WEBVTT

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Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old
Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This

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00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:38.679
is your host, Adam Graham.
If you have a comment, email it

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to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives
dot net, follow us on Twitter at

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Radio Detectives, and come to one
of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot

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com slash Radio Detectives. Well,
before we do get started, I do

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want to let you know this program
is brought to you by the financial support

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of our listeners and and I want
to thank Lindsey who became our eighth Patreon

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supporter, supporting us at the rookie
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more per month. You can support
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dot Great Detectives dot net. Also
over a Great Detectives dot net, I

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take a look at a great classic
television series, Ellery Queen, and you

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can get all of my reviews delivered
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Kindle, you can try that out
free for two weeks. You can also

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just read the article today at Great
Detectives dot net. Well, now,

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from June fifteenth of nineteen fifty.
Here now is the big press, ladies

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and gentlemen. One year ago,
tonight, through the of your local National

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Broadcasting Company station, we were privileged
to enjoy your attention at the premiere broadcast

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of a new series of authentic documented
dramas entitled Dragnet. This evening, on

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the occasion of our first anniversary as
weekly guests in your home, the cast,

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technicians and producers of Dragnet wish to
state publicly that our indebtedness is enormous

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for the degree of success which Dragnet
has achieved during the past year. Our

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first and greatest obligation is to you, our weekly listeners, for your support

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for your many kind letters of encouragement, criticism and appraisal. If Dragnet is

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a proven success, then you have
made it so. Behind the scenes.

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We have many more people to thank, our engineers, our sound technicians,

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our caste to the radio editors and
columnists across the nation, also a sincere

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thank you for your judgment of our
efforts. Additionally, claims on our thanks

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are held by the Los Angeles Police
Department for the National Broadcasting Company. To

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all of these and to you,
our gratitude here at the starting point of

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Dragnet's second year of broadcasting. Our
wish is twofold. First that we may

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enjoy your continued support. Secondly,
that we may deserve that support. Thank

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you. The story you are about
to hear is true, only the names

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have been changed to protect the innocent. Dragnet. You're a detective sergeant.

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You're assigned to robbery detail. Scores
of law women have been beaten and robbed.

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The victims have been unable to identify
the criminals. Your job get them.

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Dragnet the documented drama of an actual
crime. For the next thirty minutes,

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in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police
Department, you will travel step by

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step on the side of the law
through an actual case transcribed from official police

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filence, from beginning to end,
from crime to punishment, Dragnet is the

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story of your police force in action. It was Monday, July first,

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was mild in Los Angeles. You're
working to night watch out of robbery detail.

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My partner's Ben Romero. The boss
is ed Walker, Captain a robbery.

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My name is Friday. Was nine
to twenty seven PM when I left

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the phone booth at the Sunset driving
and got to our car eightk anything new.

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Captain Walker's wife had her baby boy
eight pounds. Oh that's swell.

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She all right? Yeah, so
does the captain? Look at the uniform

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on the waitress them. They should
dress them up, don't they good?

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Evening? Hi Daisy? Oh hello, didn't recognize you. What do you

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have? The usual? No?
I think I'll have something else besides the

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hamburger this time. Here's the man. You take a choice, Thank you.

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I'm kind of hungry. Maybe I'll
take a mill two are eight sixteen

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west five shrimps? Good? Where's
that right there? Oh? Yeah?

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Ninety five cents? What's all this
stuff I've been reading in the paper?

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What's that? A couple of guys
going around snatching purses and beating up women.

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Paper says it's happened seven times in
the last two weeks. Roast beef

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ninety cents. Roast beef's good too. Don't you know who's been doing it?

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No? Not yet. What do
you get from these liver and onions?

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With everything else? Dow potatoes and
coffee eighty five cents? Could just

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take the purse? Fa do they
have to beat up the women? We

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don't know. The headlines during me
in the face every time I open the

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paper. I'm getting afraid to walk
home at night. Do you get coffee

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and dessert with the Salisbury's Day?
Yeah? Sixty five seventy two t Roger

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and your car here? Do you
guys know what I've been talking about?

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Yeah, Daisy, you know I'll
take the Salisbury's Day. Yeah, Saul,

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I Hamburger specials on two. Well
done on mine? Please burn?

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Okay, be a couple of minutes. Thanks. All units in the vicinity

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of one oh one six North Magett, that's us get ready four ps from

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slugging three All units in the vicinity
of one oh one six North Mcatten for

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eighty four ps and slugging prow three
sixty one. I have take the call.

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I let her know where's going.
Okay, I'll be right there.

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Oh we're leaving, We'll be back. Okay. You know I've been wondering,

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and said Hamburger and Salisbury's take.
What's the different price? To the

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police officer. The lowest thief and
most cowardly is the person snatcher who prays

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on women for more than a month. Alown women throughout the western section of

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the city have been robbed and beaten
The descriptions were confused and varied because the

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attacks took place at night. Ten
oh six pm. We got to the

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location on North McAdden where the woman
was lying on the sidewalks. She'd been

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badly beaten about the face and neck, and her jaw had been broken.

