The Big Little Jesus

So good and heartwarming that it's becoming a Christmas time tradition at my house.

I think they did a remake of this for the 60's edition of Dragnet. I think that is the one I remember more warmly as this one made my blood boil. Firstly, the young boy comes down to their office to answer questions and Friday got nasty with him when he was unsure about someone carrying a package out of the church. Secondly he got nasty with the hotel clerk who was very cooperative. Thirdly, the way they treated the down on his luck suspect was the worst. He was under arrest but they forcibly took him "downtown" for questioning. Never apologized or offered him a ride back. The Gestapo would be proud.

A religious themed show such as this is largely a matter of taste, particularly the ending atmospherics which are not exactly subtle. Up to that point, the plot of a missing Jesus statue is nicely handled, just the right amount of Christmas thematics without being heavy-handed. Still and all, if memory serves, this was one of the most talked about of the early episodes. It obviously struck a popular chord. Perhaps it was because the audience enjoyed seeing the two bloodhounds tracking after a two-dollar statuette, not for its dollar value, but because of its sentimental and symbolic value to a poor parish church. The solution itself is appropriate to the lightweight story. There's also a good look at some regulars among the Webb stock company of actors, particularly .the ever-cranky Ralph Moody and the slyly eccentric James Griffith. Little Billy Chapin also appears, a fine little actor soon to make a permanent mark as one of the two terrified children in that great Gothic classic, Night of the Hunter (1955).

Having just seen the more tragic "Dragnet" holiday episode-"The Big .22 Rifle for Christmas"-I'd thought I'd check the more positive-influenced one called "The Big Little Jesus". In this one taking place on Christmes Eve-which is the same day of when this was broadcast in 1953-Friday and his partner Frank Smith (this time played by Ben Alexander) have promised Father Rojas (Harry Bartell who was born in New Orleans in my home state of Louisiana) to recover the stolen baby Jesus statue for the church nativity by the Christmas Day mass the next morning. I'll stop there and just say that this was a more lighter episode concerning the holidays as evidenced by Friday and Smith's banter about presents in the beginning scenes and that the ending was one of the most touching in the series history. Also appearing are Walter Sande, who died in my birthtown of Chicago, Illinois, as Captain Bernard and child actor Billy Chapin as Joseph Hefferman. His sister, Lauren, would later become one of the stars of the hit show "Father Knows Best". Now I'm going to watch the remake for "Dragnet 1967"...

I watched this episode among the other Dragnet holiday episodes and this is my favorite. It's heartwarming tale about the statue baby Jesus stolen from a church and the police go into an investigation. It's not that sad but hopeful and meaningful. I enjoyed this holiday episode from this series more than the most.