Dragnet Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Dragnet Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 1, 2021

Jack Webb's "Dragnet" (1954) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage trailer for the film as well as exclusive new audio commentary by critic Toby Roan. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The enthusiastic reception of the original TV series almost certainly made this feature film a very easy sell. There was already a winning concept for it and Jack Webb was on board, so everything else must have been seen simply as a matter of managing various details properly, like getting Richard Breen to deliver his script in a timely fashion. A lot of people, Webb included, were probably convinced that success was inevitable. If I was around at the time and someone had asked for my opinion on the project, I would have given it thumbs up as well. Any sane person would have done the same.

But I am not convinced that Dragnet turned out as it should. However, I am not convinced that it isn’t the film Webb envisioned either. In fact, I am quite certain that it is exactly the film he wanted to make. I will explain what I mean below.

The first clue that there was some sort of a disconnect is the plot. It is so basic that it essentially forces the viewer to look for excitement in peripheral details. After a shady bookie is executed by a couple of tough-looking guys, Sergeant Joe Friday (Webb) and his partner Frank Smith (Ben Alexander) begin knocking on doors and gathering information that can help them solve the case. But they struggle to make progress because the information they get is usually meaningless and legal restrictions prevent them from improvising in ways they know will be effective. Eventually, they are tipped off that Max Troy (Stacy Harris), a well-known hoodlum, and Chester Davitt (Willard Sage), his right-hand man and trusted executioner, might have been dealing with the dead bookie, and they openly begin tailing the former, assuming that it is only a matter of time before he compromises himself and provides the evidence they need to put him and Davitt behind bars. However, complications arise when their methods are questioned by the people they serve.

The disconnect I mentioned above materializes because immediately after the prologue ends Webb shifts the focus of attention away from the bookie’s murder and towards the procedures the detectives utilize in their work. What is the problem? The change kills off the suspense and then makes it impossible for a decent atmosphere to flourish, as it usually happens in good film noirs. With Webb’s monotonic narration detailing the obvious, observing the investigation now feels a lot like being forced to endure carefully prepared long police briefing on an old case. So, to find some entertainment in this briefing, the viewer has to look around and concentrate on things like postures and manners, which in the grand scheme of things are utterly irrelevant.

The really odd thing about the disconnect, however, is that it appears to be entirely intentional. To be perfectly clear, the murder case really is just a ruse for Webb to spend approximately ninety minutes detailing the proper and improper ways of gathering and using information during an investigation, which is a practice that is as exciting as reading the phone book. It makes perfect sense, but it is utterly unoriginal and frankly quite boring. (A good case can be made that a thirty-minute TV episode utilizing the same material in the same or similar fashion would be much more attractive, but this is a different discussion. A feature film noir needs proper atmosphere, and Dragnet does not have it. Despite Webb’s familiar presence before the camera, the characterizations are underdeveloped as well). As a result, it is virtually impossible to argue that there are particular aspects of this film that could have been managed better so that the end product would have looked more convincing. It seems clear that it is exactly as Webb envisioned it.

Walter Schumann’s soundtrack floods the film with intense harmonies, but most of the time it feels like it is out of sync with the visuals. A few years later, Schumann would score the classic film noir The Night of the Hunter.

Dragnet Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratios of 1.75:1 and 1.47:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Dragnet arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from a recent 2K master that was supplied by Universal Pictures. It offers two different presentations of the film. I viewed the widescreen presentation for the purpose of this review.

The film looks healthy and has very strong organic qualities. However, there are a number of notable density fluctuations that can affect delineation, clarity, and depth. In a few areas it actually looks like there is an intentional shift in resolution. (Of course, there isn't). I am unsure if the creators of the film were trying to get some particular visual effects, but there are at least two sequence where it is quite obvious that the manipulations are very specific (see screencapture #2). There have been speculations that some of this footage was intended for 3D conversion, but I am unsure if this is the case. All that I can confirm is that the shifts in visual quality are intended, no a byproduct of unfortunate digital anomalies. This being said, there are a couple of reel transitions with minor density drops that show some small signs of aging as well. You will notice them quite easily, but they will not affect negatively your viewing experience. Image stability is good. The color grading job is excellent. The primaries are solid and healthy, while the supporting nuances are nicely balanced. From time to time minor white flecks can be spotted, but there are no distracting large debris, cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report in out review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Dragnet Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit). Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I was very impressed with the quality of the audio track. The intensity of Walter Schumann's soundtrack actually caught me off-guard and I had to adjust the volume on my system. Clarity, sharpness, and roundness are as I good as I think they should be, plus there are absolutely no traces of age-related anomalies.

Dragnet Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary - critic Toby Roan shares a lot of factual information about the production of Dragnet as well as the popular TV series. The commentary can be heard on the widescreen presentation of the film.

• Trailer - vintage trailer for Dragnet. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 480/60i).

Dragnet Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The only impressive aspect of Dragnet is the incredible speed with which so many exchanges are delivered. There is zero room for errors and yet somehow the lines keep coming with astonishing precision. Unfortunately, the rest is quite mediocre, so viewing the film feels a lot like being forced to endure carefully prepared long police briefing. Kino Lorber's release of Dragnet is sourced from a nice recent 2K master that was prepared by Universal Pictures and features two versions of the film. If you can, RENT IT first.