Victor Rodman Movies
- 1959
Swimsuit manufacturer Wally Dunbar (John Lupton) is none too happy when his new summer line of bikinis is pirated after the design sketches are stolen. It gets worse when Dunbar's girlfriend Kitty Wynne (Terry Huntingdon) is charged with the murder of Dunbar's top designer Rick Stassi (Stephan Bekassy), with Lt. Tragg (Ray Collins) offering as motive the fact that Stassi was systematically blackmailing Kitty. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) agrees to defend Kitty in court--never imagining that DA Burger (William Talman) intends to put Perry's detective friend Paul Drake (William Hopper) on the witness stand. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
This unusually grim episode finds Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) investigating the disappearance of Mrs. Barbara Gorman and her two-year-old daughter Nancy. Though Barbara's husband Philip (Joe Cranston) claims that he can't think of any reason why his wife has vanished, a helpful neighbor suggests that the woman ran off with her boyfriend Ralph Kane. If this is true, why would Barbara take her daughter--whom she has always regarded as a nuisance--along for the ride? To answer this question, the detectives follow the trail of clues to a gut-wrenching climax. It is not for nothing that the original radio version of this episode (which aired on July 5, 1951) was prefaced with a terse warning from announcer George Fenneman: "This program is for you: not your children." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
A number of drugstores have been robbed of money and narcotics. Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) step up their manhunt after the bandit vicious beats up his latest victim, an elderly pharmacist. The two detectives get a big break in the case when, while following up a domestic-disturbance report, they find a baby playing with a set of car keys owned by one of the robbery victims. This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of October 26, 1954. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) answer reports that a reclusive old man named Peter Collins (Vic Rodman) is terrorizing his neighborhood with a shotgun. It turns out that Collins is preparing to shoot and kill the person responsible for poisoning his beloved dog--and he intends to open fire on anyone who gets in his way. In a curious mixture of suspense and sentiment, the standoff is resolves by a small child with a big heart. This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of November 16, 1954. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1954
In a scenario that could as easily be set in the early 21st century as in the mid-20th century, a married couple driving a moving van has been robbing the houses of vacationing homeowners, pretending to have been hired by the occupants to remove the furniture in their absence. Checking out several second-hand furniture dealers, Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) gather enough evidence to set a trap for the clever thieves. This episode was adapted from the Dragnet radio broadcast of September 21, 1950. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1953
Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) are stymied by a series of well-planned safe burglaries, pulled off right under the authorities' noses. A clue provided by the owner of a fix-it shop turns out to be the latest in a long of false leads, but finally the investigation bears fruit when two witnesses identify a prematurely gray young man who is fascinated with all things mechanical. Based on a Dragnet radio program first heard on May 1, 1952, this episode features a cameo appearance by future TV producer Aaron Spelling as a hopped-up suspect. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1953
Friday (Joe Friday) and Smith (Ben Alexander) investigate the holdup of a liquor store. The thief is described as an old derelict, who apologized throughout the robbery. After dismissing one suspect as a harmless eccentric (he's writing a five-volume tome on the evils of the Machine Age), the detectives finally catch up with the real "perp", a shabby bum named Arnold Jefferson (Ralph Moody)--whose motive for swiping $5200.52 is a poignant one indeed. This episode was adapted from the Dragnet radio broadcast of March 29, 1953. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1953
With only a book of matches as evidence, Joe Friday ($Jack Webb) and Frank Smith (Ben Alexander) hope to capture a pair of vicious holdup men who specialize in beating their victims. After the elusive criminals have committed 24 crimes, the detectives finally get a viable lead, courtesy of cocktail-lounge singer Lorene Stanley (Jeanne Tatum). The best sequence has absolutely nothing to do with the plot, as Frank cooks Joe a Spanish omelette for breakfast! This final episode of Dragnet's second TV season is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of January 18, 1951. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1952
In a curious "stolen identity" episode (based on a Dragnet radio program first heard on July 7, 1951), Friday (Jack Webb) investigates when old Mr. Grady (Anthony Jochim) thinks that he has been reunited with his grandson Donald. It turns out that there are several inconsistencies in the stories told by both Grady and by the youngster (David Stollery) claiming to be the grandson. The whole truth, however, is not revealed until several months later--and even devoted Dragnet fans won't be able to predict the outcome of this one. Ben Alexander makes his first TV appearance as Friday's partner, officer Frank Smith. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
