In 1987 Universal Pictures released Dragnet

to appreciative reviews and solid box office returns. Based on the legendary television and radio series, and starring Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks, the question is twofold. First, how does a movie starring one of the most successful performers of the 80’s as well as a man who would go on to be one of the top 3 grossing leading men of all time virtually fade into obscurity? Second, should the film stay forgotten, or does Dragnet deserve a better fate?

It may surprise many to learn just how big of a deal Dan Aykroyd was. From 1980 to 1985 he was one of, if not the, box office king. Today he’s largely recognized for Ghostbusters, an iconic film whose pop culture influence has never waned. It, along with a string of other hits in the era, shot Aykroyd on a rocket ride to the top of the heap in Hollywood, not only as an actor, but as a scriptwriter as well.

Looking back, the money his films drew may not seem impressive by today’s standards, where billion dollar worldwide box office returns seem commonplace, but were massive at the time. Ghostbusters grossed $295.7 million. Still a solid number by today’s standards, but in 1984 that total was almost inconceivable, especially considering it was made for a reported $25–30 million. For comparison, Ghostbusters: Answer the Call had a $144 million budget and worldwide gross of $229.1 million in 2016. So let’s take a look at just how well the top movies from Dan Aykroyd performed between 1980 and 1985, adjusted for inflation.

The Box Office Appeal of Dan Aykroyd

The Blues Brothers (1980) 

Budget – $30 million ($96,4 million in 2021). 

Gross – $115.2 million ($370,3 million in 2021)

Trading Places (1983)

Budget – $15 million ($39.9 million)

Gross – $90 million ($239.4 million)

Ghostbusters (1984)

Budget – $30 million ($76.5 million)

Gross – $295.7 million ($753.8 million)

Spies Like Us (1985)

Budget – $22 million ($54.2 million)

Gross – $77.3 million ($184.5 million)

Total budget in 2020 – 267 million

Total gross in 2020 – 1.548 billion

That’s 5.8.x the gross to the budget.

The Tom Hanks of today

is known largely for his dramatic roles, but the Tom Hanks of the 80’s was seen as a likeable comedic actor. While not one of the top 15 box office draws of the decade, he nevertheless had established himself as a bankable star by the time Dragnet came out in 1987. This is largely thanks to his roles in Splash, Bachelor Party, and The Money Pit, as well as his breakout role in the 1980-82 sitcom Bosom Buddies as a man dressing in drag in order to live in an all woman’s apartment building with cheap rent. A ridiculous concept for a show to be sure, but it was the 80’s after all.

1984’s Splash was particularly successful. While Hanks wouldn’t have a film gross over 100 million until 1988’s Big, the idea of him and Aykroyd together seemed rife with box office potential when you look at what Hank’s top films prior to Dragnet had drawn.

The Box Office Appeal of Tom Hanks

Splash (1984)

Budget – $11 million ($28 million)

Gross – $69.8 million ($178 million)

Bachelor Party (1984)

Budget – $7 million ($17.9 million)

Gross – $38.4 million ($97.9 million)

The Money Pit (1985)

Budget – $10 million ($24.6 million)

Gross – $54.9 million ($135.2 million)

Nothing in Common (1986)

Budget – $13 million ($31.4 million)

Gross – $32.3 million ($78.1 million)

Total budget in 2021 – 101.9 million

Total gross in 2021 – 489.2 million

That’s 4.8.x the gross to the budget.

Dragnet vs The Memorable Films of 1987 Holds Surprising Box Office Results

With this kind of star power you can see why a studio would be anxious to pair Aykroyd and Hanks, especially when you look at Aykroyd’s success working with other top comedic actors. While his solo starring role in Doctor Detroit barely made back its budget, he had a great track record as part of a comedy team. And when Dragnet was released it continued that pattern.

Several films from 1987 have stayed popular to this day. Yet Dragnet isn’t one of them, despite often comparable box office returns and it’s mega star leading men. The numbers from the time may surprise you.

