This episode has some remnants of last week's experiment with writer Robert Holt. The guys start out in Parker Center - thankfully, this set still has some green paint - but it's not long before we go home with Joe Friday for steaks and to meet his girl Charlotte Page.
We tried to go home with him once before, but he ran out of cigarettes and we had to go to the launderette. We've also been home with Officer Gannon, and his wife Randy Stuart. We will also join Gannon again at home once more in the series.
Tonight's episode was also the one from which a snippet was excerpted into an episode of Mad Men in 2013.
My favorite thing about this episode is the timing and writing.
My favorite thing about this episode is the timing and writing.
"This is the city-- Los Angeles, California.
With 280,000 cats and over a quarter of a million dogs, it's a city with a love for animals.
If you don't have one at home, you can visit the zoo.
There are 900 species here from all over the world.
In the heart of the city is a memorial to prehistoric Los Angeles.
You can walk among the first inhabitants of the basin: the saber-toothed tiger,
the giant mastodon.
They roamed this land long before man.
Now they're extinct, unable to survive within nature's delicate balance.
Some people try to upset today's balance.
When they do, I go to work. I carry a badge."
There is our nice opening and another close up of Bill's typewriter, just like the old days.
Gannon informs Joe thusly:
"You never really know much about women until you marry one."
Emergency! Future firefighter Marco Lopez is back, and his tie looks pretty cool.
Art Balinger is the boss this week and we're back at Parker Center, in the green part!
Thanks Art Director John E. Chilberg, II!
Bill also says to add twenty minutes to whatever time you are supposed to meet your female date.
"Then you won't have so long to wait."
Zing.
ALL CLEAR. LET'S ROLL.
Oh boy, back home with Joe. His place is small - we see the front room, a slice of the kitchen, some slivers of corridor.
Wowee! Randy Stuart and Harry Morgan arrive and we witness that great green sofa and the edge of a striped chair.
And Eileen/Randy is wearing white gloves! In 1968!
There's his beloved Hibachi and a swinging door dividing the kitchen off from the front room.
Aqua/Turquoise countertops.
I miss kitchen doors.
That is a good looking set for what is another near-bottle episode.
Bottle episode? How about some bottle-oriented wall art:
NO! NOT VIRGINIA VINCENT!
I thought we told you never to be in another episode of Dragnet ever?!
Well…be that as it may, at least her glasses are really cool.
IF YOU SAY SO
Great! Back to the horrible painting over the fireplace.
Here are stills of the bit from Mad Men:
Joe's apartment house gives maid service once a week?
How about that! Why did that go out of fashion?
HOLD THE PHONE
"S-C-O-V-E-L."
WHAT'S SHE STILL DOING HERE?
TELL HER TO GET OUT
1. Joe doesn't have any family in Los Angeles.
2. Bill and Eileen are the only family he's got.
3. He's introducing his girl to his family.
At least, that's what Bill thinks!
Let's check in at the Sellick's pad in apartment 328.
Kooky, somewhat versatile Del Moore as "Mister Kettle Drum Man."
Dragnet regular Sam Edwards is back but only for this bit.
I WASH MY HANDS OF THIS
Isn't that sweet? Orange salad bowls, blue cloth napkins with blue placemats.
Flatware in the right places and a pretty reasonable water glass.
Pretty nice for a TV table!
Here's the empty plate design on Randy's TV table. The table lamp behind her is also pretty spiffy.
This cabinet holds Bill and Joe's guns and is topped by a pretty necessary mid-century bar set.
Striped chair, folding chair, a bizarre biplane sculpture, some magazines.
Now let's head to the basement common area of the building, er, sound stage, and catch up with Julian Burton and Stuart Nisbet:
Name that font!
Back at Joe's apartment:
Virginia Vincent has now 'tied one on' and is ready to party, I mean irritate us some more.
I THOUGHT WE SAID VIRGINIA VINCENT IS NOT ALLOWED BACK
Del Moore says that she should stay because his magical kettle drum said so.
OK FINE LET'S JUST EVERYBODY COME IN
DON'T MIND ME-- I JUST LIVE HERE
The design team put a lot of art in Joe's place, but it's not very cohesive given the amount of time we have in wide shots.
The owl print over Gannon's shoulder is pretty nice:
JOE YOUR APARTMENT HAS BEEN INVADED BY LUSHES
Randy Stuart is just too much! She maximizes her scenes and she's such a classy, smart match for Harry Morgan.
"The suspects were found guilty of burglary in the first degree, a felony which is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than five years."
and
Charles Lofkin
Now serving their sentences in the California Institute for Men, Chino, California.
S3e6
Starred
Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday
Harry Morgan as Officer Bill Gannon
Randy Stuart as Mrs. Eileen Gannon
Virginia Vincent as Edie Augburn
Del Moore as Roy Sellick (Mister Kettle Drum Man, MISTER KETTLE DRUM MAN)
Dee Carroll as Virna Sellick
Julian Burton as Frank Wheeler
Stuart Nisbet as Charles Lofkin
Sam Edwards as George Haller (With new and improved sideburns!)
Art Balinger as Captain Brown
Additional Cast
Marco Antonio Lopez as Detective with cool tie
______ as Party Attendees
Additional Notes
Joe teaches us about 'the old apartment house method.'
Julian Burton gets to say "chowderhead."
Dragnet Trivia
Joe's apartment number is 227.
Art Direction -John E. Chilberg, II
Set Decor - John McCarthy & John Sturtevant
Costumes - Vincent Dee
Written by Robert C. Dennis
Aired 24 October 1968
You didn't mind my keeping you waiting, did you, dear?
Suzy Dragnet
