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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and I want to go ahead and thank Christine for becoming our latest Patreon
supporter at the shawmus level of four dollars or more per month. Thank you
so much for your support, Christine. Now it is time for this week's
episode of Dragnet. The original aired eight September tenth, nineteen forty nine,
and the title is The Sullivan Kidnapping. Here's another NBC's Great pread of new
shows, Ladies and Gentlemen, The story you are about to hear is true,
only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. NBC brings you
Dragnet. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a homicide detail. A twenty
two year old girl has disappeared. A letter has been received. It demands
thirty thousand dollars for the girl's return. A letter assigned the wolf. Your
job get him. Dragnet the documented drama 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. For 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 a official police finance,
from beginning to end, from prime to punishment, Dragnet is the story of
your police force in action. It was Tuesday, October eighteenth. It was
cloudy in Los Angeles. We're working the night watch out a homicide. My
partner's Ben Ramero. The boss is at backstrand Chief of Detectives. My name
is Friday. I was on the way back from the Stat's office and it
was three twenty six am. When I got to room forty two homicide.
Got those monthsassports here they are cranks. Serris backstan I Levia In a minute.
I'm going out with him. What's your address out there? The Sullivan
play eight fourteen Castro Boulevard. You go straight out Santa mon. I can
take a left of Castro. I remember you ready? Chief? Yeah?
Friday, you call ramerily in right now, get on it. There's when
we don't fool with. Yeah, come on Herris. Hello, sorry to
wake you, Ben. This is Joe. How are you feeling? Oh
hi, Joe? What time is it? Three thirty am? How do
you feel? Oh a lot? Better be back to work tomorrow. You'll
be ready in twenty minutes. I'll pick you up twenty minutes. Okay,
what's up? You remember Martin Sullivan, vice president of the third National Bank
Soliv. Yeah, yeah, what about it. He's got a twenty two
year old daughter, already had one. She's gone good. We made good
times, Joe. Where are we headed? Sullivan home out on Castro Boulevard.
Head's out there now with Harris and he leads to work on. Oh,
nothing's so far. The girl disappeared a little before one o'clock yesterday afternoon.
At eleven last night, he got a letter. They want thirty thousand
dollars. Sullivan hasn't got that kind of money. Yeah, I know it.
Poor guys almost out of his mind in how'd it happened? Now?
The guy took the girl out of business school. He had her call out
a class, told her her father was sick, said he was a friend
of the families. How about the teachers? What was their story? Said?
The girl didn't want to go with a man at first, but he
finally talked her into it, kept telling her her father was dying. That's
about as low as it come. Yeah. Did he use a car?
Witnesses said it was a blue Sedan. They didn't get the license number of
the make. Did they remember what the guy looked like? About five nine
one sixty, brown suit, dark hair. Mm, nothn't that. No,
he's a copy of the letter he was usual read it. Yeah,
yeah, I have your daughter, Judy. Get uh what's that thirty thousand,
thirty thousand dollars quick? If you want her back alive, don't call
police or I'll kill her. Contact you later, signed h What was it?
The wolf? Wolf? I could think of a better name. Come
on here we are, he's got to reginal note Joe Lee Jones down at
the crime I be checking it for Prince in handwriting. Well, let's do
it. Oh, Hi, David, right on the house ports she's waiting
for him. Thanks Dave, Hi, Joe Ben in the living room.
Thank you. That's the way I see it, mister Sullivan. Now you
understand exactly what you have to do. Yes, I'll do as you say.
And here are the two men who will help you, Sergeant Friday and
Sergeant Romelo homicide. Yes, how do you do mister Bestrand? Are you
sure about all this? He might get frightened, he might do something to
Judy. Believe me, mister Sullivan. It's the only way I know how
you must feel. But we can't do anything else. All right, I
I want to see missus Sullivan first. I'll be ready in a moment.
Any development, Yeah, come on back in the dining room. There it
is on the table. Take a note from the guy tailegram when this come
about half an hour ago? Guy phoned it into Western Union from a public
booth. Couldn't trace it, I say, Joe, Yeah, be at
Alesion Park five o'clock this morning near balk And Drive. Come alone, bring
thirty thousand. We'll return. Girl. Don't tell cops kill her if you
do the wolf four. I am nows giver not much time. I know.
