Dragnet (police drama, starring Jack Webb)
(NBC Primetime, 1952 - 1959;
Syndicated, as "Badge 714";
revival as "Dragnet '67", "Dragnet '68", etc, on
NBC Primetime, 1967 - 1970;
Syndicated as "Dragnet");
[premiered as a radio series in 1947;
TV premiere as a 1951 episode of "Chesterfield Sound-Off Time";
originally Produced by Jack Webb's "Mark VII Productions"]
Open Theme: "Dragnet Main Title", aka: "Danger
Ahead"
[the Dragnet Main Title was a very familiar motif, which became very
well known. A record of the Main Title open and closing credits
march was made by Ray Anthony with a "jazzed-up" (or "jitterbug")
mid-section. Dick Reynolds is believed to have written this
historic arrangement for the Anthony band, which was one of
the first times a TV theme had success in the pop music market.
After Anthony's jazz single rose high on the Billboard sales chart
(Billboard position #2), a similarity was noticed between the short
"dum-de-dum-dum" Dragnet opening, and a cue written by veteran film
scorer Miklós Rózsa, in his music for the 1946 film "The Killers".
According to the Internet Movie Database, the motif in question
"can be found prominently in the restaurant shootout scene toward
the end of the film."
Although the Universal picture had been scored six years earlier,
and Dragnet had aired on radio since 1947 with no complaints,
after the Dragnet Theme achieved success on the record charts,
the publisher who brought suit--Robbins Music--contended that
Walter Schumann had access to "The Killers", since he was on
same film lot scoring Abbott and Costello pictures.
It is not clear how a person busy scoring comedy pictures would have
time or inclination to go around the studio, listening to other cues.
But one of the bases for plagiarism is having the opportunity to
hear it. Since Schumann was somewhere on the studio lot, that was
considered enough "access" for legal purposes.
So Robbins Music sued Schumann for plagiarism. Although the
conscious intent to copy was doubtful, a jury was convinced by
the publisher's lawyers, and so awarded a judgement to Robbins
Music. As part of the settlement, Miklós Rózsa's name was added to
Dragnet cue sheets, under the cue title "Danger Ahead" -- the name
used in Rózsa's score for "The Killers". Walter Schumann, in frail
health, did not live much longer after that
According to contributor T. Perrone, the arranger of the famous
1953 hit version recorded by Ray Anthony's band with it's
jitterbug-style middle section, was Dick Reynolds -- whose
version was selected over arrangements by two others who had
been commissioned by Ray Anthony to adapt and expand the famous
TV Theme into a popular arrangement which was the length of a
record side (approx. 2 1/2 - 3 min.)]
Composers: Miklós Rózsa (ASCAP/BMI), and
Walter Schumann (ASCAP)
Original Publisher [of "Dragnet Original Music":]
Schumann Music Company (ASCAP),
sole selling agent: Alamo Music Co.,
administered by: Chappell & Co.
of New York, NY
1978 Publishers [of "Dragnet Original Music":]
Anne Rachel Music (ASCAP)
[of "The Killers" cues:]
Robbins Music Corp. (ASCAP)
1998 Publishers: Dragnet Music Company (ASCAP)
of Knoxville, Tennessee; and
EMI/Robbins Catalog, Inc. (ASCAP)
c/o EMI Music Publishing, Inc.
of New York, NY
[as "The Killers"]:
Creation Date: 1946
[as "Dragnet Orig. Music"]:
Creation Date: 1953
[as "Themes from Dragnet"]:
Copyright Date: Aug. 19, 1953; Ep 74 835.
Renewal Date:
Recordings:
78rpm single: "Dragnet"
by Ray Anthony
Capitol 2562 [1953]
45rpm single: "Dragnet"
by Ray Anthony
Capitol MA-1-1587 [1953]
Re-issued single: "Dragnet"
by Ray Anthony
Capitol 6102 [1967]
CD Re-creation: "Television's Greatest Hits" Vol. 2
TeeVee Toons TVT 1100 CD [1986]
CD: "Dragnet--the Movie"
(soundtrack, arr. Ira Newborn)
MCA MCAD 6210 [1987]
Closing Credits Theme 1: "Dragnet March"
Composer: Walter Schumann (ASCAP)
Original Publisher: Schumann Music Company (ASCAP),
sole selling agent: Alamo Music Co.,
administered by: Chappell & Co.
of New York, NY
1978 Publisher: Anne Rachel Music (ASCAP)
1998 Publisher: Dragnet Music Company (ASCAP)
of Knoxville, Tennessee
[as "Themes from Dragnet"]:
Copyright Date: Aug. 19, 1953; Ep 74 835.
Renewal Date:
Recordings:
78rpm single: "Dragnet"
by Ray Anthony
Capitol 2562 [1953]
45rpm single: "Dragnet"
by Ray Anthony
Capitol MA-1-1587 [1953]
Re-issued single: "Dragnet"
by Ray Anthony
Capitol 6102 [1967]
CD Re-creation: "Television's Greatest Hits" Vol. 2
TeeVee Toons TVT 1100 CD [1986]
CD: "Dragnet--the Movie"
(soundtrack, arr. Ira Newborn)
MCA MCAD 6210 [1987]
Closing Credits Theme 2 [for Dragnet
'67]: "Dragnet Closing (End Title)"
[title as filed for copyright: "One-K-80-March";
aka: "Dragnet Closing Theme"]
Composer: Lyn Murray (ASCAP)
[pseudonym of Lionel Breeze]
1978 Publisher: Leeds Music Corp. (ASCAP)
1998 Publisher: MCA/On Backstreet Music (ASCAP),
c/o MCA/Music Pub. Division of Universal Studios
of Los Angeles, CA
Copyright Date: Nov. 20, 1967; EP 246 143.
Renewal Date: Jan. 11, 1996; RE-722-427.
Recordings:
CD: "Dragnet--the Movie" [in medley...]
(soundtrack, arr. Ira Newborn)
MCA MCAD 6210 [1987]
Mark VII Logo Tag: "Mark VII (Signature)"
[a memorable visual for the day, scored for Timpani drum and Anvil,
scoring the image of a man's sweaty hands, as they chisel the producer's
logo into a big piece of metal with a sledge hammer...a macho logo for
Jack Webb's "Mark VII Productions."]
Composer: Ray John Heindorf (ASCAP)
1978 Publisher: Leeds Music Corp. (ASCAP)
1998 Publisher: MCA/On Backstreet Music (ASCAP),
c/o MCA/Music Pub. Division of Universal Studios
of Los Angeles, CA
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Recordings:
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