My Favorite 1960s Dragnet #12: Homicide: The Cigarette Butt
Dragnet investigations are most usually long involved affairs that take Joe Friday and his partner all over Los Angeles in search of their man. This episode is noteworthy for almost the entire episode being at the scene of the crime.
This episode had the nice feel of a whodunit with some nice Dragnet touches including the Musician apartment manager and the Hindu neighbor studying America, and of course a cocky suspect that thinks he knows exactly how things are going to go. This episode is a reminder of why Dragnet is more remember than other contemporary series, because in most episodes, Dragnet is a mystery show.
The payoff is good with solid policework. It’s not a flashy deduction that’s associated with more fanciful detectives like Sherlock Holmes, Nero Wolfe, or Adrian Monk, but it’s the type of thing good cops spot all the time that the layman won’t pick up on.
I should note that this wasn’t the only Crime Scene-centric episode of Dragnet. However, this one is my favorite of the bunch with its combination of a solid mystery, and great use of traditional Dragnet elements.