It's we have to do as he says. No other way. Then
Sullivan's going out there alone. You're going with him, you and Romero.
He'll be hitting out in the trunk of the car. Any plan get him,
that's all. Ben and I went out the back door and into the
Sullivan garage. We jammed ourselves into the trunk apartment and Harris closed the door
on us the lights respect so that the door could be pushed open from the
inside. A few minutes later, mister Sullivan came out, got in the
car, and we drove off. At three minutes to five, we pulled
up at the meeting place in the Lesion Park. We waited. Nothing happened.
At five minutes past five, it started to thunder. That's all we
need now, thunderstorm stopping here in this trunking nowhere. Then listen, something
must be What have you seen anything? It sounds like he's pacing up and
down alongside the cartener he listen, Can you hear anything else? Can you
no better stay undercover? I have rains? Dark man? When what happened
to the war coold feet? Maybe let's waited out it, Joe, you
know what time you got now? Meet my watch him? Yeah, a
little past five thirty, Solgian sergiant, mister Sullivan. Yes, do you
think he's coming and sleep? He's getting daylight. We better wait it out,
mister Sullivan. Now look, don't come back here again. If he's
watching, you might tip him off. Oh all right, all right,
you're a guy. Thank you here coming up the road, Towardoise it's stopping,
Yeah, coming over to our car? Are you ready? Right?
Talk? Heou son of it? And I'm coming back here and I'll watch
it. Randy Romero at you en? Yeah? The meeting? All right?
Got cramp my leg. I'm cramped all over, mister Sullivan. Drive
back home. We'll contact you then, all right, chee Ben Joe went
over the car. What's the story of the guy had no intention of following
through this meeting to then? Well, how come he told us going at
five o'clock? Try to trace the call. He wouldn't stay on the line
long enough. What do you have to say? He wanted more money,
bragged about how smart he was, how we'd never get him when he knows
Sullivan's called in the police. Sure said he didn't care. We'd never get
him anyway. Yeah, pretty cock, pretty smart. Take my word for
it. He's no dummy. Joel. Eighty K, I'll get us K
eighty K to control one. Eight OK, to control one. Go ahead,
eighty K, go to your office code three. Go to your office
code three. K. All right, run my own, let's roll.
More than twelve hours had passed since word of Judy Sullivan's disappearance had been pooned
in a homicide during that time, and all points bullet containing the descriptions of
the suspect, his car, and the girl had been sent out on the
teletype to law enforcement agencies throughout the area. The same descriptions were broadcast over
the police radio every hour. The Sullivan home had been placed under strict surveillance,
and mister Sullivan instructed not to contact the suspect without knowledge of the police.
He'd raised almost ten thousand dollars in cash to buy him off. The
serial number on each one of the bills had been copied by a police stenographer
and then re checked by a homicide officer. So far, the wolf as
he called himself, had made three separate contacts, but he'd covered his tracks
well. We knew that he was somewhere in the city five hundred square mind,
and we know we had to find him fast. It was eighteen minutes
past six when we got back to homicide. Hikes. You hell, listen,
you gouts something for us. Make here there's letter special delivery came in
about twenty five minutes and I see that man. Yeah, that's him.
According to the postmark, he mister Mail did run after he grabbed the girl.
Listen to this. Stay away from Sullivan. If the kids found dead,
it's your fault. Stay away the wool, all right, Mike,
get it over to the crime lab and have a lead check it for princes.
Write you will you find any prints on the second note? Mike too,
running through r and I now, Fridy room, my room. Get
down there and see if they got to make I'll call out to Sullivan's and
check with Harris. Right ed, Let's go a bit. Who's watching the
Sullivan house beside her? Carpenter and Davis, Max trans afraid the girl's father
trying to make a deal with the guy. Has he tried it yet?
