"The Big Bullet" or "Two Bullets, Actually" - The Season One Finale.

I think this one might be a remake of "The Big Bible" episode. A clue is the excess of exposition.

I'll quote it for you so we can make sense of this collage:

"This is the city-- Los Angeles, California.

It's the largest city in the United States.

Los Angeles has a lot of everything--

people,

a Police Administration Building and sixteen geographical police divisions--

North Hollywood Division,

Wilshire Division, 

West Valley Division,

Van Nuys Division,

Hollywood Division.

Los Angeles has one of the largest artificial harbors in the world.

This is San Pedro.

It has a baseball team.

This is where they play-- Dodger Stadium.

It has a sports arena.

This one will handle ice hockey, a rodeo, a championship fight, or a national political convention.

It has Hollywood and it says so on the side of a mountain.

It has golf courses, lots of 'em, public and private.

You can trace the history of man, his habits, his progress, right here--

the Los Angeles County Museum.

A lot of people are born in Los Angeles every day.

Many of them here at the County Hospital.

A lot of people die in Los Angeles every day. 

A lot of people get married.

A lot get divorced.

When a marriage falls apart, and it happens here, it's a job for lawyers.

When it doesn't. sometimes it's part of my job. I carry a badge."

OKAY FINALLY the episode can get on after that huge advertisement for L.A.

First stop: Elwood P. Dowd's house at the Universal Backlot.

HELLO HARVEY WELCOME TO DRAGNET

O.K. The evening is wearing on, time to knock on the door.

There's a familiar porch: 

I wonder if the globe (far left) is one that is a bar when you flip it open:

Oh yeah, and there's your dead guy.

Touching it without gloves!? Didn't they see any of the other shows where they never touch evidence with their bare hands? *cringe*

(I know, I know; those shows came after Dragnet.)

DON'T PUT ME ON TRIAL FOR MURDER SERGEANT FRIDAY

I HAVE A COOL TABLE LAMP

WELL I AM HER MOTHER AND MY GLASSES ARE COOL

So weird that the clock (far left) is probably hollow and definitely painted over:

Would you rather be a crime scene photographer or a wedding photographer?

Night driving shots. I like them.

Filling out paperwork: It's all part of the job:

This is the .38 Colt revolver that's supposed to be the murder weapon. 

Hi Olan! Last appearance in Season One.

Someone gets to say "death slug" which conjures up an image of a heavily armored snail.

Notice the slight darkening in the top left corner of the next five frames. That's right, it's the pan-and-drive-away-from-PAB sequence:

To the soundstage! And that kooky hollow clock. Is Riff Raff hiding anything inside?

Joe: almost the same height as that table lamp (right):

I bet that rug is fourteen feet wide.

An actress like Carol Byron can look pretty even hauling around her Air-Way Sanitizor 66:

Click to enlarge, as usual.

And great for cleaning up murder scenes, as well!

.

Dirty close-up shot:

Dig how the film stock changes.

Olan is not amused.

Another gun?! Not a Browning. A Luger. OKAY!

That pistol is a very clever design.

That's right, Gannon. The old "Bible-stopped-the-slug" motif:

God Bless Our Happy Home, indeed.

Jessie Margaret Gaynor

Now undergoing treatment in Metropolitan State Hospital, Norwalk California.

Carol Byron as Nora Hamlin
Mabel Albertson as Jessie Margaret Gaynor
Olan Soule as Ray Murray
Harvey as Himself

Art Direction - Russell Kimball
Set Decor - John McCarthy & Ralph Sylos
Teleplay by John Robinson

Aired 11 May 1967.

Same day:
"Sing, Israel Sing" opens at Brooks Atkinson Theater, NYC, the first of fourteen performances.
The one millionth phone is connected in the United States. (How many phones are shown on Dragnet? Did the installer get home in time to watch this episode?)
The Beatles were recording and mixing "Baby You're A Rich Man".
In other musical news, Diana Ross & The Supremes FINALLY kicked Nancy Sinatra out of the number one spot with "The Happening".  (Sure wish that was in color!!)

Next week:
Dragnet comes back for season two in the hangover of the Summer of Love. Episodes of Dragnet 1968 begin broadcast on 14 September 1967. I can't wait! Nevermind, we don't actually have to!

But in the meantime, look forward to a mid-week look back at the Table Lamps of Season One!