(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"]
[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]
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]
[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]
[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: