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Now let's get into this week's episode of Dragnet. The original air edate
September third, nineteen forty nine, and the title is Eric Kelby and now
here's another n MBC's Great Parade of New Jaws. Gentlemen, the story you
are about to hear is true, only the names have been changed to protect
the innocent. NBC brings you Dragnet and you're a detective sergeant. You're assigned
a homicide detail. A man's wife has suddenly dropped from sight. On the
surface, it appears only as a routine missing person's case. You start to
investigate, suspicion grows, there is evidence of possible foul play. Your job,
find the woman or find her murderer. Dragnet the documented trauma of an
actual crime, investigated and solved by the men who unrelentingly stand watch on the
security of your home, your family, and your life. Paul, the
next thirty minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, you will
travel, step by step on the side of the law through an actual case
transcribed from official police files, from beginning to end, from crime to punishment.
Dragnet is the story of your police force in action. It was Wednesday,
September fifteenth, was warm in Los Angeles. We were working a day
watch out a homicide. My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is ed Backstrand,
chief of detectives. My name is Friday. I was on the way
back from lunch and it was twelve fifty six when I got the room.
Forty two homicide. Hi Joe Boyd and Boyd Hi Ben hell I here he
got something for us. Here's a report right here. Gardner with the name
Eric Kelby called in day for yesterday said his wife disappeared from their home out
in the valley Sunday night. Says he thinks she left him. What happens
every day, Bargetti, Not this way, it doesn't. Walsh and I
went out yesterday's interview. The guy story doesn't add when none of her clothes
are missing, a number luggage. She even left her pocket but behind full
of money. Found out when the neighbors a missing woman as a seventeen year
old boy by a former marriage, So what an only child mother doats on
the kid shouldn't even say goodbye to him? Und necessary Kelby impress here pretty
grounchy with Walsh and me no cooperation. Wants to find his wife, doesn't
he? I don't know if he does or not. There's no help.
I'll tell you that when I see that report him in the now here.
Yeah. Agnes Trumble Kelby, aged thirty nine. Kelby's a second husband.
The firstman died little after the boy was born. Disappeared Sunday night from her
home five forty six Blasco Road between seventy o'clock. What did Kelby call him
Monday afternoon? Said he thought his wife might be spend the night with her
sister. He found out she wasn't called us. Did you meet the boy
while you were out there? Borghai? Another thing? Kid came riding in
on a bike while we were talking to one of the neighbors, trying to
talk to him. But the old man came out hustling inside the house.
Then he starts eating us out what to say? Told us was our job
to find his wife, not to go prying into a step son's affairs.
It's a new slant. How about her friends and relatives run here? Yeh?
Besides her assistant, Walsh located a couple of rants. I think he's
checking me at them. I tell you, boys, this is one out
bet on. Maybe you got the names of missus Kelby's relatives. Oh yeah,
right over here, we had a chance to talk to that boy.
Yeah, how does it feel to you? Ben? I don't know.
Not there's anything else funny about the guy? Yeah, uh, I don't
know. Here's those names. Joe Kelby was upset, all right for some
reason. He didn't strike me as react the way a normal guy reacts when
his wife disappears. All right, hel how would you react? I get
his war again? Oh now, listen, boys, it's no fool,
don't matter. This is one I'll bet on. It's a homicide, all
right? How about to copy this report? Yeah? Where do I get
the phone? Missing person's Barghetti? Who's that? Oh? Yeah? Yeah
about why? Oh sure, all right, sir? Four o'clock? Yeah,
goodbye? That was Kelby's step side. What do you want? I
think something's happened to his mother. In police work, missing person's detail is
not a department separated in himself. It is organized as a part of the
homicide bureau. According to Barghetti, who took the call, the boy said
he suspected his stepfather and he didn't want him to know of any meeting between
him and the police officers. He would meet the officers that afternoon at four
pm in a restaurant on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue. At
three point fifteen, Ben and I left the office and we drove out to
the meeting place, the dairy Land Fountain and Coffee Shop. We arrived there
at three forty five. At eight minutes to five, the Kelby boys still
had not arrived. Youngsters, not very prom Let's wait a little while longer.
