Reviews (6)

'I'm a tree...I'm a tree..... ' - BLUE BOY
I'm glad to see that this great series is finally getting its release.Jack Webb and Harry Morgan made a great on-screen team, meshing to perfection as the ultimate cop 'odd couple' in the later episodes (1969-1970 season especially).I hope this sells enough to justify the release of the other seasons.As early, trend-setting cop dramas go, Dragnet should be at the top of everyone's list.Recent incarnations of the series have failed simply because NO ONE can play Sergeant Joe Friday but Jack Webb.Also, you can spot early mannerisms of 'COLONEL SHERMAN T. POTTER' in Morgan's stoic but fun-loving (?) Officer Bill Gannon.I always loved the way Webb used many of the same actors playing different roles in various episodes. Obviously, the man was loyal to a fault.
This will definitely be a part of my DVD collection, as will future seasons.

BOOK 'EM JOE!

"I'll bet your mother had a loud bark!" , Ma'am!
"Thieves, bums, winos, girls who can't keep an address and men who don't care!" (Whoa there Friday!)

Oh man, this is THE classic Dragnet that we baby boomers grew to and know love.Jack Webb teamed this go around with Harry Morgan as Officer Bill Gannon.From Blue Boy to Officer Gidion C. Dengle, Friday, Gannon and a host of repetitive actors, many back from the 1950's run, provide a gritty and sometime humorous look from the police officers view.Sometimes very stiff with corny acting, (intentional by director Webb) this entire series provides entertainment for all with many episodes done extremely well and on point. Kudos to Universal Home Video for finally bringing the '70's' Dragnet to DVD.Please don't make us wait too long for Seasons 2, 3 & 4.

Pre-rating
because I just know I'm going to love these dvds.I've been waiting forever it seems.The good old shows don't seem to make it to dvd as fast as the current shows.Shame, too.

Joe Friday - A True 1960's Swinger!
I'm glad they're finally going to release this on DVD. I was lucky enough to have the complete series recorded on VHS tape from the early 1990's "Nick At Night" days. Can't wait for the others to follow (including Adam-12 and Emergency!). COTT!

Yes!!! Dragnet In The Age of Aquarius!!!
FORGET ABOUT THE 50'S EPISODES. JOE FRIDAY'S FINEST HOUR IS WHEN HE AND FRANK GANNON GO HEAD TO HEAD WITH THE COUNTER-CULTURE!!! BRING ON '68, '69, AND '70 WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!!! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Dragnet - Brentwood Collection 20 Episodes
DVD set was actually good if not great. Episodes: Big September; Big Seventeen, Big Show; Big Break; Big Hands; Big Betty; Big Thief; Big Little Jesus; Big Trunk; Big boys; Big Shoplift; Big Girl; Big Frame; Big Producer; Big Crime; Big Pair; Big Bar; Big War and Big Oskar. Be advised that some of the episodes go by other names on other collections. Overall though, I found 14 episodes that I didn't previously have and this is an excellent value.

an okay video
I wish I could rate this DVD set higher,but the condition of the film from which this video set was made is in sometimes rotten condition.There are occasional audio dropouts and glitches,and some bad editing on the part of the producer of this video.The prints on at least two episodes are lousy,most are good to fair though.This classic TV series deserves restoration,but hasnt gotten it yet.

a great set
This is the best DVD compilation of 1950s Dragnet I have found so far.It offers 20 episodes,which is at least twice the number found in most DVD sets.The audio and video quality is average,about on par with most dragnet collections,but still very watchable.I`ve enjoyed every minute of this DVD! The mechanical dialogue delivery and often near-comatose acting make Dragnet a true classic.

Dragnet
I always enjoyed Dragnet when younger.This DVD was great.If you like the TV show "Law & Order",you'll enjoy this.I always like Jack Webb/Ben Alexander quick comeback to statements made during their investigations.Harry Morgan was another partner on Jack Webb that was good also.Enjoy!!

Just The facts!!! Dum De Dum Dum!!!
This 2 DVD set is awesome!!! 2 DVD's chock full of Dragnet!!! 20 Episodes to be exact!!! Look for Leonard Nimoy in a rare pre Star Trek role!!! There are other cool guest stars throughout!!! While not the best in quality, this the best DVD set for your dollar!!! Great for Dragnet fans!!! For those who have not seen this classic cop show, you're in for a real treat!!! DUM DE DUM DUM!!! Five Stars!!! A+ ... Read more

Description

Dragnet starring Jack Webb.
14 thirty-minutes episodes on 2 DVDs.

"The story you are about to see is true, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent."So began the familiar opening to TV's long-running police drama, Dragnet.TV's favorite copy, Sgt. Joe Friday, solved crimes in this popular series from 1951-1959.The show's realistic portrayal of true cases drawn from the files of an actual police department make it all the more exciting when justice is served in the end.

Disc 1
1. The Big Seventeen (11-16-52)
2. The Big Betty (9-24-53)
3. The Big Boys (1-21-54)
4. The Big Shoplift (3-11-54)
5. The Big Hit and Run (3-18-54)
6. The Big Girl (4-01-54)
7. The Big Counterfeit (8-16-59)

Disc 2
1. The Big September Man (5-08-52)
2. The Big Break (3-19-53)
3. The Big Little Jesus (12-24-53)
4. The Big Crime (9-09-54)
5. The Big Frame (4-22-54)
6. The Big Producer (8-24-54)
7. The Big Pair (9-16-54) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

1950s Dragnet series is a winner
This might not be the very best Dragnet DVD available on the market today, but it does feature four good episodes, including:

1. The Big Show
2. The Big Shoplift
3. The Big Hit-Run Killer
4. The Big Crime

Dragnet focused on the methodical procedures used by the police to solve cases and employed a documentary film approach to tell its stories. The 1950s black & white version of Dragnet is generally recognized as being superior to the color version that appeared in the late 1960s and was largely based on the radio version of Dragnet that began in the late 1940s. Although Sgt. Joe Friday (Dragnet creator Jack Webb) had several different partners in the 1950s series, all episodes on this DVD feature Ben Alexander as Officer Frank Smith, arguably Friday's best known partner, and certainly the best known of the 1950s version.

All of the episodes included are in the public domain and so you will find them on other Dragnet DVDs. However, the episode "The Big Crime" is tougher to find than the others and deals with the crime of child molestation, which is somewhat surprising to see in a 1950s television series.

The video images and audio from this Alpha Video release are generally good, though the episode "The Big Show" has some print damage in the early goings. Expect to see some film speckles and the occasional scratches on each of the episodes. That said, this is a decent release for fans of the original Dragnet television series. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Compelling 50s TV
Transfer quality is solid; and the episodes of RACKET SQUAD and the original DRAGNET are fine examples of early 1950s filmed television. Highly recommended, especially if you've only seen the 1960s DRAGNET, which was pretty terrible, if interesting in a an instant "camp" sort of way, and also because RACKET SQUAD is one of the most brutal and realistic of 50s cop shows, along with such classics as M SQUAD and PETER GUNN. In short, buy this now. ... Read more