Dragnet (1987)

Budget – $10 million ($23.3 million)

Gross – $54.9 million ($128 million)

Predator (1987)

Budget – $18 million ($42 million)

Gross – $98.3 million ($229.2 million)

RoboCop (1987)

Budget – $13 million ($30.3 million)

Gross – $53.4 million ($124.5 million)

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)

Budget – $30 million ($70 million)

Gross – $49.5 million ($115.4 million)

The Princess Bride (1987)

Budget – $16 million ($37.3 million)

Gross – $30.9 million ($72.1 million)

The Final Result Is

that each of these other 1987 films are now considered classics and have maintained a pop culture presence, and deservedly so, as  they’re all terrific movies. Dragnet on the other hand, by all reasonable comparisons, is nowhere as good a film as any of these. 

Still, the film had success upon it’s release, decent reviews, an established intellectual property in Dragnet, and Hank’s enduring popularity. This is why the question of why this movie has faded into relative obscurity needs to be asked.

So, what has caused Dragnet to fall between the cracks? 

By the time Dragnet came out, you could fairly say Dan Aykroyd’s career had already peaked. In subsequent years, The Great Outdoors, co-starring John Candy, was a moderate success. Ghostbusters II on the other hand was a huge hit at the theatres, but still suffered from comparisons to the much beloved original. 

Otherwise Aykroyd had box office disappointment after box office disappointment. None of his other films as a lead, such as My Stepmother Is an Alien, Loose Cannons, Nothing but Trouble, or Coneheads, found any traction.

But Tom Hanks’ best days were still to come. He managed to redefine himself as a leading man, joining Spencer Tracy as the only actor to win the Oscar in consecutive years in 1993 for Philadelphia and 1994 for Forrest Gump. And he did this while drawing massive dollar totals. The amount of his dominant films at the box office is more than I care to list, but in addition to Gump includes the Toy Story series, the Robert Langdon series, Saving Private Ryan, Apollo 13 and Cast Away.

Clearly Aykroyd and Hanks have had different paths since Dragnet, but the result on the film’s legacy remains the same.

With Aykroyd, his early films are so beloved that when people talk about him or decide to watch one of his movies they are happy to stick with one of his best known films, especially since some of his filmography is dicey at best. After all, why accidentally watch something that you may not enjoy when you know Ghostbusters will always be an entertaining evening?

And with Hanks it’s simply that most of his 80’s work is ignored. It’s hard for some people to even imagine him in the type of goofy roles he played at the time. Outside of perhaps Splash and Big, both of which contain strong dramatic undertones, most of his early work seems somewhat beneath him and his iconic status. 

So the combination of these factors meant there was no real nostalgia for Dragnet, and any demand for it passed by. But now that we know the why, the question is, does the film deserve a better fate?

Well, Dragnet is largely an entertaining piece of cinema, if hardly revolutionary.

The humor is broad, as it was for many 80’s comedies, but it moves at a fast clip and maintains its momentum well. 

It features a solid supporting cast, with Harry Morgan reprising his role as Bill Gannon from the 1967 reprisal of the series, and Christopher Plummer gives a typically excellent turn as the villain Reverend Jonathan Whirley, who secretly leads the cult P.A.G.A.N. (People Against Goodness and Normalcy). At times incredibly dorky, and at other times properly menacing, Plummer’s always a treat to watch in the film.

But the real core of the film is the fantastic chemistry that Aykroyd and Hanks show. The straight-laced Sgt. Joe Friday character Aykroyd plays is perfectly offset by Hanks less than serious Det. Pep Streebek. Just watching Hanks facial expressions reacting to Aykroyd is priceless, and Aykroyd’s performance is so good that Robert Ebert even suggested it was deserving of an Oscar nomination. The scene where they try to explain to Morgan what happened the night before at the P.A.G.A.N ceremony is particularly hilarious. No words could properly explain it, it just needs to be seen.

I would definitely say this film is worth revisiting if you’re lucky enough to have it available to you. It’s every bit as good, if not better, than Hank’s 1989 Turner & Hooch, which seems to still be around. While it won’t change your world it’s a perfect film for when you want to turn your brain off and just have a laugh. It definitely makes the list as a film that should be forgotten no more.

Written by Morten Styishave Kristiansen