I would honestly say that I think this is one of the best things Jack Webb has ever done. It maintains the feel of the original series and especially the 1954 film, while mixing in elements of the upcoming 1967 series, I would even go so far as to say this was better than the 1954 theatrical feature (which tended to be a bit dry).
This pilot is feature length and the writer, Richard L. Breen, seems to have packed about three half-hour stories into it.
I've only seen this film once before. Thanks to the recent DVD release of season two, this was included as a bonus feature and I re-visited this, today.
At last, this film is available on DVD! This hour and a half pilot episode of "Dragnet 1967" was included as a DVD extra with the "Dragnet 1968" set.
This is a typical Jack Webb movie, with most of his quirks in it. However, the scene near the end where multiple police units are in pursuit of the killer is wonderful and masterfully done, showing what an under-rated director Jack Webb really was.
One small correction to the review posted 28 April, 2003: Harry Morgan appeared regularly in the original Dragnet radio series in various roles. Webb did employ a regular "stock company" of actors, some of whom he had worked with since his days in radio in San Francisco, through the Dragnet radio series, the first TV series, a theatrical movie, a made for TV movie and the second TV series.
I have re-watched this movie a couple of times recently, and it does stand the test of time-- at least for those of us who have not lived our whole lives in the internet/cellphone age. It goes much deeper into the workings of a big city police department.
Although it's written by the same writer as "Dragnet" (1954), this film is the antidote to the theatrical production, and the best "Dragnet" Jack Webb ever did.The actual case had occurred in the late 1950's, and had been worked by then-Sgt.
However Jack Webb stretched the truth a wee bit with this one. The story is based on the case of Harry Glatman who murdered 2 aspiring models and one woman he met through a lonely hearts club over the course of 1957-58.
