Dun Da dun dun ~ Walter Schumann‘s ominous, four-note introduction to the TV show Dragnet was recognized by most Americans in the 1950s to signify “danger ahead.”
Dragnet was an American television series, based on the radio series of the same name, both created by Jack Webb.
Webb played the Los Angeles police detective Sergeant Joe Friday. Ben Alexander co-starred as Friday’s partner, Officer Frank Smith.
The police term Dragnet describes coordinated measures for apprehending suspects, including road barricades and traffic stops, DNA tests, and general increased police alertness. The term is derived from dragging a fishing net across the bottom or through a promising area of open water.
While being a good producer/director/writer, Webb was a terrible actor (“Pete Kelly’s Blues”) with a monotonous voice. Most tv shows of that period were shot on sound stages, but Webb filmed around LA which at that time was a beautiful city dominated by art-deco architecture.
The opposite style show was “Peter Gunn,” with suave Craig Stevens doing his best Cary Grant imitation. The primitive sets from earlier shows were easily recognized. However, unlike the dun da dun dun, Henry Mancini wrote and produced a highly acclaimed jazz theme, and wrote numerous pieces which made the show remarkable and re-watchable.