No, he hasn't yet. You couldn't blame him if he did. Worried
single Yeah, sure we are, hi fellas, just coming down to see
you got something. Larry, those two Prince Lee Jones lifted off that letter
I got to make on him from the single print file. Its good,
Larry. Let's see, h there it is, pull the whole bankage on
him. Donald Alfred Keefer looks like a old badwin, doesn't he. Donald
Alfred Keefer male, Caucasian, age, twenty nine, five feet eight inches,
one hundred and seventy pounds, brown eyes dark brown here. He had
one previous arrest for forgery in Los Angeles, ten months before Keeper's occupation.
At the time his arrest was listed as a bank clerk at the Third National
Bank. Ben went back into the files and pulled the crime report. Then
we called it backstramp. There's an answer, Skipper. At the time Keeper
pulled that forgery job at the bank, mister Sullivan was won the vice president
go in. Sullivan was the one who preferred charges against Keeper and Sulid.
He was prosecuted. Where's this keeping down? Let me see is placed on
probation, and on May sixteenth this year, he returned to his home in
Omaha, Nebraska. That's thirteen eighty mckinna Avenue, all right from my own.
Get Omaha on the phone and have him check out keeping right Friday,
take keep his package in this note down to Don myz have him check the
handwriting and get over to the crime lab and see what Jones lifted off for
that last letter. We got all right ed. The faster we work,
the faster We'll put this guy behind buys. Now move. How's the writing
compared Don? What'd you find? He looks good? See here slaps his
crosses, w oops his l's openes breshare on the downstroke Donald Keefer Wolf same
handwriting. Lift the tree prints off this last note. Joe brought him out
to the I don fume gun. They match with the first. Thanks Ley,
Do you find anything else? I don't know it will help you much.
We examined the paper for watermarks and texture. Both notes are written on
the same kind of paper. Impressions show both pieces of paper from the same
tablet checked the density of the carbon and the pencil he used. Both specimens
match same pencil by mid afternoon, Donald Keeper's description had been broadcast throughout the
area. Bullet was where his to all departments, and an APB was teletyped
to the entire state. Men were stationed at every post office in the city
to watch for notes that might come through the mail. The bus depots,
railroad terminals, the airports, and all the main roads leading out of the
city were under strict surveillance. The entire Los Angeles area was broken down into
single square mile districts, and the house to house canvas was started. The
squad of men were assigned to cover each square mile. Outlying towns and cities
were requested to do the same. By five o'clock that afternoon, the greatest
dragnet operation in the history of the city was underway. We were sure Donald
Keeper was somewhere inside. At twelve minutes past five, Ben got the callback
from the Omaha police. Yeah, yeah, I got it. Six x
ray four to one nine Nebraska Place right. Well, thank you a lot,
yea bye. They had a make on the car lots more. The
Omaha cops looking for keyper two went in for a Robbie there two months ago.
Yeah, Matt Robbery used a stolen nineteen thirty nine, blue sed Dan
Nebraska license plate six X ray four one nine. How about his family and
his friends back there? They all been checked. Yeah, they said keeper
left Omaha about six weeks ago. Didn't know where it was, Hayding.
We'll get that car description the communications huh APB teletypan broadcast. I'll tell you
all right, Joe Friday, Yeah, what are you tied up with?
Well, just got a call from Omaha. Make on Keifer in the car,
give it to me. You do, get out of the Sullivant ho
as fast as you can. What's happened to given man? And Sullivan's disappeared?
All right, Harris? How did it happened? About three to seventh
tonoon? Mister Sullivan got a phone call, said he had to go down
to the bank and went with him. He had me wait in the reception
room and he went in his office to waiting. Ten minutes. I got
suspicious and went in. He was gone. I said, did he get
any more money this morning? Five thousand dollars? Should get the serial numbers
off the bills? Yeah. I shouldn't let him get out of my sight.
Forget it right now, We've got to find out where he's going to
meet Keifer. You talked to missus Sullivan about it, Harris, She says
she doesn't know anything about it. Let's try her again. Come on,
let's go inside, all right, fellas, Hi, where's miss Sullivan?
Dave back in the sitting room, lying down, Doctor Swite, come on
a time? He got bet six thirty five. I'll get it. Hello.
Where are you? Where are you now? Where are you now?
