Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
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now it's time for this week's episode of Dragnet. The original air at eight
January nineteenth, nineteen fifty and the title is The Big Man, Part two.
The story you were about to hear is true, only the names have
been changed to protect the innocent. Dragnet. You're a detective sergeant. You're
assigned to Narcotics Bureau. For seven months, You've been working with federal and
state agents and breaking a narcotics ring. You've apprehended the small fry. Next
in the line, the big man. Your job get him. Dragnet the
documented drama of an actual crime. While 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, from official police files, from
beginning to end, from crime to punishment. Dragnet is the story of your
police force and action. It was Wednesday, July night. It was warm
in Los Angeles. We were working the night watch out on Narcotics Bureau.
My partner's Ben Romero. The boss is that Brown Chief Detectives. My name
is Friday. I was on the way into work and it was three point
fifty eight pm when I got to Room twenty four, Narcotics Bureau. Ah,
right, Joe, feel better, I'm not quite as tired. Ben
Costello think was a long haul narcotic romo. Okay, began out Jenna meeting
for five minutes. Chief Brown's roll thing. Okay, I want to pick
up my stuff in the Captain first, Hi skipper, look a little better
Friday. Get some rice? Yeah, a couple of good meals. That's
the trouble with the Flats gang. They never knew where to eat. Sit
down, Joe, I want to talk to you. We got a couple
of minutes before the meeting. You will probably be getting this all up and
down the line from here, and I just want to let you know that
we think you and all the men in the operation to a fine job.
My part wasn't much. You did more than I did. Oh, we
all worked, but you in the dirty end of it. Good job.
Here's your equipment you need it now? Oh real, thanks as you're riding
cards. You've got six shells. That's all about it. Sure, thank
you, you're back at it. Yep, here's one for you. Look
at this. What's that you got? Mug shot of a girl picked up
in a narcotics rad last night. Pretty girl, long blonde hair, beautiful
eye. She looks young high school girl she was when that picture was taken
nineteen forty seven. She was sixteen. Yeah maybe this one, yeah,
same girl. Yeah, that's the way She looked at eleven thirty last night
when we picked her up. She looks fifty nineteen years old, three years
on heroin. She might as well be dead. She is eight o'clock this
morning. Let's go, It's time for the meeting. You just looked at
the best reason I know of for getting Belma. She get her stuff from
Belmont. Costello pushing to it. You got his stuff from Belmont, the
only one. Amara. Let's go, all right, William, anybody brief
you only Corstella interviewed Joe. No, no, not yet, Chief Ronald
for the end. Here we are, chief gentlemen, come on in you
We men all know each other. Yeah, Craig, Captain White, I
think you're and your MENO policewoman, Yes, sir. How are you Florence?
Hello, guys, Woman in spector Virtual Becknes State Narcotics. How do
you do? Oh? Yeah, Bill craigates in charge federal narcotics. Hello,
how do you do? Well? We got down to Belmont procedure.
Let's see how we stand on the castell O case. Why do you want
to fill everybody in an information we got from rough Costello? Yes, sir,
after his arrest Monday night, We interrogated Costello for about four hours and
fronted him with the package he sold a Friday here other stuff test Crime Lab
ran it through about a third of an ouncer heroin, Fair Quality makes It
and stuff. The man we picked up with Costella, Tony Morris, was
questioned as well. He corroborated Costella's story. What'd you get from him?
Well, he told us he had a great deal of information on the big
man in the operation Belmont, that he wouldn't tell us a thing unless we
made a deal with him. What kind of a deal he wanted everything,
But we finally agreed that the only thing we might possibly work out was his
prison term. We called in the U S District attorney. We talked to
another four hours how to work out. District attorney told Costella the only thing
he'd do for him was to have his prison terms run concurrently rather than consecutively.
Not much to pay for what we got, Costello gave us enough to
enable just to start moving on Belmont right away. We've had his emoll confirmed,
got a list of most of his pushes. I wouldn't get to him
any definite plan. Gee, Oh White and I have been talking over here
with Craig and Beck worked out what we think might be a pretty good plan.
Uh, Craig, do you want to lay out how your men are
going to handle it? From the federal end, we'll work from out of
town toward the center here to check his contacts across the state lines. We've
already choiced connections to the East New York Syndicate. We'll keep working that in
Beck, how about your state narcotics man? We work inside the state line
here. We've already checked out part of his operations. We've located sauces in
San Francisco, Vegasfield presidents far south of San Diego or California. We'll draw
all those ends up tight. Keep moving, You fellows will both give us
a hand if we need a systems You bet fine. Why what are we
going to do locally? It's going to be a case of taking what we
know and finding out what we don't know. Putting the two together seems to
me to be a case of watching the man at all times. Belmont shouldn't
be able to blow his nose without one of our men knowing. He's going
to be a tremendous underticking. You're all know the tough job. It is
shadowing narcotics man. The fidgity hypersensitive. They recognize anything out of the ordinary
at once. For that reason, it can't be a one man operation.
Everybody's got to work, or undercover won't work this time. They're no doubt
alerted, so we'll work it from another angle. When we start, we've
already started. Belmont lives in Manhattan Beach. His houses under surveillance has been
since yesterday. I can impress upon all of the the importance of not letting
not out of your site for an instant. A narcotics buy could be made
in thirty seconds. If we're not there at the instant, we lose him.
Do we have anything a toil as to when he might be ready to
deal again? Nothing. Nobody seems to know. Belmont's exact operating time could
be any time, and in order to prosecute him, we've got to be
there when the narcotics are in his possession or under his control. So all
we start to live with him and stay as close as we can without being
tabbed until there's a buy. That's it. Captain White has all the assignments
for our local mentor Okay, We'll watch him, We'll stay close to him.
If he makes a move, be there. The meeting lasted four hours.
During that four hours, a plan was formulated which we hoped would end
in the successful apprehension of the number one man in Pacific Coast narcotics traffic,
Arthur Z. Belmont. How do you watch a man is every move for
twenty four hours, day in, day out, without his knowing it.
How do you watch a man whose very existence depends upon not being watched,
who is expertly schooled in every trick and device of police surveillance, whose method
of operation will change with the slightest disturbance of his daily routine, And if
that mo changes, you've lost him. Thursday, July tenth, in the
small Los Angeles suburb of Manhattan Beach, population ten one and seventy two,
three very ordinary events took place. A public nurse began a house to house
survey. She asked the simple question, have you ever been vaccinated for smallpox?
She started canvassing twenty seven blocks from the home of Belmont. Policewoman Florence
Caswell. Two Japanese gardeners new to the city of Manhattan Beach began soliciting work.
They started asking for jobs thirty eight blocks from the home of Belmont Sergeant
ten Fujikuni and Patrolman John Kagawa. A team of surveyors driving a station wagon
marked with the seal of Los Angeles County began taking linear measurements for the proposed
enlargement of storm drains in the area. They started fourteen blocks from the home
of Belmont Lieutenant John Bigham, Central Narcotic Sergeant Van Romero and myself. Okay,
Ben bringing the rod, let's knock off for lunch. What do you
want to eat? John? The wagon better take the transfer where these kids
might pick it up. I got it. I can't keep your sand out
of my shoes. Might as well get used to it. We're a long
way from home. Nine years on the job. Is the first time I
ever brought my lunch into paper sack. Know it's Joe's might change your whole
way of living when I sit in the front. No, I'm getting back.
Tell us. Have a look the local paper, No Hat Beach Sentinel
down the bottom page, one in the box. Read it. Let me
see, Well it's good. What is it? Joe? Read that loud?
Well it says, preliminary work on storm drains started surveyors. Well,
it goes on to say that surveyors have started taking measurements for the new drains.
Captain White's idea, had the story planet even got a release in the
Planning Commission, won't hurt us a bit? Well, you said, lunchtime,
I've got enough here for the whole department. Four hard boiled egg.
See what kind of sandwich is that? True devil le egg that's here?
She even put him on egg bread. I hate a looks like the captain
driving up the street. Yeah, that's him driving a city car. Chief
engineer, how's it going? Bigging cime? Slow? How'd your lunch?
