Dragnet (TV Series) The Big Actor (1952) User Reviews

The last episode for Sergeant Romero.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 16 December 2013]

Unlike the 1960s version of "Dragnet" where Sergeant Friday had one partner, Detective Gannon, the 1950s show featured several partners for Friday. While Ben Alexander played this partner most often, several other partners were used interchangeably--including Barton Yarborough as Sergeant Romero. This is the final Yarborough appearance, as he died of a heart attack just days after shooting this episode. He was only 51. For this reason, it's well worth seeing if you are a fan.

This show begins with an assault and robbery at the local hospital. It seems someone was in the act of stealing the hospital's narcotics and when a doctor happened into the room, he got smashed over the head for his troubles. Sergeants Friday and Romero investigate but at first find no clues. The doctor didn't see who hit him, there were no fingerprints and, so far, none of the drugs have shown up on the market. However, when a junkie is caught with some of it, the detectives put pressure on the guy to reveal his source---and the source appears to be an actor!

While the mystery in this episode was not particularly interesting in most ways, it was well worth seeing because it was like watching the filming of "Dragnet" in many ways. The Sergeants go to the studio to interview the suspect--and the show the suspect is working on looks a lot like "Dragnet"!! This is pretty funny and makes this one worth your time.

Narcotics Robbery Leads to State Pen

[biorngm · 8/10 · 11 April 2018]

Review - The Big Actor Airing 1-3-52 Episode Two of Season One does not go well for a few people, i.e. the perpetrators get put away in the state penitentiary, not specific which institution, but San Quentin is mentioned in the show. Actors appearing in future episodes and familiar to most viewers can be spotted; a job well acted by all. The hospital pharmacy robbed, a junkie pinched with drugs in possession, coincidentally matching the stolen bootie lead to a man eventually confessing to the crime. Unintentional humor noted when the suspect is grilled by Friday on the set of a cop movie, and the man eventually admitting to the assault, theft is an actor on the set playing a cop. Maybe it wasn't humor so much as just convenient, as long they were filming the series second episode, how long a walk could it be to another set?

Actors Soule, Perrin and Ellis all will have repeat roles in future episodes, even in later series as well. A fun watch because it starts the long initial TV series; sad for Barton Yarborough, the man who plays Friday's partner in this episode, died of a heart attack before the next episode. Recommend the S1Ep2 for the beginning of a near-decade long journey.

"The Big Actor" was another compelling early episode of "Dragnet"

[tavm · 8/10 · 21 July 2011]

In this, the second episode of "Dragnet", some narcotics are stolen from a Catholic hospital. After interrogating Babe Kellogg (Jack Kruschen), he reveals to cops Joe Friday and partner Ben Romero he bought them from an actor named Leonard Castle (Whitfield Connor)...Another compellingly dramatic episode of the television version of the previously successful radio series was filmed with some good tension concerning a movie set scene-which concerns a case being solved-being filmed over and over and the wait during that sequence as Friday constantly catches Castle tripping over his story. Good sophomore ep of this classic police drama. Well worth seeing. P.S. This turned out to be Barton Yarborough's final appearance as Romero as he'd pass away five days after finishing his scenes. It would be a while before Jack Webb would find a more permanent partner for the rest of this first series run.

The Big Actor

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 16 February 2024]

The show opens telling you how much money can be made by robbing drugs from pharmacies.

Somebody thought that was an easy gig but a man got injured during the robbery.

Sergeant Joe Friday and Sergeant Ben Romero investigate. They interrogate a junkie caught with some of the stolen drugs. He gives them the name of an actor called Leonard Castle.

Friday and Romero head down to the film set and finds that Castle's story is full of inconsistencies and he has a wallet full of cash.

This was not the most compelling of episodes. I guess back in 1952 viewers might be impressed to see the backlot of a film studio.