Well, yeah, thanks at for more coffee. No thanks, I
guess the boy isn't going to show. Thinks Simpton's happened. Fifteen minutes after
we left the coffee shop, we drove up in front of the gate of
the Kelby Nursery on Belasco Road. The house itself was set well back on
the property was covered about four acres. The entire nursery was surrounded by a
six foot steel wire fence, and it looked like almost every available foot of
ground inside was planted with some kind of a flower or shrub. Kelby medic
at the game. Yes, what do you men want? Police officers?
And you, mister Kelby, Yes, what do you want? What if
y'll shut those dogs up? Well, Mina, we'd like to ask you
a few questions. I'm busy now. Can't you come back tomorrow? Pretty
important, mister Kelby. I think we're better top right now? A right,
we have to ran giant down you too, honey? But all right
now, what do you want mind? If we come inside? These watchdogs
of mine are pretty vicious. We can talk here at the gate, all
right, mister Kelby, This is Serge of Romerow. My name's Friday.
We've been assigned to look into your wife's disappearance. Oh did you find anything
yet? Nothing definite? Maybe you can help us. Would you tell us
exactly what happened to not your wife disappeared? What do you mean what happened?
Well? When did you last see her? When you first noticed she
was gone? You finished up Sunday night dinner about seven o'clock nine, laid
down for a nap Agnes went out on the front porch for some are,
woke a uple a little before eight, went outside to look for her.
She was gone. Nobody saw her leave, mister Kelby, not that I
know of. Maybe some of our nosy neighbors. I don't know how about
your step son. Wasn't he around Sunday night Bruce No went out to a
show other kids. When did he get back from the show? About ten
thing? Why? Where's your step son? Now? Who are you looking
for? My wife and my step son both, mister Kelby? Where's your
step son gone? I took him over to my sister's now Hambler and feeling
bad since his mother disappeared, figured the changel do him good? Where did
you take him over your sister's Kelby this afternoon? What's that got to do
with it? We like to talk to Bruce. No. No, I
can't allow the boys to upset. I can't allow I'm graid you're gonna have
to allow. Listen, mister, you can get off this property right now.
No CoP's giving me sad. Nobody's giving you sass. Kelby. We
want to talk to your step son, that's all. You might give us
the clue to the whereabouts of your wife, and I say, you can't
see the boy. That's more. You cops couldn't find thorns in a rose
patch. I'll get somebody else to look for Agnes. It's my business anyway,
nobody else is. It's our business too, if anything's happened to her.
What are you talking about? You better get your coat, mister Kelby.
We're taking in for questions. You come through that gate, and I'm
gonna let these dogs go accidentally. I'd hate to shoot the dogs. I
go in the house and get your coat. Harry Kelby turned and made his
way up the path and into the house. Five minutes later he came out
without a word to either of us. He came down the path, closed
the gate behind him, and got into our car. On the way back
to the headquarters, he chatted pleasantly about the weather, the nursery business,
and his dogs. When we pulled up in front of the city Hall,
we met the reason for his sudden change and temperament. His lawyer was waiting
for us at the door. We took Kelby to one of the interrogation rooms.
His lawyer tagged along. We tried to question him, but the lawyer
objected to two out of every three questions we asked. Was hopeless and we
knew it, so did the lawyer. We released Kelby, but we did
get the name and address of his sister where the step son, Bruce was
staying. After they left, Ben and I got back in the car and
drove about to al Hamber to check him. The boy Margett, he had
this in peg ride Jill for real sleeper. Yeah, I'd like to know
how the step son missed that date with us this afternoon. And if the
kid called us from the house, his step father could over her. It's
possible sister's house. I'll be long this bloshing. Yeah, let's see fourteen
oh a fourteen oh six had enjoyed great cottage fourteen oh two. Right,
it's a nice looking little place in the wild, Captain. Here, it's
a nice neighborhood. I wonder how the lock prices run out here. Somebody's
coming, Yes, what is it? Police officers, ma'am? Are you
miss Kelby? Bertha Kelby? Yes, that's my name. Why we talked
to your brother earlier today, Miss Kelby. He said that you brought his
steps on Bruce here to stay for a while. We'd like to see him
Bruce. Yes, he was here till about one hour and a half ago.
