James E. Moser Movies
- 1971
David Janssen stars in this Jack Webb production as James O'Hara, a small-town sheriff recruited by the US Treasury's Bureau of Customs. O'Hara's first assignment: To break up a gang of smugglers trafficking in hashish. First telecast April 2, 1971 on CBS, this film served as the pilot for the weekly TV series O'Hara, United States Treasury. For the purposes of the series, O'Hara expanded his field of operations to the IRS, the Secret Service, and the ATM--at least until his program was cancelled in 1972 after a single season on the air. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Janssen, Lana Wood, (more)
- 1959
An armored mail truck has been held up by three masked bandits, and 22 sacks of registered mail have been stolen. Though badly beaten, mail guard Bud Huston (Don Warren) is able to recall that one of the bandits was referred to as "Sid." But the clue that enables Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) to close in on the outlaws is a $20 bill that has somehow ended up in the possession of a petty thief. This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of May 15, 1952. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Two men have held up a mom-and-pop café, beating the 68-year-old owner within an inch of his life. Although one of the robbers was shot trying to escape and is currently in custody, the other is still at large, still with a stolen diamond signet ring worth $1500 in his possession. Tipped off by a car-rental agency where the ring had been offered as collateral, Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) pursue the fugitive robber all the way to Las Vegas and Reno. This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of July 21, 1952. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
With grim determination, Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) search for a pair of armed bandits who have robbed and tortured elderly Wendell Bartell, savagely beating and burning the man while repeatedly stabbing his hands with a hatpin. Clearly, the thieves had "inside" information as to where Bartell kept his jewelry hidden in his home; also, Mrs. Bartell recalls that one of the crooks spoke with a "funny" accent. But it takes the testimony of a magazine delivery boy to put the detectives on the trail of a brand-new sedan with old license plates that was seen in the vicinity of the crime. This episode was adapted from the Dragnet radio broadcast of September 20, 1951. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Acting on information provided by a bartender, Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) investigate the apparent kidnapping of Kenneth Gorman. Though a man of modest means, Gorman liked to go around impressing strangers by flashing a huge roll of bills--especially after having a few drinks. The detectives further discover that, despite the denials of Gorman's wife, the missing man had been running around with a flashy blonde, who turns out to have a criminal record. But that's not the end of the story by a long shot! This labyrinthine episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of June 26, 1952. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
A family friend of 17-year-old Lois Brewster informs Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) that he has come into possession of some pornographic pictures in which the girl is prominently featured. It turns out that Lois was the victim of two phony talent scouts, who after promising to make her a star tricked her into a life of degradation and prostitution--whereupon the girl committed suicide. B-movie favorite Yvette Vickers has a flashy role as the dead girl's roommate, who has also been dragooned into the dirty-picture business. This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of December 7, 1950. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Los Angeles is being terrorized by the "rattlesnake bandit", who preys upon young couples, pointlessly beating them up after robbing them (one of his female victims is now permanently blind). Descriptions of the bandit are fragmentary, but Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) have one palpable clue to go on: the criminal is occasionally seen in the company of a blonde female. Though the bandit manages to elude the cops for several nights running, he finally outsmarts himself when he holds up his girlfriend's ex-boss. This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of January 4, 1951. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
A bandit posing as a salesman has robbed several LA food markets in the past few weeks. Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) must rely upon an eyewitness description of the robber's car to lead them to their man. Featured in the cast is radio announcer Dudley Manlove, best remembered as the prissy space alien Eros ("See? You see? Your stupid minds!") in the Edward D. Wood Jr. "classic" Plan Nine from Outer Space. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Several holdups have been pulled off by a tall, well-dressed and very nervous thief. When store clerk Bert Matthews is killed during one of these robberies, Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) swing into action. The two detectives know that Matthews was shot with a .38, and that the thief made his getaway in a taxi. Working almost exclusively with these clues, Friday and Smith conclude that the thief and the cabbie are in cahoots--and that a previous cabbie accomplice has met the same grisly fate as the unfortunate Matthews. This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of October 5, 1950. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
The 276th and final episode of the original 1950s version of Dragnet is an adaptation of a two-part radio drama, originally heard on January 3 and 10, 1952. An ex-convict tips off Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) about a huge shipment of Mexican heroin being smuggled into LA by a New York narcotics ring, fronted by a guy named Red. Going undercover, Friday poses as an interested buyer, risking life and limb to get the goods on Red and his cronies. But even after the "small fish" are rounded up, Friday must set up a trap for the elusive "Mr. Big" who is the real brains of the outfit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
A fashionable neighborhood has been targetted by a gang of burglars, who specialize in lifting valuable furs and jewels. Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) determine that all of the robbery victims had been seen at popular LA night spots just before they were burglarized. The case is solved with the "assistance" of a toothsome young lady who has a habit of hanging around with known criminals. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
