Dragnet (1951 – 1959)

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Plot

"The story you are about to see is true", "Just the facts, ma'am", "We were working the day watch" - phrases which became so popular as to inspire much parody - set the realistic tone of this early police drama. The show emphasized careful police work and the interweaving of policemen's professional and personal lives.





Series Directed by

Jack Webb   (68 episodes, 1951-1959)

Series Writing credits
Jack Webb   (277 episodes, 1951-1959)
Frank Burt   (48 episodes, 1955-1959)
James E. Moser   (35 episodes, 1951-1958)
John Robinson   (26 episodes, 1953-1959)
Michael Cramoy   (26 episodes, 1956-1959)
Ken Kolb   (13 episodes, 1957-1959)
Kitty Buhler   (2 episodes, 1952)



Series Cast

Jack Webb  ... Sgt. Joe Friday / ... (277 episodes, 1951-1959)
George Fenneman  ... Announcer (Opening) (276 episodes, 1951-1959)
Hal Gibney  ... Announcer (Closing) (276 episodes, 1951-1959)

Ben Alexander  ... Officer Frank Smith / ... (53 episodes, 1952-1959)
Olan Soule  ... Ray Pinker / ... (29 episodes, 1952-1959)
Vic Perrin  ... Dr. Hall / ... (16 episodes, 1952-1958)
Ralph Moody  ... Charles Zeeman Hopkins / ... (15 episodes, 1952-1959)
Walter Sande  ... Capt. Barnard / ... (15 episodes, 1953-1956)
Harry Bartell  ... Andrew Robertson / ... (14 episodes, 1952-1955)

Jack Kruschen  ... Babe Kellogg / ... (13 episodes, 1951-1959)
Art Balinger  ... Captain Glavas / ... (13 episodes, 1955-1959)
Art Gilmore  ... Capt. Harry Didion (12 episodes, 1953-1956)
Barney Phillips  ... Sgt. Ed Jacobs / ... (11 episodes, 1951-1952)
Herb Vigran  ... Dale Eggers / ... (11 episodes, 1952-1959)
Herbert Ellis  ... Officer Frank Smith #1 / ... (10 episodes, 1952-1953)
Lillian Powell  ... Agnes Merton / ... (10 episodes, 1954-1959)
Bert Holland  ... Arthur Schulte / ... (10 episodes, 1952-1959)

Virginia Gregg  ... Audrey Thompson / ... (10 episodes, 1952-1955)
Natalie Masters  ... Edith Barson / ... (8 episodes, 1954-1958)
Mel Ford  ... Deaf Hotel Clerk / ... (8 episodes, 1953-1955)
Victor Rodman  ... John Snyder / ... (8 episodes, 1952-1957)
Frank Gerstle  ... Harry Talmadge / ... (8 episodes, 1952-1958)

Paul Richards  ... Gabriel Bush / ... (7 episodes, 1952-1955)
Jonathan Hole  ... Charles Elliott / ... (7 episodes, 1952-1955)
George Sawaya  ... Sgt. Lopez (7 episodes, 1952-1957)
James Stone  ... Charles / ... (7 episodes, 1954-1959)
Sammy Ogg  ... Stanley Johnstone (7 episodes, 1952-1959)
William Boyett  ... Larry Thompson / ... (7 episodes, 1953-1958)
Allene Roberts  ... Elsie Bergstrum / ... (6 episodes, 1952-1955)

Dorothy Abbott  ... Ann Baker (6 episodes, 1953-1954)
Robert Crosson  ... Angie Marcal / ... (6 episodes, 1953-1955)

Sam Edwards  ... Elwood Carney / ... (6 episodes, 1951-1958)
Joyce McCluskey  ... Ella Ryburn / ... (6 episodes, 1952-1955)
Helen Kleeb  ... Frances Watson / ... (6 episodes, 1952-1958)

Martin Milner  ... Stephen Banner (6 episodes, 1952-1955)
Tony Barrett  ... Henry John Baxter (6 episodes, 1953-1955)

Aaron Spelling  ... 'Bigs' Donaldson / ... (6 episodes, 1953-1955)

Celia Lovsky  ... Jeanette Bejan (6 episodes, 1953-1959)