What do you got? Deviled egg? Sandwich has got plenty? Can't stand
him all about having the cheese? Yeah? Thanks, there you go.
H how's everybody else doing? Very slow? Takes time? Gotta keep taking
her time. If we tip it before we got close enough, bell mounts
on his wife. How long are we gonna have to keep our distance?
Not much longer. We can't take a chance of starting everybody out right on
top of the bell mount All right, look funny to him? Anybody else
would be okay? The average person in your operations might look normal, but
we can't afford to try to get it by Belmont that way with a hop
cutter. You never know. It's not something I said. We don't know.
We just can't take any kind of a chance. That's what I mean.
You might have tarted right on Belmont's front lawn, and he's never got
wives. We wouldn't want to risk it. Belmont went out of his house
today on the go quite a bit. Left his house at nine thirteen am,
went out of the shop right market, bought a half, found a
bacon, two dozen eggs, loaf of bread over. Sergeant Hodges waited on
him. He's clerking in the grocery department. Then he drove over to his
neighborhood gas station, got a full tank of ethel and two parts of oil
cleary wake, drove home, got back at nine forty two. Are still
there? Yeah, by the time you guys were back at it him right,
Okay, Ben want to grab some of the gear, Yeah, I
go, Thank Joe, Huh give me a leftover bread crush, William.
I'll give them to sig though. Yeah, sure, you go. Well,
foot by foot, we're getting closer to Belmont, I hope nobody kIPS
it. Nobody should unless you don't trust those girls. We surveyed the city
of Manhattan Beach for five weeks. Policewoman Caswell, posing as a nurse,
continued canvassing everybody concerned with a job of standing watch over Arthur Z. Belmont
carried out their routine. Day by day. Daily reports came in from everyone
in the operation. These reports would be shifted at Central Narcotics and progress reports
compiled for the use of those in the field. On the Belmont case.
All police cars as well as city cars such as we were employing, were
equipped with three way radio communication. All personnel were in constant contact with one
another. Wednesday, August twelfth, it was the decision of Captain Lynn White
that the idea of ourp posing as city surveyors had been exhausted. Further use
of this could possibly arouse suspicion. Belmont lived at twelve twenty seven Ocean Avenue,
two days before we were called off a surveying job the city, least
the private residence at twelve sixteen Ocean Avenue. A van load of furniture was
moved in drapes and curtains were hung. Regular deliveries of daily newspapers and milk
were made to the house To all outward appearances the house was occupied by an
average family. Actually, it provided another blind from which we could continue to
observe. Belmont short wave radio equipment was installed in an upstairs room. Ben
and I were assigned the night watch. Another car just stop in front of
belmonts how many does that make? A Greek car? Just meant yeah,
prote where let me see watch Kirtain? Yeah? Belmont answered the door.
He's letting them in. Something's doing. What do you think I know?
You called Captain White, didn't you? Oh? Ago just after the first
carpool? Then store park and aning and comes back way and a better check
with everybody again. This portable seemed to warm up slower than our car radio.
There we go Unit one forty K to unit one forty five K one
five K. Go ahead, just checking your location the same, that's right,
pushing and cliver. We got three cars to cover. Now stand by
Roger, unit one forty K to one forty three K, one forty three
K. We got it standing by location still good, stand be talking to
you. Stand by one forty one forty nine K one forty nine K.
Go ahead, stay put. We've got three cars now, yeah, we
heard still the same spot. Stand it by Roger? Ye? Just they
haven't you going away? Off? Good? Go them on Porchla just went
out. Let's see three guys came in the first car, two in the
second, two and the third. Is that right? Yeah? Seven?
Alto hey Compton bell Man. Maybe he's running for yo. Then any changes
since you've called me? Another car? Anybody you know him? Too?
Dark? So they're facing that's joke, gray black packet, sedan, green
cherry. That might be for me. I told the office they could reach
me again. What yeah, big him? You must be wrong. Sure
he's not lying? All right? Thanks? Yeah you sure? Belmont hasn't
left his house since you came on duty. Couldn't possibly not without somebody in
the details, buttony He got out somehow he made a buye. Captain White
called the office and talked to Benny Arodondo, or narcotics undercover man. He
confirmed the fact that somehow Belmont had a meet and successfully completed a narcotics transaction.