We'll be right out. That was Martin Sullivan. He met with Keefer of
Laurel Canyon. Did he get his daughter back? Yeah? Wrapped in newspapers,
all cars in the area were notified that a contact had been made with
keeper. We got in the car and drove out to Laurel Canyon. The
entire area had been blocked off. We found Martin Sullivan standing in the middle
of the road at the end of East Winding Way. Five hundred feet down
the hill was a private residence where Sullivan had telephoned. His was the only
building in the immediate vicinity. A few yards beyond the point where he's winding
away ended back in a clump of tall grass, we found the body of
Martin Sullivan's daughter. We notified the crime lab. She back strand in the
corner. Despite a severe state of emotional shock, Martin Sullivan tried to tell
us a story. He said, Juju was all right. I believed him.
I wanted to beg jud. I tricked the officer that when watching he
said, come along, no police. Did you see his calm as she
said, I wanted to beg I wanted you to bey I. I did
as he said. I drove here at six o'clock. I waited. I
put the money in the front seat, like you said. Did he get
the money, mister Sullivan, I got out of it, left parking nights
on. I stood up there by the end of the road waiting, mister
solid and he drove up me. It took her money. Then he came
up to me. He had a gun. I wanted to shoot it back.
Yeah, the gun. Did you see his car? He said,
she was up there beyond the road to a tree. Mister Sullivan, did
you see his car? I went to look for he drove away. She
wasn't there. I couldn't find it. I know we've got it. Before
he went into a state of complete collapse, we showed Martin Sullivan a picture
of Donald Alfred Kiefer. He definitely identified him. The information was immediately relayed
back to Central Division, rebroadcast to the entire police radio system. A teletype
was dispatched to sheriff's offices and communications were sent to police stations throughout the country.
The house to house searched throughout the entire city, intensifying the dragnet in
which we hope to trap Donald. Keeper was drawing slowly inward. It was
twelve midnight as free Slim and girl murdered. Xtree read all about it,
Citizens joints, Sir for Caro ranny. Did the papers get a list of
the numbers on that ransom money? Yeah? Got them in the final that
edition, two and a half pages of serial numbers. Gave it a big
spread. Look at these pictures, a Keeper here all over the front play
I'm more of the better on my own. I hope this town never forgets
that face. Good reminder you don't make deals with killers. Alright, fellas,
come on over, find anything here? Ly just checking over these towels
here fallum wrapped around the girl's body. Inside the papers. The only thing
about those papers, sadly, they're all Yesterday's every story about the girl's disappearance
has been clipped off. Maybe the guy's making that for scrap. How about
the towels, Jones? Any laundry monks? Not on one so far,
ed, every one of them was clipped off. Pretty smart. The marg
posts the body in and doing it now, nasty one. Yeah. Do
you get any footprints or tire marks out where they found the body of them?
All? Cast Bars and Taylor are checking them. One sink? What
is it? Jones? I don't know? Under the scene here this tale?
Wait a minute, Joe, that pair of snipper is it? Yeah?
There you are, thanks, just back under the sea. There that's
one tag he missed. Yeah. Greenway Apartments, Los Angeles. One look
at the apartment was enough. In an adjoining garage we found the car,
which keeper had used, a blue Sedan Nebraska license plate six x ray four
one nine. When we got back to the office, Chief Backstrand immediately issued
a cancelation of the want order for the blue sedan, and then he ordered
a detail amen to stake out the car and the event keeper decided to come
back for it. Here's the Corners report. Joe, let's see it.
Because of death strangulation time of death Monday, October eighteenth, approximately two pm,
one hour after he grabbler, I can't be right skipper in his office.
O, he's out for a minute. Hey, Joe, Ben,
take the call up two five oh three, will you? Thanks? Mines
Dride Would you give me the call on two five oh three please? Thanks?
Hello? Yeah, yeah, when we'll be right over some of the
ransom money. Ben just showed up Beverly and Highland. Come on, the
man's name was Ralph Donahue. He operated a used car lot on the corner
of Beverly and Highland. He told us that early that morning he sold a
dark blue late model coup to a man who gave his name as Fred Simms.