Dennis Weaver  ... Sergeant Jay Allen / ... (6 episodes, 1954-1955)
Don C. Harvey  ... Capt. Donahoe (6 episodes, 1956-1958)
Herbert Butterfield  ... Lt. Lee Jones / ... (5 episodes, 1951-1955)
Peggy Webber  ... Leona Perry / ... (5 episodes, 1952-1955)

Carolyn Jones  ... Donna Stewart / ... (5 episodes, 1953-1955)
Ken Peters  ... Lt. Harry Fremont / ... (5 episodes, 1952-1958)
Howard Wendell  ... George Comanches / ... (5 episodes, 1954-1957)
Stacy Harris  ... Benny Davis / ... (5 episodes, 1951-1954)
Robert Clarke  ... Larry Bartel / ... (5 episodes, 1953-1959)

Willis Bouchey  ... Harold Everson Sr. / ... (5 episodes, 1952-1955)
Vivi Janiss  ... Frances Demmering / ... (5 episodes, 1952-1955)

Henry Corden  ... Edgar Morse / ... (5 episodes, 1954-1958)
Robert Knapp  ... Keith Jarrett (5 episodes, 1953-1955)
Lillian Buyeff  ... Lillian Miller (5 episodes, 1952-1954)

Ben Morris  ... Leon Gibson (5 episodes, 1955-1959)
Irene Tedrow  ... Bernice Hopper / ... (5 episodes, 1953-1955)
Helen Andrews  ... Policewoman Norene Statzel (5 episodes, 1954)
Harlan Warde  ... Max Tyler / ... (5 episodes, 1954)
Anthony Lawrence   (5 episodes, 1953-1959)
Howard Culver   (5 episodes, 1954-1957)
Louise Lorimer   (5 episodes, 1955-1958)
Dennis Moore  ... Douglas Pedley (5 episodes, 1956-1959)
Clarence Cassell  ... Captain Walter Lewis / ... (4 episodes, 1953-1954)
June Whitley Taylor  ... Alice Kenwood / ... (4 episodes, 1952-1955)
Joe Cranston  ... Fred Stewart / ... (4 episodes, 1953-1957)
Amzie Strickland  ... Barbara Fleischer / ... (4 episodes, 1955-1958)
William Johnstone  ... Arthur Stanford / ... (4 episodes, 1952-1955)
James Anderson  ... Daniel Miller / ... (4 episodes, 1954-1955)
Eddie Firestone  ... George Robert Hoffman / ... (4 episodes, 1952-1953)
Sarah Selby  ... Alva Jarrett / ... (4 episodes, 1952-1955)
Virginia Christine  ... Helen Karsten / ... (4 episodes, 1952-1954)
Michael Ann Barrett  ... Dorothy Kirkman / ... (4 episodes, 1954-1958)
Cliff Arquette  ... Al Morgan / ... (4 episodes, 1952-1956)
Dan Barton  ... Arnold Leaming (4 episodes, 1955-1958)
Jean Howell  ... Pauline Lavin (4 episodes, 1955)

Dorothy Adams  ... Mabel Hartford (4 episodes, 1953-1955)
Richard Garland  ... Dick Patterson / ... (4 episodes, 1953-1955)
Tom McKee  ... George Martin Crane / ... (4 episodes, 1953-1954)
Jimmy Ogg  ... Al Doolin (4 episodes, 1954-1959)
Tom Daly  ... Harold Huberman (4 episodes, 1955-1959)
Dan Riss  ... Capt. R. A. Lohrman / ... (4 episodes, 1952-1953)
Jean Dean  ... Mrs. Milo Hudson (4 episodes, 1953-1956)