None of us could figure how, and we didn't know when the meat
took place. Eredondo told us that the buy had been made sometime in the
past ten hours. The arresting office that recovered a portion of the narcotics two
bendles of heroin. They were found in the possession of one of Belmont's runners,
Archie Scott. I can't figure it. What do we do now?
Giver sit tight and watch those three cars in front of Belmont's house over there.
Maybe he didn't have to leave the house to make a buy. That's
the way I got it. Pay those cars down there. Those are the
first visitors he's had in the past twenty four hours, as far as anybody
knows. We've watched it close. Sometimes it's like it it looks like somebody's
coming out over there. Two guys, how many in there? Eight?
Contain Belmar All right, Friday get to the car. Yeah, they started
to move out yet no five. See if you said that's all them,
they're heading for the car. Yeah, looks like a three way switch and
we'll see when they start to move out. Tension our units and special details
standby. Here's the license numbers here. Oh good, I knew those things.
Green Chevys headed south, black packets going north, SOEs a dodge coop.
Uh huh, Dodge turn left at the corner. It's headed east now
got it? One forty K to all units in Special detail. Unit one
forty nine K one forty nine K go ahead nineteen forty six. Green Chevrolet
Sa'dan licensed six to one William eighty five to two, headed south on Ocean
Roger. Unit one forty five K one twenty five K go ahead, nineteen
forty seven. Gray Dodge coop license one x ray one eight nine eight headed
east on Clippers Street. Roger one forty three K come in, one forty
three K YEP nineteen thirty nine, Black packaged Sedan licensed six Mary six seven
seven eight headed north on Ocean Roger down spotted could be a dry run.
He couldn't afford to chance it either way. Nothing to do now but wait
to that it's right and pray for rain. It was eight minutes past eight
pm. We sat back and waited for the reports to come in from the
cars. At eight twenty five pm, seventeen minutes after the alert was broadcast,
Unit one forty nine K reported in on the gray Chevrolet Sadan. The
car and its occupants were thoroughly searched. No trace of narcotics was found eight
forty two pm, thirty four minutes after the alert. Unit one forty three
K one forty K one forty three K go ahead on that nineteen thirty nine
baggert Saedan licensed six Mary six seven seventy eight shot him down. Nothing,
They're clean. Eight fifty pm, forty two minutes after the alert. The
report in the third and final car came in the nineteen forty seven gray Dodge
coupe. That's it, a trace of narcotics in any of those three cars.
Belmont beat us. It's tough love. It's going to be tougher now
he knows we're after him. You are listening to drag nets authentic stories of
your police force in action. The three cars switch. Three cars arrive at
a given point at different times the meat takes place. The drivers of the
various cars leave the given point at the same time. Each drives away from
the point in a different direction, making it three times as difficult to follow
them. The practice was not new to the Narcotics Bureau or the dealers in
narcotics. It usually includes the dryer run, in which the actual mechanics of
the narcotics are carried out, but neither the merchandise nor the money is on
hand. This practice forces the narcotics officer in the pure guesswork. If the
officer doesn't follow up, the buy could be successful. If he chooses to
follow up, he takes the chance of exposing himself and tipping his hand on
a rehearsal. In the case of this particular car switch, we lost but
taken in the car around up were seven of Belmont's trusted runners. Six of
these men refused to talk, but the seventh, Clifford Bessell, gave us
a lead to one of Arthur Belmont's most trusted friends. His name was Floyd
Ketchell. He and his wife lived at three fifty seven Evergreen Drive, Linwood.
It's a nice house. Yeah, yes, police officers would like to
ask you a few questions. What about Well, as you probably know,
there's been a series of burglaries here in your neighborhood. No, I didn't
know, Oh yes, quite a few. Would you mind if we came
in and talked to you about it. I don't know anything about any robberies
around here. Everything's okay, This is just a routine check, mister Ketchell.
Everybody else in the neighborhood's cooperate. I want to take this a minute.