The LAPD receives a tip about an imminent turf war between five different teenage gangs. Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) have ample evidence that principal agitator behind this war is seventeen-year-old Robert Barson (Dee Pollock). Unfortunately, the detective are unable to head off Barson because of the interference of his overprotective mother Edith (Natalie Masters), who insists that her "Bobby" is both innocent and misunderstood. The tragic climax only serves to prove once again that "denial" is not a river in Egypt. This episode is based on the Dragnetradio broadcast of January 17, 1952, originally titled "The Big Juvenile Division". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) must put a fellow cop on the spot when young Officer Blanchard (William Vaughn) is accused of demanding protection money from shady boarding house owner Barclay Evans (Gilman Rankin). Evans insists that Blanchard beat him up when he refused to pay, and claims he has the bruises and dislocated shoulder to prove it. Several other witnesses corroborate Evans' story; trouble is, their stories don't entirely match up. It takes the combined testimony of a doctor, an ex-wife and a bookie to find out where the truth lies. This episode is based on the Dragnetradio broadcast of March 6, 1952. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
This episode is a one-part adaptation of a two-part Dragnet radio broadcast, originally heard on July 20 and 27, 1950. Detectives Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) spend the better part of a year tracking down ex-convict Frank Cheney, also known as "The Gentleman Bandit" because of his wealthy upbringing. Cheney is suspected of masterminding a robbery in San Diego, in which $12,000 was sotlen and a man was killed. After months and months of false leads, the two detectives are finally able to locate the elusive Cheney thanks to a clue provided by the bandit's millionaire grandfather. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) investigate the reported kidnapping of wealthy businessman Tony Richman. The victim's wife has already been contacted by phone, and a $50,000 ransom has been demanded. The case takes an unexpected turn when Richman manages to escape from his captors--leading to many more surprises before the closing "Mark VII" logo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Veteran funnyman Morey Amsterdam eschews his usual "Buddy Sorrell" cheekiness to essay a serious role in this episode. Amsterdam is cast as disgruntled lockpicker Marty Dreen, who assists Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith Ben Alexander in their search for a payroll-check forger. This is the episode in which dedicated police detective Frank Smith is promoted to Sergeant--placing him, albeit briefly, on the same level as his partner Joe Friday. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
The title character in this pivotal Dragnet episode is "Gentleman" Wallard (Jay Jostyn), a veteran con artist. Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) take a dim view of the public's habit of casting criminals like Wallard in a sentimental or sympathetic light--especially since Wallard's M.O. involves fleecing the grieving relatives of the recently departed. This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of February 23, 1950--except for the final scene, in which both Friday and Smith receive promotions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) are off on another missing-persons case. While searching the missing man's apartment, the two detectives pull a Murphy bed from the wall. As a result of what they find wrapped in the bedsheets, the case suddenly becomes a murder investigation! This episode is unusually top-heavy with familiar character actresses, including Dragnet perennials Claudia Bryar and Marjorie Stapp. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) investigate when a moderately wealthy woman named Dorothy Wagner commits suicide. It turns out that the 42-year-old woman had been robbed and jilted by con artist Carlton Reynolds (Myron Cook), who specializes in preying upon lonely, gullible women with money. The detectives are assisted in tracking down Reynolds by another chiseler (Julie Bennett) who turns the tables on the "serial jilter." This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of February 7, 1952. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Familiar Korean character actor Philip Ahn is cast as Chinese merchant Gerald Quon, the victim of a robbery. In their effort to recover two valuable jade thumb rings stolen from Quon, Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) interview a six-year-old boy named Norman (Rickey Kelman) who claims to have witnessed the crime--but whose version of the events is, to say the least, rather difficult to believe. This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of December 8, 1949. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
A gang of phony charity solicitors has been preying on the citizens of Los Angeles, gathering money for at least ten different fradulent fund drives. Despite the efforts of Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) to warn the public, the scams continue, and as a result several legitimate charities suffer a considerable loss of revenue. Helping to bring the crooks to justice is a clever would-be victim--not to mention some well-concealed electronic surveillance equipment. This episode was adapted from the Dragnet radio broadcast of June 12, 1952. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) must forsake their Christmas vacation when the body of a murdered woman is found in a church courtyard. The woman is subsequently identified as Maria Carselle, whom several witnesses had seen drinking heavily in the company of a variety of companions just before her murder. A newly-shined boot and a discarded key are the clues that lead the detectives to the most likely suspect--who turns out to be too drug to put up any resistance. This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of May 25, 1950. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
40-year-old divorcee Florence Dickson is found brutally stabbed to death in her own bed. Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) must break the news to Florence's 16-year-old daughter Roberta (Sue George), who curiously seems more concerned about her doll collection than her mother's murder. Further investigation of the Dickson home reveals a pair of marked "graves" in the backyard--each containing a doll that has been slashed to pieces with a knife. This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of December 6, 1951 (in which the makeshift graves contained mutilated canaries!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) are on the trail of escaped convicts Powell and Selby, who after busting out of San Quentin have embarked upon a 24-hour crime spree in Los Angeles. The detectives end up heading south of the border to the Mexican fishing village of Encinada--where the local police officers have some surprising information about the two fugitives. This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of March 20, 1952. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
In the final episode of Dragnet's seventh TV season, Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) investigate the deaths of an elderly husband and wife. The theory that the couple died in a murder-suicide pact would seem to be confirmed by the suicide note left behind by the husband. But the two detectives suspect that there's another solution to the case when the dead woman's sister comes up with an astonishingly convenient piece of evidence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
