The equally strait-laced and "by-the-book" nephew of Joe Friday must work with his more laid-back partner to solve a mystery.The equally strait-laced and "by-the-book" nephew of Joe Friday must work with his more laid-back partner to solve a mystery.The equally strait-laced and "by-the-book" nephew of Joe Friday must work with his more laid-back partner to solve a mystery.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe photograph of Captain Gannon's wife behind his desk is the same photograph as Colonel Potter's wife in M*A*S*H (1972). Both parts were played by Harry Morgan.
- GoofsThe police commissioner has no authority to relieve Joe Friday of his duties. The commissioner is a civilian appointed by the mayor and serves usually on a part-time basis. Commissioners can only advise the police and serve as the voice of the people. They can only act as a group. The Captain had the authority, but he would have had to explain his actions to his superiors. The ultimate decision would be handled by a trial board which reports directly to the Chief of Police.
- Quotes
Sylvia Wiss: [16:26] Do these look like the breasts of a forty year old woman?
Friday: No ma'am. They're quite impressive... bordering on spectacular.
- Crazy creditsTowards the end of the film, when Streebeck arrests Muzz, he raps him his rights. In the closing credits there is an extended version of this, with Friday and Streebeck rapping about rights, as well as about the PAGAN ritual they witnessed.
- Alternate versionsUK cinema and video versions were cut by 14 secs by the BBFC to remove shots of nunchaku during a fight scene, as these were strictly outlawed in the UK at the time. The cuts were restored for the 2001 Columbia release.
- SoundtracksJust the Facts
Performed by Patti LaBelle
Written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for Flyte Time Productions Inc.
Patti LaBelle appears courtesy of MCA Records
Featured review
One Of My Guilty Pleasures
Although Tom Hanks and Christopher Plummer and Dan Ackroyd have certainly done better work than Dragnet, I can't think of a movie where any of them would have had better fun making it. Dragnet is one of the guilty pleasures I have, a film that will never be rated as one of the greatest of all time, but a film that I split a gut laughing at even though I know all the jokes coming.
Dragnet is a satirical version of the famous documentary style police show from the Fifties and the later color version from the sixties. Dan Ackroyd's dead-on impersonation of the no-nonsense monotone Jack Webb that a generation of Americans grew up remembering is excellent. Like Webb he plays it completely straight or maybe I should say straight man.
Because he's got a new partner fresh from undercover narcotics in Tom Hanks. Ackroyd's not quite used to the girl chasing, motorcycle loving partner that he's been assigned to. He's been brought up in the strict traditions of his Uncle Joe and he has a photograph of Jack Webb on his desk. He's even got Harry Morgan as his captain and we well remember that Harry Morgan was Jack Webb's partner in the sixties version of Dragnet.
Anyway the two of them are assigned to investigate an assortment of crimes that a motorcycle gang called the PAGANS are responsible for. I can't explain any more because the plot gets positively surreal from here. All I can say is the laughs never stop.
Look for some good supporting performances in addition to those mentioned from Elizabeth Ashley as the new police commissioner, Alexandra Paul as 'the virgin Connie Swale', Jack O'Halloran as a Pagan member, Kathleen Freeman as a foulmouthed landlady, and Dabney Coleman as a Hugh Hefner type publisher.
But most of all this film belongs to Christopher Plummer in every scene he's in. He plays the whole thing with a twinkle in his eye when he's being the most sanctimonious as the Reverend Jonathan Whirley. I can't think of a film where Plummer is funnier in or one where it looks like he's having such a good time.
The good time is positively infectious. The most hidebound stuffed shirt will love this film as I did.
Dragnet is a satirical version of the famous documentary style police show from the Fifties and the later color version from the sixties. Dan Ackroyd's dead-on impersonation of the no-nonsense monotone Jack Webb that a generation of Americans grew up remembering is excellent. Like Webb he plays it completely straight or maybe I should say straight man.
Because he's got a new partner fresh from undercover narcotics in Tom Hanks. Ackroyd's not quite used to the girl chasing, motorcycle loving partner that he's been assigned to. He's been brought up in the strict traditions of his Uncle Joe and he has a photograph of Jack Webb on his desk. He's even got Harry Morgan as his captain and we well remember that Harry Morgan was Jack Webb's partner in the sixties version of Dragnet.
Anyway the two of them are assigned to investigate an assortment of crimes that a motorcycle gang called the PAGANS are responsible for. I can't explain any more because the plot gets positively surreal from here. All I can say is the laughs never stop.
Look for some good supporting performances in addition to those mentioned from Elizabeth Ashley as the new police commissioner, Alexandra Paul as 'the virgin Connie Swale', Jack O'Halloran as a Pagan member, Kathleen Freeman as a foulmouthed landlady, and Dabney Coleman as a Hugh Hefner type publisher.
But most of all this film belongs to Christopher Plummer in every scene he's in. He plays the whole thing with a twinkle in his eye when he's being the most sanctimonious as the Reverend Jonathan Whirley. I can't think of a film where Plummer is funnier in or one where it looks like he's having such a good time.
The good time is positively infectious. The most hidebound stuffed shirt will love this film as I did.
Helpful•3911
- bkoganbing
- Sep 1, 2007
- Permalink
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $20,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $57,387,516
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $10,542,669
- Jun 28, 1987
- Gross worldwide
- $66,673,516
- Runtime1 hour 46 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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