The man paid for the car in cash. Donahue told us that he
checked the serial numbers on the bills after the man had driven away. Sarah
Lemers, check out. You know, everyone, if I only thought to
look, officer, and you know I generally do, I'm the suspicious kind
any but oh, this morning I must have been asleep. We got the
full description on the car, Ben, Yeah, yeah, all right,
let's get it in the air right away. I saw I was mugg in
the paper while I was waiting for you too late. Sorry, yeah,
thanks. At ten minutes past three that afternoon, another piece of the ransom
money turned up at a busy downtown department store. The clerk was unable to
remember who gave her the bill. The detail throughout the general downtown area was
strengthened. The house to house search of the entire city for Judy Sullivan's murderer
went on the afternoon dragged into the early evening. At twenty minutes to seven,
Ben and I had a hamburger and a cup of coffee in the drug
store at East Broadway in the third and then we got back in the car,
checked with communications, and started cruising the neighborhood again. At nine minutes
to eight, a man answering the description of Donald Keeper was seen crossing Sunset
Boulevard just below Highland. Seven minutes later, the same man was reported near
the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Lost Palmus. Communications really the information. At
twenty one minutes past eight, our car EIGHTYK, along with a dozen others,
were concentrated in the Hollywood Boulevard area from Gower Street to Librea Franklin Avenue
to Santa Monica Boulevard. At twenty four minutes past eight, another piece of
the ransom money was passed at a cigar store in the corner of Hollywood Boulevard
and Hawthorne Street. The number of men and radio cars in the area was
redoubled. Wain clothes officers were stationed at every intersection to keep an eye on
pedestrian traffic. At eighteen minutes to nine, the dark blue coop which Keifer
had bought that morning, was spotted parked in an alley just below Hollywood Boulevard
and Conga. We called it Backstrand City Hall to five oh three two five
oh three, Chief of Detectives always Hannah is Friday, Mike the chief there.
Yeah, wait a minute, just going out the door, and it's
for you, Magstrand Friday ed just spotted Keeper's car the when he bought this
morning, parked in an alley off Conga. Harris and I are and I
went then now we'll take care of the car. You'll take care of this
call just came in. What do you got the theater on the corner of
Hollywood Boulevard and Fairview. A girl in the box office just took it.
A ten dollar ransom bill. Yeah, you got a good look at the
man who passed the bill, She says, it's Keeper. All right,
Ben, come on, Yeah, you've got a list of serial numbers right
here. Let's check out the window. Yes, sir, how many please
please? Office Sergeant Romeo, Sergeant Friday, Oh yes, sir, mister
Raeburn, please are here. Would you step around to the side door,
Sergeant Yes, ma'am Margie relieve Francis for a minute. Francis come in,
bring that ten dollar bill with you, sharp girl, Officer that francis sharp?
Here is all right, Sergeant. There you are ten dollar bill and
the list of serial numbers. Check out, all right, Ben, that's
it, Joe, good work man. The report of the man came in
about a half hour ago. You're sure it was Keeper, Yes, sir,
I have his picture in the box office, just behind the change machine.
I recognized him right away. As far as you know, he hasn't
left the theater. That's right, all right, mister raeburnd I'm sorry,
Fred, I have to interrupt the show. Anything you say, Sergeant,
anything, Ben, You keep an eye on the front. Ects that I'll
call communications. Frid Joe EIGHTYK to control four eight OK to control four eighty
K go ahead control for clear all frequencies. The Sullivan murder suspect Donald Keeper
has been located in the theater on the southeast corner of Hollywood Boulevarden Fairview.
Have all units around the area ADK Roger contention all units attention all units eighty
K in the theater on the southeast corner of Hollywood Boulevard, Fairview. Sullivan
murder suspects has been located in the theater. Go ahead eighty K control for
have all units converge in the general area Hollywood Boulevarden Fairview. Unit sixty two
are to block off the intersection in Hollywood Bullivard in North Cherokee Stop all pedestrian
and vehicular traffic. Unit sixty one eight to block the intersection in Hollywood Bull
Ofvarden Hudson Street Stop all pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Unit seventy one and seventy
two are to block the alley behind the theater at sixty six and sixty seven
IR who assistant main entrance to the theater. Within a few minutes, the
one half mile area around the theater was completely blockaded. Every exit and entrance
to the theater was covered. At nine twenty three, we met Harris and
ed Backstrand in the theater manager's office. Backstrand outlined our plan of operation.
