night Off'', playing the role of a crook. He performed in New York where Sage played a lead role in the stage play ''Hobson's Choice''. Sage played the role of the killer Chester Davitt in the 1954 film '' Dragnet''. He then played the role of Tom Tattle in the 1955 film '' It's a Dog's Life''. He played the role of Jonathan Tatum in the 1956 film ''The Brass Legend''. Sage guest-starred in television programs including ''Perry Mason'', ''Room 222'', ''Gunsmoke'', ''Bonanza'', ''Tales of Wells Fargo'', ''Peter Gunn'', ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'', ''Hogan's Heroes'', ''Death Valley Days'', ''Land of the Giants'', '' 12 O'Clock High'', ''The Deputy'', ''Rawhide'', ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'', ''My Three Sons'', '' The Virginian'', '' Star Trek: The Original Serie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malcolm Atterbury
Malcolm MacLeod Atterbury (February 20, 1907 – August 16, 1992) was an American stage, film, and television actor, and vaudevillian. Early years and education A native of Philadelphia, Atterbury was the son of Malcolm MacLeod, Sr. and Arminia Clara (Rosengarten) MacLeod. He had an older sister, Elizabeth, a twin brother, Norman, and a younger brother, George Rosengarten MacLeod. After his father's death his mother remarried to General William Wallace Atterbury, president of Pennsylvania Railroad. Through this marriage, he had a half-brother, William Wallace Atterbury Jr. He graduated from The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. In the mid-1930s, Atterbury decided to pursue a career in drama. He enrolled at Hilda Spong's Dramatic School using an assumed name. Later, after revealing his true identity, he went on to "finance a summer theater for the Hilda Spong Players at Cape May, and they, in turn, asked him to be their managing director." Career Radio In 1928, Atterbur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dick Cathcart
Charles Richard Cathcart (November 6, 1924 – November 8, 1993) was an American Dixieland trumpet player who was best known as a member of ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' in which he appeared from 1962 to 1968. Cathcart was born in Michigan City, Indiana, United States. He was a trumpeter for the U.S. Army Air Force Band and a member of big bands led by Bob Crosby, Ben Pollack, and Ray Noble. After World War II, he moved to Los Angeles. His friend Jack Webb was playing the part of trumpeter Pete Kelly in the movie '' Pete Kelly's Blues'' and told Cathcart he should supply the music. The band from the movie stayed together in the 1950s for performances and recordings under the name Pete Kelly's Big Seven. Cathcart also supplied music for the TV show '' Dragnet'', which starred Jack Webb as Joe Friday. He spent much of his career as a musician on ''The Lawrence Welk Show''. On the Welk show, he met Peggy Lennon, a singer with the Lennon Sisters The Lennon Sisters are an American ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