All right, you can come in, but I have to leave in
about fifteen minutes. Thank you. You have a nice place here, mister
Ketchell. Yes, Now, what was it you wanted me to help you
with? You know a man by the name of Clifford Butsell. No,
how about Arthur Z. Belmont? Who Arthur Z Belmont? Baselle says,
you and Belmont are good friends. I don't understand this. I thought you
wanted to ask me about some robberies. I wonder if you'd mind rolling up
your left sleeve and like, look at your arm? What for? You're
a user, aren't you? No? I'm not. And you know what
we're talking about, don't you? No? I don't. Do you have
any narcotics here in the house? Certainly not in mind? If we look
around, why do you want to search the house? Why won't you show
us your left arm? Floyd Ketchel would admit nothing, but he allowed us
to search his home in grounds. An extra detail of men was called out
to aid us in the search. We covered every foot of the acre of
ground. This took two days. We found nothing. On the third day,
under the flooring of an upper bedroom of the Ketchel home. We found
Ketchel's plant. He was using heroin. You want me to call Belmont?
Is that the idea? That's right? He want you to set up a
meat with him. I'm not going to write on Art. He's a friend
of mine. Suits yourself. We found your plant there, We've got you.
You'll be the fall guy. You mean I take all the heat?
Why not Sell put the finger on you? We got to have somebody.
Why pick on me? We just told you we found the stuff here,
but Sell fingered you. You're it? Oh. You have to do is
make a phone call. We won't have a clean slid, but it's going
to sound a lot better than Core. All right, that makes sense.
You know what to tell him? Already been over all that. Call him
now Friday, listening on the extension. If Ketchell changes his mind in the
middle of the conversation, I'll see that he hangs up. You know well,
AhR right, boyd Ketchell? Hit fine? How's Hittner? She's fine?
Art? Say, I got a friend on his way to Honolulu.
He wants to take a little package along. Gotta have it, ok,
Yeah, old friend? You sure? Yeah? You have to be pretty
careful. Got hit Wednesday night down the beach. Yeah, who they get
and the six guys from New York get out of easy. It's a dry
run. I didn't know that. Nothing in the papers hasn't hit yet.
It Well, how much your friend need? Gonna be in the Islands for
quite a while. There's a couple of ounces. Should do it. You
got the money? Now? He's good? Can you swing at tonight?
Boat leaves from San Francisco day after tomorrow. He hasn't got much time,
is he okay? I want to pick it up? Yeah? All right?
If I bring him along, I want you to meet him. Good
customer. Are you sure about him? Yeah? Eight thirty at the store.
We'll be there art E eleven, one hundred cash. Yeah, that'll
be okay, kitchen he is, that'll be. I had one driver r
on this weekending, have another. Three twenty two pm we took mister and
missus Floyd Ketchel back to Central Division where they were booked in suspicion of violation
of the State and Narcotics Act. Four PM we met in the opfice of
Chief of Detective stat Brown. Eleven hundred dollars Is that right? Yeah,
it's right. How much was in the secret service fun two hundred and twenty
three dollars note for this month. So I've gone to where you get the
rest of it. I haven't got it all yet from Mara's the banker.
How you got it figured? Man? Well, let's see, I've got
it all written down here. First off, we've got two hundred and twenty
three dollars cash, and these fellows all gave us a personal checks, check
down a hoe, and Robert gave us two hundred. Johnny Bagan put up
one hundred. My wife's in for one hundred and fifty, joping in thirty
five bucks and twenty two's like this morning. That's seven hundred and twenty dollars
you need for three hundred and eighty right, Yeah, that's why I've got
to figure. Okay, I think I'm going to go to the rest.
How about winds Cadillac you loan it to you. He's out getting it washed.
It's forty one, isn't Yeah, Sitan a little old, but it
looks good when it's wise flashy ho, that's what you need. Are you
going to make the byway? Yeah? Catch it? It'll be with me.
