(1953) Dragnet The Big Show

This is more like watching a move. Just simply brilliant. Master class performance from Virginia Gregg and terrific directing from Jack.

As Sam writes, Virginia Gregg was a steadily working actress. She stated once that ..."when casting calls for a woman who looks like the wrath of god, I'm notified." She was in more than 45 movies, including one of the nurses in "Operation Petticoat", and hundreds of TV shows and not to forget radio in its heyday. As you see, she is one of my favorite all-time actors. When she played the wife of an officer killed in the line of duty on Dragnet, she brought tears to my eyes. That is almost an impossible event for me. Why she never won a nod or nomination to her abilities is a shame. One of the many unsung great actors in almost all mediums. Wish I could thank her now. She passed away of lung cancer in 1986. I still thankyou, and binge watch Dragnet on YouTube, and love it when you and another radio star Peggy Webber ,who also worked with Jack Webb on Dragnet in radio and TV. She's a young 94 and still occassionally working. At one time she'd written, produced and/or directed and/or acted in more than 250 of her own stories and scripts. Jack certainly knew talent and also many male actors were brought along into TV from radio. Great actors all.

Loved the way it worked out in the end. Virginia Gregg played the role so well. She was really bawling her eyes out!

Boy am I glad that guy had a heart. The look in her eyes when she was facing him was just unabandonable for lack of a better word. I have seen that look before. What a hell of a story man!

One of the best stories I've seen. Great acting.👍

I love the camera work in this episode; especially with the big-nosed phone booth guy - indicating a liar in progress- and the bad picture, told us about the veracity of Lewis's story.

This is one of my favorite Dragnets both decades. The story has all of the emotional complity of American couples in the early 1950s. The actress playing the mother went on with Jack Webb's troupe of players through 1970.

A wonderful story about human reaction to difficult circumstances, to the effects of loneliness, and most importantly to love and forgiveness. Virginia Gregg was in countless TV productions but this may be one of her best pieces of work.

The guy in the photo booth at the bus station looks very much like Shemp Howard of the 3 Stooges

Vivi Janiss, the policewoman, later appeared in two Twilight Zone episodes: "The Fever" (1959) and "Man In A Bottle" (1960).

This is what real Christians do. You forgive the sinner but you don't condone the sin. That would give the person an excuse to do it again. A good lesson for Christians as well as people of other faiths or no religion at all.

A time all crimes was solved and when we had better jobs where one income earner could support a family

I have watched Virginia Greg in bit parts on so many TV series... always just a bit player on so many tv series..... but this one WOW.. what an actress!

Virginia Gregg played a great many roles in radio and TV.

A gem, based on the radio play, exceptional quality writing, performance-Ms Gregg, and television! The best of this series I've seen. The softest I've seen Webb's Friday.

This is a very good episode.

thankyou for putting these up I still say its the best tv shows still today

EXTREME HONOR.

POW - right in the feels!

Adapted from an April 10, 1952 radio episode.