I went to the store and when I came back, he was gone.
Have you any idea where he might be, Miss Kelby? Well,
I telephoned my brother Eric's place just before you came to the door. He's
not there. I don't know where he might be worried about it. He
seems so upset it's business about his mother's disappearance, you know. Would you
mind if we came in and looked around Miss Kelby? Well, no,
not at all. We went in and looked the house over from one end
to the other. It wasn't a trace of the boy. We drove back
to Kelby's nursery and satisfied ourselves the boy wasn't there. Then we came back
to al Hamburn. We kept an eye on Miss Bertha Kelby's home until midnight.
No one came or went. At five minutes past midnight, the lights
went off in the living room and a few minutes later in the back of
the house. The next morning, when Ben and I checked in for work
as usual at eight o'clock, we met with Captain a Homicide Frank Kearney.
What makes you too so positive there has been any foul play in this Kelby
thing? I just did, yeap, but not positive. It's a whole
set up. It smells by, for instance, that lawyer. If a
man's innocent, he doesn't need a lawyer to sit with him in the interrogation
room and tell him not to answer questions Number two. That kid's telephone call.
Maybe he doesn't get along with his stepfather. It happens, you know,
maybe he's trying to get back at him for something or other. Maybe
then why Kelby hiding him out? You're sure he's hiding him out? No
other way to take it? Can the Calby woman walked away from her home
Sunday night? Nobody saw her. She took nothing with her, no clothes,
no luggage, no money. You checked with the family doctor yesterday.
He told us missus Kelby was in perfect health. We double checked the wanderer's
file and the repeaters file and missing persons, couldn't find her name in either
one. How about her relatives in town. I haven't had a chance to
talk to him yet, keV. We't check him this morning. Well,
one thing's certain. The woman couldn't have gone very far. And checked the
sheriff's officer, jails, the hospitals sent out a teletype and an APB.
Every cop in the city has her description. She's been going almost four days,
but nobody's seen her. How does that add up to you? It
doesn't? You better move on it. Check every one of missus Calby's friends
and relatives right, then try the neighbors. As long as I've been a
cop, neighbors have been able to tell everything about anyone. All that day,
Ben and I made the rounds. First was the Western National Bank,
where missus Kelby maintained her account. Her saving statement showed a total balance of
thirty one thousand, five hundred and sixty four dollars and seventeen cents. Her
separate checking account had a balance of eight hundred and forty two dollars and seventy
one cents. At the Farmer's Mutual, we found the record of an insurance
policy issued to Agnes Trumbull Kelby. It was a twenty pay life policy covering
the insured and the amount of thirty thousand dollars. The beneficiary was listed as
the insured son, Bruce Trumbull Kelby, if living upon the receipt of such
due proof, if not the insurance husband, Eric J. Kelby. By
the time we finished checking her financial status, the odds were piling up fast.
From only casual reports, we knew that Eric Kelby was a frugal man.
If he was greedy as well, if he wanted or needed money badly
enough to kill, then he had all the motives necessary to murder his wife,
maybe his stepson too. Ben and I started to make the rounds of
missus Kelby's friends and relatives. Our first stop was at the apartment of Agnes
Kelby's sister, a talkative maiden lady in her early sixties. Agnes, Justice
in't that kind? Oh? I'm worried sick about this? I really am?
And Bruce supported that he must be hot sick? And Eric? What
does Eric say about all this? He says he thinks his wife left him?
Left him? Why that's ridiculous? How strange? Can you think of
any good reason why your sister would leave mister Calvin? I why know?
They had TIFFs, of course, small ones. Of course there was that
argument about Bruce. The two of them always seem to be arguing about Bruce.