James Griffith  ... Claude Stroup (4 episodes, 1953-1955)
Kurt Martell  ... Boyd Cofflin (4 episodes, 1953-1955)
Jeanne Baird  ... Dixie (4 episodes, 1953-1955)
Sally Corner  ... Nellie Diver (4 episodes, 1955-1956)
George Brand   (4 episodes, 1953-1958)
John Larch   (4 episodes, 1953-1954)
Louis Nicoletti  ... Fred Garrison / ... (4 episodes, 1953-1954)
Jeanne Tatum   (4 episodes, 1953-1954)
Montgomery Banta   (4 episodes, 1954-1956)
Georgia Ellis   (4 episodes, 1955-1959)
Bill Idelson   (4 episodes, 1955-1959)
Thom Carney   (4 episodes, 1956-1959)
Virginia Carroll  ... Selma Padgett (4 episodes, 1956-1959)
Harry Harvey   (4 episodes, 1956-1959)
Don Warren   (4 episodes, 1956-1959)
Joseph Forte   (4 episodes, 1956-1958)
Marjie Millar  ... Sharon Maxwell (4 episodes, 1956)
Brett King   (4 episodes, 1957-1958)
John Truax   (4 episodes, 1957-1958)
Barton Yarborough  ... Sgt. Ben Romero / ... (3 episodes, 1951-1952)
Jack Carol  ... Art Sward / ... (3 episodes, 1953-1955)
Walter Reed  ... Paul Barton / ... (3 episodes, 1953-1955)
Billy Chapin  ... Joseph Heffernan / ... (3 episodes, 1953-1954)
Alan Dexter  ... Capt. Ben Stein / ... (3 episodes, 1952-1954)
Renny McEvoy  ... Don Meyer / ... (3 episodes, 1952-1953)
Joby Baker  ... Bob Tepps (3 episodes, 1957-1959)
Douglas Kennedy  ... Agent Tom Ashford (3 episodes, 1955-1956)
Peter Leeds  ... George the Drunk (3 episodes, 1952-1954)
Kenneth Patterson  ... Capt. Kearney (3 episodes, 1952)
John Alvin  ... Victor Nadel (3 episodes, 1952-1955)

Frances Bavier  ... Hazel Howard (3 episodes, 1953-1955)

Gil Stratton  ... Kenneth Alden (3 episodes, 1952-1953)

Nesdon Booth  ... Sam (3 episodes, 1954-1957)
Simon Scott  ... Anthony Field (3 episodes, 1955)
Charlotte Lawrence  ... Helga (3 episodes, 1952-1953)
Ted Bliss  ... Stephen Arnold (3 episodes, 1953-1955)
Roy Darmour  ... Uniformed Officer (3 episodes, 1955-1957)
Russ Conway  ... Mr. Harrison (3 episodes, 1952-1953)
Don Gibson   (3 episodes, 1952-1953)
Joseph Mell  ... Otto Myer (3 episodes, 1953-1959)
Frances Rafferty  ... Marla Hutchins (3 episodes, 1953-1954)
Barbara Stewart  ... Doris Chambers (3 episodes, 1953-1954)
Paul Bryar  ... Raymond Shafer (3 episodes, 1953)
Michael Barrett   (3 episodes, 1954-1957)

Malcolm Atterbury  ... Richard Tearson (3 episodes, 1955-1958)
Helen Van Tuyl   (3 episodes, 1955-1958)
Peggy Maley   (3 episodes, 1955-1957)
Alan Reynolds   (3 episodes, 1955-1957)

Barbara Eiler   (3 episodes, 1955)

Richard Benedict  ... Harry Wilmer (3 episodes, 1956-1959)
Julie Bennett   (3 episodes, 1956-1959)
Sidney Clute   (3 episodes, 1956-1959)
Sam Gilman   (3 episodes, 1956-1959)
John Patrick   (3 episodes, 1956-1959)
Vance Skarstedt   (3 episodes, 1956-1959)
Mack Williams   (3 episodes, 1956-1959)
Marvin Bryan   (3 episodes, 1956-1958)
Kip King   (3 episodes, 1956-1958)
Ann Morrison   (3 episodes, 1956-1958)
Joey Ray   (3 episodes, 1956-1958)
Mark Scott   (3 episodes, 1956-1958)
John Sebastian  ... Roy Barrows (3 episodes, 1956-1958)

Bob Wehling   (3 episodes, 1956-1958)
Martha Wentworth  ... Hotel Manager (3 episodes, 1956-1958)
Maxine Cooper   (3 episodes, 1956)
Martin Dean  ... Paul Lint (3 episodes, 1957-1959)
Coleman Francis   (3 episodes, 1957-1959)
Paul Hahn   (3 episodes, 1957-1959)
Monty Margetts   (3 episodes, 1957-1959)