Oh, okay, so here eleven hundred dollars. Yeah, we only
got one hitch. It's five o'clock and the banks are closed. Not much
time to run around getting checks cashed. It was five pm. We had
three hours to cash seven hundred and twenty dollars in personal checks. We split
up and covered every possible place in the city where we were known, where
we knew they would cash them. By seven forty five pm, we had
the eleven hundred cash. The serial number on each bill was listed and the
money turned over to Captain White. The scene of the meat was a hardware
store on East ninth Street, which Belmont used as a front. Bellmont Hardware
was located in a small neighborhood shopping district. On Friday nights, the stores
remained open until nine pm. Promptly at eight thirty Captain White and Floyd Ketchu
pulled up in front of the store and went in. Ben and I waited
in our car half a block down the street was eight thirty five. There
they already come in. Ah was to made Dubai starting the car. Here
they come. Watch for the skippers signal. Yeah there it is, let's
go. Okay, pull over, Here come ons a clerk back there,
you see Belma. No, yes, sir, I help you. Mister
Bellmont around, Oh sir, and he just stepped out. Are you sure?
Yeah, sir, he went out back and going not a minute ago,
Bigerman castide out there on. Yeah, he won't go for it.
Oh there's mister Belmont. Mister Belmont, these ghing, my mom, see
you running up the stairs. The mare's name money, I do money line.
What's that? Watch watching that trail on the stair. Oh, let's
go alright he is. He's trying to reach out the skylight. No,
get on, you'll never make it. Slipping Joe, Come on, you
didn't do that? Showcase any's going. Yeah, he's true. Piece of
that glass right through him. Yeah, it's a rough way to go.
And nice narcotics didn't kill him, didn't it. The story you have just
heard was true, only the names were changed to protect the innocent. On
December tenth, nineteen forty eight, trial was held in Superior Court, Department
eighty seven, City and County of Los Angeles, State of California. In
a moment the results of that trial, twelve members of Arthur Z. Belmont's
narcotics gang were finally rounded up by federal, state, and local authorities.
All twelve were tried and convicted of violating the Harrison Act and the State Narcotics
Act. They received sentences as prescribed by law and are now serving their terms
in state and federal penitentiaries. You have just heard drag Nets, a series
of authentic cases from official files advice Board. Dragnet comes from the Office of
Chief of Police W. A. Wharton, Los Angeles Police Departments. The
Team of Cigarettes, best of all Long Cigarettes, has brought you Dragnet from
Los Angeles. Be sure to hear mister and missus Ronald Coleman in Hauls of
Idy tomorrow on NBC. Welcome Back the Big Man. Can feel like a
really uneven story. Part one is an intriguing deep dive into the seeming world
of drug dealers. Part two is a much slower paced and honestly much more
bureaucratic story in setting up this massive operation in which our heroes are ultimately two
moving parts among many. Thankfully we didn't get more of the four hour meeting
yet. I think look at as part of the whole body of work for
Dragnet. It serves as a counterbalance the story of the hero on his own
ween in an exciting and dangerous and situation, and then a second part where
he's just part of a team in a well planned and well coordinated operation.
I also think the very short but effective scene where Friday was showing the picture
of the nineteen year old who died from the overdose was a key moment.
It was a pretty lude to the action. Yes, a lot of what
the police are going to do will be very complicated, involved in slow moving,
but don't mistake that for it being unimportant. Yes, I need to
revise my remarks about the police's diet that I made in Part one, given
Friday's comments at the start of the episode about the Slats gang not knowing where
to eat. William Conrad was playing the gang member in question who insulted the
steam table. Friday thought was a good option, and he delivered it with
such conviction that I totally bought that the food was awful. As a cop,
Friday was used to eating poorly. That's what conviction and confidence will do
for you. You can sell anything. You must be right, mister drug
dealer, where would you suggest eating? It? Does make me wonder where
the Slats gang ate Was it like a lot of greasy spoon places or were
they eating at places that just served junk food. Friday's a guy who I
think eats his vegetables and generally eats if not super healthy by modern standards,
is not someone who's going to be happy with getting a diet of junk food.