How do you mean man? Oh well, raising the boy and all.
You know, last time I talked to him, they were tipping about
whether or not Bruce should be paid for working in the nursery for Eric.
And the strangest thing, Eric seemed to be so upset about it all.
Imagine all on account of dating the boy a few dollars for good, honest
work in that silly nursery. Well, you know, I'm the outspoken kind,
and I just told Eric, Eric I said, don't be an old,
meaning hey the boy. That was the extent of the information which Missus
Calbery's sister had to offer. Next, we call him an aunt, Missus
James D. Trumbull, eighty three years old. She could hardly understand our
questions, let alone answer them. She hadn't seen her niece Agnes in a
year. After that, we paid a visit to one of Missus Kelby's friends,
a Missus Lilly and humble. Well, I'm sorry, it's sergeant,
but I can't think of any good reason why she would leave him. Miss
silly business about Bruce got out of hand. You know, maybe Eric is
just a little jealous as the boy. Next we call on Daisy McLeod,
who worked as a day maid for Missus Kelby. Officer. What mister and
Missus Kelby thought, what they said, what they did, It's none of
my business. I come in the morning, I do my work, I
do it well. I'm not the nosy type, and I don't cry.
I take half an hour for lunch, and when i'm through, I take
my pay, and I don't expect tips and I take the bus home.
I'm not the picking through the keyhole kind sneaking round corners listening. But what
I couldn't tell you about that man? Exactly what do you mean, missus
clod Oh, he's a hard man and all always arguing about the boy,
Bruce, this Bruce, that he's a nice boy. I think he's never
done anything to me. Oh, but the argument him and her all the
time? Should the boy be paid for working? Shouldn't be? Why?
Why not? When Ben and I finished with the list of missus Kelby's friends,
relatives, and employees, we started out on the neighbors. None of
them saw missus Kelby after six pm the nights he disappeared. Two of the
neighbors said they saw the ports light burning after seven pm, but both said
the porch was empty. Missus Kelby was not sitting in her chair at the
usual time after dinner. According to them, it was one of her habits.
It was ten minutes to six. For the time Ben and I got
back to the office, the light was still burning in Captain Kearney's office.
Old day, Jill, lot of money. Can I wonder what the Captain's
hanging around? For that's fine. Now get anything pretty good? Look camp
good, I've got some more for you. Just walked in five minutes ago.
What do you mean, Frank? Who walked in? Bruce Kelby?
He's waiting in the next room. We went in the next room and met
Bruce Kelby, who was small for a seventeen year old, dark haired,
and a little on the sickly side. He told us that he couldn't keep
the day he made with us on the phone because his stepfather apparently did overhear
the conversation and drove him directly to his sister's home in Alhambra. We asked
him why I was so sure that his stepfather was responsible for his mother's sudden
disappearance. For one thing, All three of us usually go to the early
show on Sunday night, Eric, Mom and me. But last Sunday,
Eric said he wasn't feeling good and he wanted Mom to stay home and take
care of him. Then he told me to go on ahead to the show,
so I did. What time did you get home, son, about
nine thirty eight, quarter to ten? What was your stepfather doing when you
got home? Sitting in the living room reading the paper? Do you noticed
anything unusual about the way he acted. He was nervous and jumpy more than
usual. I think anything else, yes, sir. When I came in
through the front yard, I noticed the dogs had mud all over the pause.
They've been out somewhere in the nursery plots, and they won't go out
in the pots unless Eric's will him. He doesn't want them to trample the
seedlings. What would you stepfather be doing that in the nursery tonight. Does
he usually do some work at night? No, sir. None of the
plots are even lighted, only the greenhouses and the paths. And the greenhouses
are usually graveled, aren't they, no motter on. It's my job to
see that the greenhouse paths are kept graveled. I know they're not muddy.
I fixed them the day before Saturday. What do you think it means,
son right, I don't know. I don't want to think about it.