Sid Melton   (3 episodes, 1957-1959)
Ed Prentiss  ... George Clawson (3 episodes, 1957-1959)
Joe Quinn  ... Dan Sprakey (3 episodes, 1957-1959)
Carl von Schiller   (3 episodes, 1957-1959)
Jack Wagner   (3 episodes, 1957-1959)
John Nolan   (3 episodes, 1957-1958)
Russ Whitney  ... Harold Semple (3 episodes, 1957-1958)
Frank Evans   (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Roger Til   (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Michael Morgan  ... Sergeant Gonzales (3 episodes, 1958)
Gloria Saunders  ... Alice Catherine Cavell / ... (2 episodes, 1953)
Harper Goff  ... Emil Collins / ... (2 episodes, 1953-1954)

Don 'Red' Barry  ... Mike Armstrong / ... (2 episodes, 1955)
Myra Marsh  ... Mary Walker / ... (2 episodes, 1953-1954)
George Cisar  ... George Ammen / ... (2 episodes, 1956-1959)
Adrienne Marden  ... Mabel / ... (2 episodes, 1953-1954)
Maurice Hill  ... James Arnold Sutter / ... (2 episodes, 1953-1954)
Will Yaeger  ... George Wright / ... (2 episodes, 1952)
James Douglas  ... Jay Wade Macken (2 episodes, 1957-1959)
Whitfield Connor  ... Leonard Castle (2 episodes, 1952-1953)

Lee Marvin  ... Henry Ross / ... (2 episodes, 1952-1953)
Dee Pollock  ... Robert Barson (2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Nancy Valentine  ... Elsie Macken (2 episodes, 1959)
Marian Richman  ... Anita Dorn / ... (2 episodes, 1954-1955)
Lawrence Ryle  ... Jonathan Larrimore (2 episodes, 1953-1954)
James Bush  ... Dr. Platt (2 episodes, 1953)
Mary Shipp  ... Blanche Chapman (2 episodes, 1954-1957)
Ralph Montgomery  ... Ernest Laznik (2 episodes, 1955)
Anthony Jochim  ... Frank Grady (2 episodes, 1952)
Alan Harris  ... Ross Grant (2 episodes, 1955)
Gretchen Kanne  ... Clarice Porter (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Frank O'Connor  ... Guard / ... (2 episodes, 1953-1955)
Nan Boardman  ... Ida Fischer (2 episodes, 1953-1954)
Bill Brundige  ... Officer Tom Willkie (2 episodes, 1953-1954)
Dee J. Thompson  ... Mrs. Lineberger (2 episodes, 1953-1954)
Dick Paxton  ... Charles Kilgore (2 episodes, 1953-1959)
Ron Hargrave  ... Clifford Roy Small (2 episodes, 1954)

Leonard Nimoy  ... Julius Carver / ... (2 episodes, 1954-1959)

Russell Saunders  ... Kenneth Dunbar (2 episodes, 1954)

Jerry Zinnamon  ... Harry Reese / ... (2 episodes, 1954)
Jay Lawrence  ... Ernest Wilcoxson (2 episodes, 1955-1959)
Jack Mulhall  ... Jack Mulhall (2 episodes, 1952-1957)
Tol Avery   (2 episodes, 1952-1957)
Georgia Bitner  ... Cleaning Lady (2 episodes, 1952-1956)
John Dako   (2 episodes, 1952-1956)

Parley Baer  ... Father on Phone (2 episodes, 1952)
Robert Boon  ... Paul Ostrander (2 episodes, 1953-1958)
Ralph Votrian   (2 episodes, 1953-1957)
Evelyn Scott   (2 episodes, 1953-1956)
Pamela Duncan   (2 episodes, 1953-1955)
Junius Matthews   (2 episodes, 1953-1955)

Ellen Corby   (2 episodes, 1953-1954)
John Gallaudet   (2 episodes, 1953-1954)
William F. Leicester   (2 episodes, 1953-1954)

Paul Picerni  ... Hymie / ... (2 episodes, 1953-1954)
Janet Warren   (2 episodes, 1953-1954)
Virginia Brissac   (2 episodes, 1953)

John Qualen   (2 episodes, 1953)
Ramsey Williams   (2 episodes, 1953)
Dee Carroll   (2 episodes, 1954-1955)
James Dobson   (2 episodes, 1954-1955)

George Selk   (2 episodes, 1954-1955)
Ramsay Williams   (2 episodes, 1954-1955)

