Dragnet 1967 (TV Series) The Masked Bandits (1967) User Reviews

A Complex Over Marrying A Guy So Young

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 31 March 2008]

Virginia Vincent stars as "Edna Hubbert," a 29-year-old who had married this 17-year-old who is accused, along with several other men, of robbing a string of lounges (nightclubs). They all wore red masks and drove off in a big red Cadillac. Larry Hubbert, the teen, has both the Cadillac and a red mask at his house, along with a stolen gun. That kind of makes him look like part of the group.

Vincent did a considerable amount of acting in television from 1952-1988. Ron Russell, who plays the teen, didn't do any acting from 1971 all the way to the mid 1990s when did a couple of small roles on film. Art Gilmore, who plays "Captain Mert Howe," was in 15 episodes of Adam-12, a cop show in the early '70s that was co-created by Jack Webb.

This episode had both the normal talk plus a little action in final part as Joe Friday and Bill Gannon were driving around trying to track down the other thieves after young Hubbert confessed.

Earlier some of the show was reminiscent of the Dragnet shows feature often featured odd characters. Mrs. Hubbert is odd in her reasoning for marrying a guy so much younger. Vincent does a good job of playing this insecure woman.

The topic of Gannon's amazing sandwich provides a little humor in here.

The Masked Bandits

[Scarecrow-88 · 6/10 · 5 November 2011]

I knew at some point the show had to come up with an inferior episode to the excellent ones that came previously, but having a Paralegal degree "The Masked Bandits" still intrigued me because it covers law, particularly juvenile law and procedure (you need confessions to get the four suspects behind a series of cocktail bar robberies arrested because just confiscating a red mask or guns found on their person or possession simply isn't enough evidence). The Miranda rights has always been a standard emphasized on Webb's Dragnet; we see it definitely applied here, multiple times, with Sgt Joe Friday (Jack Webb) and partner Gannon (Harry Morgan) reading the rights to those arrested and making damn sure they understand them and admit that they do. The gist of the plot is for the police to catch four bandits wearing red masks who have committing robberies. There haven't been any deaths and it is imperative to Friday and Gannon for it to remain that way. Included in one memorable scene has Gannon describing, in exact detail, what is all on his sandwich to Friday (just the facts). Fascinating sub-plot has 17 year old hunk, Larry (Ron Russell), a minor, married to 29 year old Edna (Virginia Vincent), who loves him unashamed, even if she is the object of snickers and ridicule (one lengthy scene has Edna talking with a nodding, nonjudgmental Friday, about her marriage, understanding that she is a laughingstock but completely convinced that Larry is a good man, fully behind him). Established here is Webb's pride for parole officers, one presented here trying to get his criminal to confess to the robberies.

Someone Can't Count

[muzixan · 8/10 · 16 February 2021]

Virginia Vincent was born on May 3, 1918 so she was NOT 43 at the time of this episode, she was 48. It's amazing how many people can't do simple math!

RIP Dirk Rambo

[jbacks3 · 7/10 · 29 April 2010]

While much has been made of 43-year old Virginia Vincent trying to pull off being an insecure 29-year old with a horrible hairdo, this episode is notable for being Dirk Rambo's last acting role (as Fred Tillar). This episode was shot sometime during the fall of '66--- the resurrected series' first season in color, which had a strange softening effect compared to the 50's B&W version. Dirk would be killed by a drunk driver on February 7, 1967 (devestating his twin brother Dack) and this effort would air shortly after his death. We can speculate all we want about Dirk's career chances in the business. He had model-good looks but his acting resume was severely limited and here he gives off a pretty vacant 1000-yard stare while delivering lines dissing the theft attraction qualities of 1950's Cadillac convertibles (my how the collector car market has changed). This episode devotes a lot of energy on Vincent's relationship with her teenage hooligan husband, which demonstrates the writers were trying. Webb was a cheapskate producer: stock exterior shots, sparse sets, off-the-rack wardrobe budget (Friday and Gannon wore the same suits over entire seasons!) and his use of a relatively small stock company--- unusual for a show like this--- indicates he was a steady scale-level employer. R.I.P. Dirk.

Meh...

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 15 November 2009]

The show begins with a string of armed robberies. The trail eventually leads to a young punk by the name of Huber. Laws must have been different in California years ago, as Huber is a 17 year-old who is married to a rather insecure 29 year-old. Normally, I thought that such a marriage was not legal without parental approval (like this case). The 17 year-old has a history of juvenile problems but his wife insists that he is not one of a group of red-masked bandits. Sadly for her, this is not the case--and evidence against him piles up as the show proceeds.

This is a decent episode in that it shows how normal police procedure occurs. However, apart from that there is nothing that interesting or special about this particular show. In fact, while not a bad episode, it is the worst of the series so far--a bit of a disappointment after four excellent shows. Watchable but not especially great.

By the way, Huber looks to be about 25 despite the show saying he was 17 years-old.

mrs hubbert

[talldarkofnc · 4 January 2010]

decent episode about robberies involving youths wearing red plastic masks. i guess the writers and Webb were flexing their creative juices writing up the side story of one of the kids being married to an older woman. as a previous reviewer noted, it is kind of an unusual story and characterization. virginia vincent was 43 with bags under her eyes and considerable crow's feet, playing 29. she really doesn't pull it off. being the fifth episode of the series, you'd think they'd have had a bunch of actors set up for a number of shows. maybe Ms Vincent was a friend of the show, or its creator. Tom Baker, not of Dr Who fame, but of andy warhol acquaintance, has a small role as one of the youths.