I just know he's done something. He's done something to her. They just
step father, give me any reason for keeping you away from the police officers
the other day, No, sir. He said people were getting nosy,
and he said it might be better for me over at Aunt Bertha's she's his
sister. Do you think your aunt Bertha might know where your mother is.
No, we hardly ever see her. We don't know her well at all.
We've heard your mother and your stepfather argued about whether you should be paid
for your work in the nursery. When I started to work for him,
he promised he'd pay me. I was saving up to buy a thirty one
model A. And then after a couple of months, when he didn't pay
me, I asked him. He told me I ought to be glad to
work for him for nothing, and your mother argued with him over that.
Sure it was her money that bought the nursery. Anyway, how'd you get
away from your aunt's place last night? Well, Bertha had some shopping to
do and she left me alone. She locked the door to my room.
Even the screen over the window in my room was nailed down, but I
kicked it out and got away. I stayed at a friend's house last night.
Thought about where you going to stay tonight? I don't know, but
I'm not going home, and I'm not going back to Bertha's place either.
I'll get a room. How'd you like to stay at my house a few
days? Sure? Nice of you, sir. Maybe i'd better not.
Mom might not like it. Oh, I'll take care of that. Now.
Let's hop out and get some dinner. Sure, darn nice of you,
sir. All right, son done with me? What do you think,
Joe? He it'd be lying? Yeah, Now what Cap? Can
we bring Kilby in again? No? Not yet. He's found out by
now from his sister that the boy's gone. He probably figures the police station
is the first place he'd come. Wouldn't do much good pulling him in now,
Ben, we couldn't even question him, tend to want his lawyer be
waiting for us when we got back. That's the problem. How do we
get to this Calby without his lawyer finding out? Well? What about to
hear any morning, Cap, say tomorrow about five or six am. I
think you'd be looking for us. Then, Yeah, that might do it.
We can just get by that pack of Hounsey owns without waking the whole
neighborhood. Might work if we could just question him alone. I got night,
it wouldn't take much to make him copy all right, give it a
try. Get out there in the early morning and bring him in for questioning
as quietly as possible. I'll be in at six am. If you want
me before then call me at home. All right, Frank Kelby's got a
smart lawyer. It's going to be plenty hard to convict him without a body
and corroborating evidence. He's got four acres out there camp. He can hid
a lot of buddies and four acres. Well, that's what I mean.
This case isn't ending, it's just beginning. The next morning, Ben and
I met at the office about a few minutes past four am. We had
a cup of coffee and a doughnut at an all night restaurant, and then
we started for the Kelby place out on Belasco Road. We took four pounds
of fresh horse meat with us to keep the dogs quiet if they raised a
fuss. It was twenty eight minutes past four when Ben pulled the car to
a stop a few hundred feet from the gate to the Kelby nursery. We
got out of the car and made our way down the road to the gate.
I reached in and tried the latch was padlocked where dogs started in.
Okay, Ben, looks like we'll let to jump the fence. Saw some
of that horse meat over to Oh yeah, camp here. That's it.
Come on, let's climb. Keep an eye on those sounds. Looks like
they could chew your leg off. Yeah, here comes a third one.
Ben's how some more meats? Y'all there, you're a boy, Go get
go, get a boy, Ben. Light's going on in the house.
Come on, let's make it fast. Who is it? Who's there?
I'll set the dogs on you police officers. Mister Kelby, what what are
you doing out here this time of night? You're under the rest. He'll
me get your coat. You cops are asking for a pack of trouble.
Get your coat. Who is my steps on? What have you done with
him? What have you done with your wife? You're gonna pay for this.
I'll have your jobs. That's not the first time we heard that,
Kelby. Let's go. Let's burn in the captain's office. Yeah, all
right, Kelby in here, free for the smart my words, Ben,
take him in the office and stay with him. I'll see if Frank's in
yet. All right, Yeah, come on Kelby inside, Friday, did
you bring in Calby? He's down the interrogation room, bends with him.
Somebody saw you, don't think so? They must have Calby's lawyers sitting in
the next room. Kelby again refused to answer any questions without the advice of
his attorney. We released him that day. Captain Kearney sent out two men
to keep an eye on the nursery and report on all of Kelby's movements.
