Penny Gaston Defends Dragnet

Penny Gaston high & mighty on DRAGNET 1969

Actress: PENNY GASTON Known For: VARIOUS Project: DRAGNET 1969 Year: Guess Genre: Detective Noir Episode: Public Affairs Character: Diane Newcombe Traits: Jack Webb and Harry Morgan play their characters Joe Friday and Bill Tannen in the hippie era, thrust from the 50’s where they fit to the 60’s where they don’t fit, and the hilarity is their four-year attempt to successfully bring the stiff suit into the tie-dyed generation: And in this episode, both stalwart, patriotic cops appear on a liberal talk show defending the police force from hippies and black panther types, and only Penny’s suburban beauty thanks the cops… for protecting her husband’s supermarket, much to the chagrin of the loaded studio audience. Nag Rating: 2… Sure she’s a nag, but only to the one-sided jerks! Best Part: In this episode, as a wry hippie, is WKRP IN CINCINNATI classic DJ “Doctor Johnny Fever” Howard Hesseman; blaxploitation actor Dick Anthony Williams, sans the Anthony; and CHiPS mechanic Lou Wagner as a kid who wants pot legalized. You Missed: Penny is gorgeous, with a sort of space alien shape to her incredibly gorgeous face leading to a sleek body, and yet she only appeared on TV shows like this and MANNIX, WILD WILD WEST and ADAM-12, and only two films: one playing a young version of Geraldine Page in Woody Allen’s first Ingmar Bergman homage, INTERIORS, wedged awkwardly between ANNIE HALL and MANHATTAN, and the mere fact her next and last project, over a decade later, was Woody’s starring, not writing or directing, turn in the horrendous SCENES FROM A MALL, proves the Woodster obviously found her talented.

2 comments on “Penny Gaston Defends Dragnet”

Dar
September 2, 2016

Lovely. She’s got that girlish puty look going.

Awesome website, by the way. Good to have it existing.

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- skullislandsurfer
  September 5, 2016
  
  Thanks! She was really cute.
  
  Reply