Claude Akins  ... Ellis / ... (2 episodes, 1954)
James Bell   (2 episodes, 1954)
Neil Collins  ... Doctor (2 episodes, 1954)
Jeffrey Silver  ... Gene Graff (2 episodes, 1954)
Steven Terrell  ... Warren Thomas White (2 episodes, 1954)
Arlene Harris   (2 episodes, 1955-1959)
William Tracy   (2 episodes, 1955-1959)
William Vaughn   (2 episodes, 1955-1958)
Mary Dean   (2 episodes, 1955-1956)
Paul Burke   (2 episodes, 1955)
Jack Haddock   (2 episodes, 1955)
Sheridan F. Hall Jr.   (2 episodes, 1955)
David Holt   (2 episodes, 1955)
Frank Marlowe   (2 episodes, 1955)
Than Wyenn   (2 episodes, 1955)
Robert Christopher   (2 episodes, 1956-1959)
Darlene Fields   (2 episodes, 1956-1959)
Dennis McCarthy   (2 episodes, 1956-1959)

Stafford Repp   (2 episodes, 1956-1959)
Ralph Smiley   (2 episodes, 1956-1959)

Mildred von Hollen   (2 episodes, 1956-1959)

Rodney Bell   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Robert Bice   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Claudia Bryar   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Hazel Franklyn   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Parker Garvie   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Robert Jordan   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Les Mitchel   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
John Mitchum   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Billy Nelson   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Jacqueline Park   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Robert Patten   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Ernest Raboff   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Gilman Rankin   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Marjorie Stapp  ... Claire Peterson / ... (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Frank Sully   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Elmore Vincent   (2 episodes, 1956-1958)
Dick Whittinghill  ... Beetle Buckingham (2 episodes, 1956-1958)

Norman Bartold  ... Barney Swanson (2 episodes, 1956-1957)
William 'Billy' Benedict   (2 episodes, 1956-1957)
Jesslyn Fax   (2 episodes, 1956-1957)
Paul Frees   (2 episodes, 1956-1957)
Shep Houghton   (2 episodes, 1956-1957)
Jean Inness   (2 episodes, 1956-1957)
Steve Masino   (2 episodes, 1956-1957)
Lorna Thayer   (2 episodes, 1956-1957)
Charles Watts   (2 episodes, 1956-1957)
Mary Jane Croft   (2 episodes, 1956)
Richard Norris  ... Sgt. Hatch (2 episodes, 1956)

Joe Conley   (2 episodes, 1957-1959)
William Flaherty   (2 episodes, 1957-1959)
Raymond Greenleaf   (2 episodes, 1957-1959)
Helen Jay   (2 episodes, 1957-1959)
Dudley Manlove   (2 episodes, 1957-1959)
Syd Saylor   (2 episodes, 1957-1959)
Dan Sturkie   (2 episodes, 1957-1959)

Yvette Vickers  ... Janet Scully / ... (2 episodes, 1957-1959)
Marshall Bradford   (2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Tiny Brauer   (2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Jim Bridges   (2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Robert Brubaker   (2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Paul E. Burns   (2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Sue George   (2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Eddy Grove   (2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Jess Kirkpatrick   (2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Frank J. Scannell  ... Hubert Crockett (2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Helen Spring   (2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Ruth Swanson   (2 episodes, 1957-1958)
Lyn Thomas  ... Mona Morgan (2 episodes, 1957-1958)
George Barrows   (2 episodes, 1957)

Eve Brent  ... Marlee Tomlen (2 episodes, 1957)
John Close   (2 episodes, 1957)
Paula Hill   (2 episodes, 1957)
Taylor Holmes   (2 episodes, 1957)
Julian Burton   (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Anne Diamond   (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Craig Duncan   (2 episodes, 1958-1959)

Suzanne Ellers  ... Nurse (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Stephen Ellsworth   (2 episodes, 1958-1959)

Marshall Kent   (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Bob Kline   (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Ralph Manza   (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Alfred Shelly   (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Sally Todd   (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Michael Garrett   (2 episodes, 1958)
William E. Green  ... Gilbert Wake (2 episodes, 1958)

Buddy Lester  ... Paul Portell (2 episodes, 1958)
Peter Miles   (2 episodes, 1958)
Shirley Mitchell  ... Ruth Daley (2 episodes, 1958)
Tom Wade   (2 episodes, 1958)
David Alpert   (2 episodes, 1959)
Shirley Falls   (2 episodes, 1959)
Harry Hickox   (2 episodes, 1959)
Mary Patton   (2 episodes, 1959)