The opening pan may be clunky, but if you want to dress up as a gypsy woman for Halloween, take some notes toward the end.
This shot was reused from when we investigated Gideon C. Dengle.
This one is another house on Colonial Street, but shot fresh for this episode:
"This is the city-- Los Angeles, California.
The people living and working here represent almost every culture common to civilized man.
Most of them contribute something worthwhile to the community.
There are those who take more than they give.
They feed on the sorrows, ignorance, and superstitions of others.
When they do, I go to work. I carry a badge."
Now a sketchy fortune teller lives there!
After a brief detour to the Parker Center soundstage, it's off to handle some sort of "Gypsy Problem."
(Look, the easiest part of this episode was coming up with my title. the rest, forget it!)
Clark Howat informs us that the Gypsy community is in flux since their king died "last January."
(Could be any time pre-1967, right, but Gypsies, glamorous, right?)
Gannon says, "Joe and I have been going to their weddings, funerals, and pohmonas; reading everything we can on Gypsy culture."
So, okay, these were ostensibly Romani/Rom/Roma people. But with Crimes! Because it's Dragnet!
HOLD ME
Dallas Andrews? Why, it's Virginia Gregg! And more waiters in red jackets. That's comforting.
This restaurant is our main soundstage this week, outside of the Police Administration Building.
The Canyon Restaurant.
The busts are done on Colonial street, but only exteriors.
So spare, so reserved, this episode.
Anybody know this building?
Sorrowful Lillian Bronson.
Flipping through the Gypsy Mug Book. The woman on the right looks like the one from the beginning of the episode.
Lillian says that she (Mother Maria / Sister Felicia / Madam Zora / Fatima Goldring) lives on Crenshaw.
HOLD THE PHONE
Vermont and Washington, apparently:
They are sitting in the car on the soundstage with reverse projection of, I guess, what is supposed to be the car park of the Greek Theatre.
Let's talk about Don Dubbins! He began as a neo-nazi that tried to literally explode an integrating school, came back as a kind-of beatnik greeting card writer trying to get out of town (with bongo drums). Now, it turns out that he was the son of a Gypsy King? Is that supposed to be capitalized? He comes back in Dragnet Future having trained Ginger, the world's first pot-sniffing dog, effectively becoming a Dragnet Hero. What was casting's relationship with this guy?!
MORE liquor stores?!
YAY! Policewoman Dorothy Miller in a pretty pink suit!
It's the Temple of the Expanded Mind!
Knowledge is power!
Joe hopping out of the car gives us a good shot down Colonial Street.
Reverse trick-or-treat!
Merry Anders and Margaret Rich:
Hey lady, we're going to do a kick line. Want in?
NO I DON'T
County of Los Angeles Sheriff
Sybil Brand Institute for Women.
Visitor Parking, Employee Parking.
Dallas Andrews
and
Billy Catcher
Now serving their sentences in the State Prison.
Fatima Goldring
(Alias Mother Maria)
Now serving her sentence in the State Prison.
S2e21
Starred
Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday
Harry Morgan as Officer Bill Gannon
Virginia Gregg as Dallas Andrews
Don Dubbins as Billy Catcher
Lillian Bronson as Fay Sager
Clark Howat as Captain Lambert
Merry Anders as Policewoman Dorothy Miller
Lillian Adams as Mother Maria / Fatima Goldring
Margaret Rich as Madame Mona
Alma Platt as Katy Wilson
Art Direction - Russell Kimball
Set Decor - John McCarthy and John Sturtevant
Costumes - Vincent Dee
Aired 8 February 1968
Written by Michael Donovan
See you next week when Joe and Bill cope with the stuff of Darkest Dragnet.
Oh, and Jack really *did* smoke Fatima, or endorse at some point, anyway:
Feel free to express yourself in the comments section,
Suzy Dragnet