At nine twenty eight, a detail of fourteen men walked down the side aisles
on the main floor of the theater and took up their posts on either side
of the orchestra pit. The picture was stopped and every light in the theater
was turned on. At Backstrand, Harris, Ben and I went down the
island up onto the stage. Backstrand made the announcement, Ladies and gentlemen,
we're sides to interrupt the picture, but this is important. We're police officers.
We've traced the murderer of Judy Sullivan to this theater. He's in this
theater now, and we're going to search the theater row by row, and
we'd like to ask your cooperation. There's no need to be panicky or afraid.
Those who wish to leave now may do so. Lead by the main
entrance. Each one of you will be checked as you go out the door,
and for the benefit of the man we're looking for, don't try to
escape. Every exod is covered in the entire area is blockaded. Don't place
any more lives in jeopardy. Come on, Ben, backstage show. We
can make it from there. All right, let's go, come on,
hustle it, Ben, Yeah, the next building you'll probably try to jump
for all right, watch it. I think this stor leads out to the
roof. Here he goes, all right, keep her hauling. Shoot,
I get up. Throw your gun down over here, don't huot. No,
let's get him, all right, coppers, I got it. Figured
they won't top me for this. Didn't know what I was doing with the
cuffs on him, Ben, get away from me. Your crump shouldn't have
hit him. Keep her all right, Ben, try the cuffs now.
Yeah, come on, let's get him in out of the rain. What's
a hurry? Why spoil a good rain. The story you have just heard
is true, only the names were changed to protect the innocent. Donald Alfred
Keeper was tried and convicted of murder in the first degree. He was executed
in the lethal gas chamber at the State Penitentiary. You have just heard the
fifteenth in a new series of authentic cases transcribed from official Fireous Technical advice for
Dragnet comes from the Office of Acting Chief of Police W. A. Wharton,
Los Angeles Police Department. Tonight's program is dedicated to Deputy United States Marshall
John B. Glenn Boise Item on the morning of July thirty first, nineteen
forty gave his life so that yours might be more secure. Drag Net came
to you from Los Angeles Dealer Guild on the air. Returns tomorrow night on
MBC. Welcome Back. A well done story of a kidnapping investigation with some
really gutriching scenes, particularly when Martin Sullivan was talking about his daughter when he
tried to pay off the ransom. I think that's a very raw and realistic
reaction, while at the same time not being sensation all about it. At
the same time, I also think that there were some really nice touches with
the sound effects them of them in the trunk of the car and the thunderstorm
in particular standout Dragon that, particularly in these early days, had this dedication
to high quality production and in making listeners feel like they were there with the
police wherever they were. They wanted to really make the full situation feel real,
which was why Jack Webb used far more sound effects men than other programs.
Did well. Now we turn to listener comments and feedback, and we
start on the site called x where Tina says great episode regarding Mara the Redhead.
Over on YouTube regarding fourteen Jewel Thefts, Ruth rites, it's strange to
think of Harry Morgan as a criminal. Well, if you think sixteen Jewel
Thefts was stress, then what you would really find strange is the movie Appointment
with Danger, where Jack Web and Harry Morgan both play criminals. In fact,
the character Jack Web plays is named Joe. It's like the Dragnet version
of the Mere Universe. Then we have an interesting question on YouTube from THEO
who writes, I love it when we find missing or lost episodes. Recently,
Doctor Who used AI to clean up some of their degraded episodes. What
do you think of using AI to recreate lost episodes from scripts that remain Thanks
so much, THEO. AI is a really hot topic right now. I've
got, I guess, an interesting perspective on it, or at least I've
got some interesting background in it, given that one of my books was pirated
and used by Meta and Bloomberg to train their AIS. Now I was one
of like one hundred thousand authors, so it wasn't like I was especially singled
out, but that definitely colors my opinion a little bit on this topic.