Shortly after seven o'clock that night, just after nightfall, we tried once again
to bring in Kelby for questioning without his lawyer's knowledge. It didn't work.
A little after we booked him, his lawyer obtained a rid of habeas corpus.
We had to release him again. The two men assigned to stake out
the Kelby place reported definitely that somebody was tipping the lawyer. Whenever unknown visitors
showed up at the nursery and drove off with Kelby, there was nothing we
could do about it. The next morning, Kearney came up with a lead.
I had a long talk with the boy last night accidentally. I think
he's given us a pretty good lead. Yeah, there's only one way we'll
ever get a conviction. That's by finding the body and evidence to tie Kelby
in. Yeah, that'll do it. Where do we start looking? In
a new rose bed next to one of the greenhouses in Kelby's nursery. The
kid came up with it last night. I'll kim first. Kelby's crazy about
saving a dollar in making one. Yeah. In the nursery trade, especially
where you have a limited area to work in like Kelby, you cultivate every
foot of ground. Every bit of soil you got is planted with something.
Kelby's not the type to waste anything. Especially, He's not the kind that
would let ground life follow when he could plant something that might bring in a
few dollars next season. Bruce tells me his stepfather has every inch of those
four acres planted, every inch except a six by nine foot plot of ground
in that rose garden. That sounds like a long shot to me, Frank.
The boy said he prepared that piece of ground for planting late Saturday afternoon.
His stepfather wanted it ready for Sunday morning. The plot of grounds still
vacant. Might have planned it yesterday, Camp. When's the last time he
checked Before I came to work this morning. I called the men on steak
out next to the nursery. They told me the plot's still empty. It's
worth a chance, Frank, when do we look it over tonight? I
don't want Kelby or his lawyer to know a thing until we find that body.
Well, hown't going to work. We'll order up a crew from the
crime lab. They can take probings through that plot and all around it.
They can tell us without any guess work how deep that ground's been worked over
lately. When do you want to start? Be here in the office at
eight thirty tonight. If my hunches are any good, we'll find a body.
It was ten minutes past nine that night when we got to the Kelby
place Lieutenant Lee Jones and his assistants Kearnie Ben and two other men from Homicide.
The men on Steak I told us that Kelby had left about twenty minutes
before in a dark blue coop. Ben brought along the usual supply of horse
meat for the dog, so we didn't have any trouble there. We found
the empty plot of ground in the rosebed next to the greenhouse, exactly as
Bruce describe with the Cerney ground has been worked over, all right, boys,
at least four to five feet down. All right, Lee, let's
start digging. Romero take care of the dogs. Watson grab one of these
shovels, right cap Hey, you olvery said these dogs were vicious, didn't
you. Yeah, why look at these hounds and no more vicious than laughly
cold? Look, higginy, get that light over here with you than What
is it? Lee? Let me see teeth, set of false teeth?
Been in the ground long, don't think so? Judging from the shirt they're
in how far? I would you say? Ally? Couple of feet grounds?
Ill? Saw mee mere a minute? What is it? Buddy?
Here's a shoulder? All right? You men over here with Watson. Get
the dirt off the face. Romeo, you've got a picture of the cawby
woman. Yeah, cap, let's see, I hear you. Thanks,
get the light down here, punch paid off, Frank, that's her.
Ben and I went back to the car and notified communications to broadcast a want
for murder on Eric Kelby. His description, together with a description of the
car and license number of the car he was driving, was rebroadcast every fifteen
minutes. Then we went back to check the house. We found the front
door on lock. We went inside and looked around. In one bedroom,
we found clothes scattered over the bed and the floor. There was only one
old soup remaining in the closet. On the table next to the bed,
we found an airline's timetable. We got to the phone and notified communications to
alert all police details at railroad stations, bus terminals and airlines, and then
to send out an APB and the teletype. After that we checked for the
airlines. One of them told us that a man answering Kelby's description had booked
passage for Mexico City. The plane was scheduled to take off at ten forty
that night from Burbank Airport. Ben's watched. At four minutes past ten,
we called the detail at the airport and alerted them. Then we drove over
to check in person. It was ten thirty five pm when Ben and I
took up our positions just inside Gate three, where passengers were boarding flight seventy
two for Mexico City. He's cutting it close. Joe got about four minutes
more and meant get playing. We waited, the crowd got thicker. His
departure time came closer. At ten thirty nine, Eric Kelby came through the
main entrance, across the terminal through Gate three into a pair of hands.