It does suggest an idea for a podcast where an ex cop and an
ex drug dealer debate their food preferences and taste. The one thing I will
say for the Slats Gang is that Friday probably didn't get a deviled eight sandwich
the whole time, which might be enough to get Romero to consider going undercover
next time. Well, listener comments and feedback. Now we have an email
from George who says, Hi, agend Adam, I'm really enjoying rehearing these
great Dragnet episodes and thought that the Jay Thumbrings was a particularly fine example.
Like you, I thought the questioning of the young boy was very well written,
but with one quibble in terms of believability. I would have thought that
Ben Romero would have been the likely one to succeed, unless I've getting him
mixed up with other partners. Was he not a family man and probably used
to talking to children, something that childless people are not always good at.
Joe Friday, on the other hand, while normally a great interrogator, would
often at least in later seasons, be quite short and impatient with kids,
especially in his kurt and brash listen boy approach. While rather grating to listen
to it at least fits his personality. But no matter, I love hearing
these again, and I just thought i'd share the impression received as always,
keep up the great work well, thank you so much, George. There
are a couple of things I would say on that. First of all,
when we're talking about the color seasons, mostly you're talking about Friday dealing with
teenage delinquents or even early twenty year old delinquents. Dealing with twenty year olds
or teenagers and dealing with six year olds are two entirely different things. I've
known a lot of people without kids who have gotten on really well with children
they're not related to. Certainly, I tended to get on with kids,
and honestly, some of the experiences I had with my nephews and with a
neighbor kid gave me the confidence I needed to go forward with the whole adoption
process. The other thing I would say is that I think Friday gets a
bad rap when it comes to kids in general. Said, when he has
the most chance encounters, it tends to be with kids who have done something
really seriously wrong. I think that there is some real care that goes into
that. I think of the season three episode nineteen d R nineteen Juvenile Division,
where he's dealing with a badder child. Another season three episode d R
dash O five SO two shows Friday working through a variety of different calls in
Juvenile Division. And then you have episodes like Make Kids from season one or
the Departure from season four, where he has some hard words but there's a
bit of an understanding that's reached. And there are other episodes like The Big
Present Where or The Big Complex where even though the juvenile's done something wrong,
Friday is still there in a compassionate way. I tend to think at folks
misjudge Joe Friday just based on how our culture has changed and evolved, as
well as the way that dragnet repeats have sometimes been presented some of the commercials
for them, as well as things like the eighty seven Dragnet movie, Friday
could be quite direct, and I think that became even more the case once
you get into the nineteen sixties. Now this could be a combination of web
pushing back against the counterculture. Or you could look at it as Joe Friday
reaching that point in his life and career as a middle aged police officer where
he's just reached the point where he's going to tell it like it is.
But I don't think. But I think Friday always remained a character who cared
and even though he was very much of his times, I don't think he
in general had a negative attitude towards kids and when you look at the whole
work of Dragnet. But thanks for the comment, George, I appreciate it
all. Right. Well, now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of
the day, and I want to go ahead and thank John. John has
been one of our Patreon supporters since March of twenty twenty, currently supporting the
podcast at the shameless level of four dollars or more per month. Thank you
so much for your support, John, I truly appreciate it. If you're
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public Domain Video Theater tomorrow featuring Dangerous Assignment. You can view that at Video
Theater dot Great Detectives dot net. Of course, we'll be back next Saturday
with another episode of drag Net, but join us back here on Monday for
the Adventures of the Falcon Where. Oh all right? Uh? Yes,
is this Mike wearing the falcon? Yes? Is the falcon speaking? Must
be something wrong with this connection, I thought. I never mind what your
thought. Just tell me what you want. I want to hire you right
now. Yes, why are you working on something else? Yes? I
am drop it. This job is important to me and I'm willing to pay
plenty if you're out here right away. Where are you, Mike? Got
it? You tell Olake. It's ten thirty now. I couldn't get there
much before midnight. I know that, all right? What's the job?
I'm working on a very important deal at the moment, and it's absolutely necessary
to keep my movement secret. I'm pretty sure that somebody's been following me to
see me. I want you to find out who it is. You say,
money is no objects, Sullivan, not at all. Okay, keep
talking, then, just exactly where is this cottage of yours? 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, Sogn and all