That said, I think that AI can be used as a legitimate tool by
writers and artists to aid human creative efforts. I think we've seen humans taking
advantage of new tools as computers have come along. For instance, there's no
denying that there's some fantastic art in the two D animated films, mostly from
the past that is just gorgeous, But there have also been some great films
made using computer animation. I can't say that something like up or in Conto
isn't art because there was computer animation involved. Now at the same time,
computer animation has also enabled a lot of very lazily done film, and I
think that's part of the reason why you have so many people who will,
for example, complain about all the CGI and movies. It's just kind of
becomes this thing where at first it might have been spectacular, but now it's
just kind of become bog standard, And many people will marvel at watching older
films before computers came along and be like, wow, they use practical effects
to make this happen. I've also seen when you take a look at films
that are just terribly made. So many of them are just you know,
poorly produced by people who didn't even fully understand the software or didn't really want
to put in the time to use the software to get a great result.
And we've already seen that with AI, that there is a kind of lazy
use of it that often leads to the same sort of mediocrity we've seen with
poor or bog standard CG. So my general stand on AI is that in
principle it can be used to aid artistic efforts and other efforts, but there's
going to be a lot of lazy garbage that comes from people who are able
to access it but don't actually understand how it works. Now, when it
comes to this, I have two thoughts. First of all, the big
difference between Doctor Who and Old Time Radio is that Doctor Who is very much
commercially viable. There are millions made on Doctor Who every year and spin off
meeting in DVD sales that gives it a level of interest that most other franchises
would not have. Old Time Radio, on the other hand, is not
commercially viable. The vast majority of it isn't. And even that which is
like episodes of the Shadow or something like that, it's not Doctor Who not
in the same league financially at all. So you would need the price of
this technology to come down to such a level that you could essentially have volunteers
doing it. But you might be able to do it, should you.
No, not really, at least not in my opinion, I feel like
that is really too far. Now, there are some really poor quality old
time radio recordings. If you had an AI tool that could clean that up
and make the voices clear, that's fine. I think creating a performance using
the voices of actors who are not with us, this is a lot more
problems. I mean, I think that there are legal issues obviously, because
even with old time radio not being under copyright, a new performance using the
voices of those actors that would raise all sorts of questions. Because you know,
books can enter the public domain. Is there some point where an actor
enters the public domain? But I really feel like with the best of programs
that what makes them great. Makes Bob Bailey's Johnny doll Or great are those
choices that he makes as an actor, those bits of humanity that he puts
into his role and trying to create that from whole cloth feels a bit disrespectful.
That's beyond you know, cleaning up audio and cleaning up video, which
is what the BBC did. Honestly, if you're going to do anything with
fissing radio scripts, have human actors recreate them. There are several different efforts
towards a recreation, and these are not going to be the same as if
you're hearing the radio plays, because they're different people, different talents, and
in many cases you know, they can't use the same music and cues.
But what you're hearing in that case is you're hearing the actual actors interpreting a
script, giving a performance. And the quality, will you know, vary
from recreation to recreation. There are some excellent groups out there, the Gotham
Radio Players. A few years back they did their own performance of one of
the Missing Dragnet episodes, the Big Cop, and they did a very good
job. It wasn't the same as the original, but it was a valid
interpretation. I particularly what stood out to me was the captain in that episode
gave a really well deserved SmackDown to a crooked cop and it really came forth
that the captain actor was from New York in a very obvious way. You
know, it wasn't over the top, but you wouldn't have heard that in
the nineteen fifties on Dragnet. But it was a perfectly valid and really good
interpretation of the script. And then you've got things like Hot Copy Radio Theater
or the American Radio Theater, and these groups have done US radio scripts,
and I think that's the best approach to them trying to program an AI to
do Jack Web or Bob Bailey or Virginia Gregg's voice. Maybe someday somebody will
do it, but I won't be listening it as always. Thanks for the
question, really to appreciate it. Well, now it's time to thank our
Patreon supporter of the day, and I want to go ahead and thank Tom.
Tom has been one of our Patreon supporters since December twenty nineteen, currently
supporting the podcast at the shamous level of four dollars or more per month.
Thank you so much for your support, and that will do it for today.
We'll be back next Saturday with another episode of Dragnat, but join us
back here on Monday as we begin a new series the adventures of the Falcon.
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
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This is your host, Adam. I am signing off.