Touch gosh, I don't understand what does this mean? When found your wife's
body killed me. But I don't know what you're talking about in the rose
patch next to the greenhouse. Your lawyer can't help this time. Mexico City
would have been a nice trip, expensively impleted seventy I didn't know what I
was doing. Be a nice vacation next here, Joe, Mexico City.
I want to talk to my wife about I didn't mean that she slapped me.
We were arguing about the boy. I didn't mean it. I don't
know if you did or not Killby, but you killed her. Come on,
you missed your plane. The story you have just heard is true,
only the names were changed to protect the innocent. Eric Kelby was tried and
convicted of murder in the first degree. He is now awaiting execution in the
lethal gas chamber at the State Penitentiary. You have just heard the fourteenth in
a new series of authentic cases transcribed from official silence. Technical advice for Dragnet
comes from the office of W. A. Wharton, Acting Chief of Police,
Los Angeles Police Department. Tonight's program is dedicated to William J. Weston,
Junior of the Washington D C. Police Department, who, on the
evening of March fourth, nineteen forty five, gave his life so that yours
might be more secure. Dragnet came to you from Los Angeles. If you
enjoyed tonight's production of Dragnet, you'll want to listen to Richard Diamond, private
Detective, as played by the screens romantic tough guy Dick Powell. A Pep
Milk show usually heard at this time, has moved to a new time period
on Sunday nights. Be sure to hear Larry Douglas and Kay Arman on the
new Pep Milk Show tomorrow night on NBC. This is NBC, the National
Broadcasting Company. Welcome back. I have to admit that I'd forgotten that Harry
Morgan played a captain in this episode. Of course, in early Dragnet,
it's odd to have a different captain because for every episode they've reported to ed
Backstrand, regardless of what division they're in. But that would ultimately change.
Friday and his partner would continue to switch to visions from week to week,
but the name of the captain would change as well. It's not really a
question of realism, but how you do unrealism. I guess there could be
an argument that if you're going to have the detectives hopping around from division division,
they might as well have the same captain every week. But I guess
it was a decision that the series would compromise on reality in the name of
telling more of the stories of the LAPDA rather than just you know, what
happened in a division like homicide, well, not leaving the public under the
impression that there's only one captain down at the station who's in charge of everything.
Of course, we get pre Miranda ruling attempts to question our suspect without
his lawyer present, and to be fair, I'm not certain that not having
the lawyer would have helped as much as they thought, as this guy seemed
pretty cag and was not going to give them anything regardless of whether a lawyer
was present. Well, it's not a bad episode, and it's interesting for
Harry Morgan playing the captain, if for no other reason. It's probably one
of the weaker missing person cases. We had a criminal who was acting obviously
guilty and whose attempts to conceal the crime were columsy at best. Hiding a
body in the nursery with his occupation was kind of obvious and I'm not planting
it there. I mean, he did everything but put a big X over
it. And while that might have been what happened in the real life case,
it doesn't necessarily make for compelling radio will. We turned out a listener
comments and feedback, and we start with an email from Julie who writes,
Wow, what gut wrenching episodes. And this is referring to Dragnet as well
as the first half of the Guy Fawkes episode. The whole time on the
Dragnet episode Police Academy, I kept thinking, surely they won't let this guy
die, after all that his wife's been through enough. H they shouldn't have
let him go in the first place. Did they get in trouble for that?
Friday's dead pan voice makes it seems like he has no emotion, and
we know it's not true, but man, what a sad ending. Well,
it's not stated whether they ended up getting into trouble. I shouldn't think
so, because it's not like the guy was a civilian at the point that
he went with them, or necessarily that they had any reason to specifically think
that there would be life threatening danger. It was just one of those unforeseen
tragedies that happened. And that's one thing I'll say for Dragnet is that they
never glamorized the police work, nor did they minimize the risk. And it's
really a somewhat interesting phenomena because I think when people are recruiting, you know,
there's that stereotypical recruiter thing where you play up all the benefits, where
you make it sound as exciting as possible, you know, the stereotypical And
I'm not saying that this is the case with all naval recruiters, but you
know, you have the stereotype of the military recruiter who sells joining the Navy
as like taking a cruise, and they never focus a whole lot on how
hard and miserable boot camp is going to be and all the challenges you're gonna
have in military life. Dragnet is almost anti recruitment. It is telling you
being on the police force is a dangerous and thankless job. It is full
of downsides, It's full of missed meals, aching feet, boredom, drudgery,
and domestic challenges. And yet there were so many people who became police
officers as a result of watching and listening to Dragnet, and so many became
MS's as a result of emergency, which in like manner, portrayed all of
the challenges and difficulties that came with that job. And I think the power
of Dragnet is that it tells that story, but to the right people,
it speaks to a deeper desire, a desire not just to collect a comfy
paycheck, enjoy good benefits, and have a nice retirement, but a desire
to live a life where what you do actually matters and is important and is
necessary to serve others. And that's really the great paradox of Dragnet. Regarding
the episode the fifth of November, Julie rights, then the Sherlock Holmes episode
so excellent and timely. But then I kept thinking of how that poor cousin
felt out for Lark with his beloved cousin going to have some fun and oops,
turned out your cousin had an elaborate plot to murder you. Anyway,
Thanks for getting my emotions all in a tangled ball ad him. I love
your podcast. It's my favorite high five from Georgia. Well, thank you
so much, Julie. And I think that the way that Sherlock Holmes was
written for the radio, particularly during that era, was kind of in a
cozy mystery way, and you know, in that way, they don't want
you to think too seriously or too deeply about what's happening and what it would
really mean if that was going on to someone in real life. I mean,
some mysteries, if you experience them when you're in the right frame of
mind and right mood, it's just a fun experience of watching how it gets
resolved and how the mystery unfolds. But if you experience at a time when
you think about it too seriously, that it all feels a bit more dark
and sad. And I can definitely see where you're coming from with that,
because, yeah, poor guy Fulkinberry just having a good time. It's never
fun to find out that a member of your family wants to murder you.
Thanks so much for the email, Julie. And now it is time to
thank our Patreon supporter of the day, and I want to thank Peter.
Peter has been one of our Patreon supporters since April of twenty twenty, currently
supporting the podcast at the shamous level of four dollars or more per month.
Thank you so much. For your support, Peter, and that will do
it for today. If you are enjoying the podcast, please follow us using
your favorite podcast software. Be sure to rate and review the podcast wherever you
download it from. We will be back next Saturday with another episode of Dragnet
and tomorrow go to video theater dot Great Detectives dot net or to our YouTube
channel at YouTube dot great Detectives dot net. The final new public domain video
theater of the year an episode of US Marshall. But also back tomorrow we
will have our Thanksgiving special where all right, come on, Sonny, I
said, even host here is pretty badly under man. Cleveland woman would be
back tomorrow. She might know something about the buy here again, Brooks,
come on, get out of the street. You want to, Kidney,
never mind any place you tuck in the alley in this neighborhood. Angel,
I don't want to. I don't know packing crate. You can't see he's
gone. Now, what's happened? What's going on? Nice? Simple case?
I guess is the kid here was an eyewitness to murder. It'll be
a simple case if he isn't murdered. I hope you'll be with us then
in the meantime, do send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot
net, Follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us out on
Instagram, Instagram, dot com slash Great Detectives From Boise, Idaho, This
is your host, Adam graham Son and Off