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Officers Read and Shell of Unit sixty
one half were already there. Any witnesses

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offer, Yeah, there's man in
the sweater here, saw it happened?

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Says the victim's name is Swanson,
is mister kahnn How do you do?

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This is Sergeant Roma. My name
is Friday. I wonder if we could

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talk to you please, certainly?
Do you want to come into the house.

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It's right over here, will be
all right. Our officer there says

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that you saw it happen. That's
right. I was watching television. I

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heard this scream outside. I looked
out and saw the two men beating her

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up. Can you describe it?
The light there wasn't real good. But

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they're about as tall as you two, but they had slighter bills. How

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old were they could you see that? I'd say they were young and maybe

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eighteen nineteen. I saw them knock
her down. It was terrible. They

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hit her and then they kicked her. They picked up the person and ran

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down that way, and you called
the play, Yes, but not right

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away. I ran out and saw
them get in the car across the street.

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They drove right past me. Then
they turned east there on remain.

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Can you describe the car for I
got the license number for you. The

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last three numbers were five five two, Just three numbers. Yeah. Can

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you describe the car? What kind
was it? Oh? I don't know.

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It was new. I think it
was black, maybe it said or

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was it a large car or small? Oh? Kind of medium. Do

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you notice the back of it?
Yeah, that's where I saw the license

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plate. No, I mean did
you notice anything about the car? Maybe

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a dent on the fender or sticker
on the window. I didn't look at

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the window. Did the car have
a spot ladder, a radio antenna?

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I guess I didn't see any.
I was trying to look at the license

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plates. Did you know anything unusual
about the car and any identifying marks at

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all? Oh? No, I
didn't notice. How about the make of

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the car. Do you see what
kind of one? No? The last

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three numbers on the license plate were
five to five two California license plate,

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Yes, it was. That should
be enough here. Do you think you'll

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catch them tonight? Do you know
how many plates end? In? Five

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five two? Well? Ben called
in a general description of the car and

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the two attackers. I talked to
the other bystanders. I found out that

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the victim's name was Missus Frida K. Swanson, a widow. She had

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a room at one to three North
McAdden. None of the neighbors had seen

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the robbery or the beating take place. Eleven, twenty eight pm, Ben

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and I arrived at Hollywood Receiving Hospital
interview Missus Swanson, but she was unable

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to talk or to identify her attackers. She wrote on a piece of paper

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that she'd been slugged from behind.
She never got a good look at the

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man. Besides a broken jaw,
she was suffering from a fractured wrist,

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a broken nose, and bruises about
the face body. Tuesday, July second,

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the getaway car used in the attack
on the previous night was found abandoned

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on Hollywood Boulevard and proved to be
a stolen car license number six young four

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five five two. The victim's empty
purse was found inside. Routine investigation developed

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no leads. We met with Captain
Walker. Because the last four attacks had

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taken place within a six block radius. We set up a plan of decoys

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in an attempt to trap the two
perse snatchers. Four policewomen from Juvenile Bureau

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and a special detail from Metropolitan Division
was signed Tuesday four pm. The special

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detail was ordered to the squad room
for briefing. Oh, Joe, Oh,

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Hier Dorothy, hi's a taxedo back
in Mossball? Yeah? Hi,

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are your feet? My feet?
Nothing the matter with them. You're a

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good dancer. Yeah, I bet
I could use some lessons. Oh,

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you don't need lessons, Joe,
you need practice. Okay, let's get

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started. I don't have to tell
you the risks involved in an operation like

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this. I want all of you
to know where everybody will be at any

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given time, by all of you
police women and also the men who'll be

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in the squad Guys. If anybody
misses anything, stop me. If we

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don't have much of a description of
the men were after the two of them

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both about eighteen years old. Usually
they wear sneakers, slacks, and sport

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coats. They've been in different kinds
of cars, all of them stolen and

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keep each car for a few days
and ditch it. Hould on the map,

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will you, Joe? Yes?
Over Now, here's the area here

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residential. Ninety percent of the dwellings
have garages, so if a car is

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parked on the street, it might
be on you. Each of you will

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be given a list of cars stolen
in the last forty eight hours. Still

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outstanding. I want you to check
all park cars against the hot sheet.

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Oh first, hold up your purses, please, young lady. That person

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is too small. I'm afraid let's
make it look worthwhile. Yes, all

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right, once you won't be carrying
your guns in your purse. You wear

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a shoulder holster. Before you leave, Sergeant Friday will pass out some mark

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bills I want you to carry.
Okay't off, police woman short. You'll

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board a westbound street car at Western
and Santa Monica Boulevard at at nine o

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three pm. Don't worry about these
schedules the street carlb there. Get off

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at Las Palmas at nine thirteen,
walk south to Willoughby, turn east on

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Willoughby to Hudson, and north one
block to Romaine. You go westn Romain

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to Kowenga, then retrace your steps
to the starting point and you're through.

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Got it? Yes, you'll be
covered by Unit eighty one cave yep.

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How fast or slaw should we walk? Oh, I'd say a pretty good

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pace. No woman likes to be
alone on the streets at night, so

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it'll be natural. Yes, police
woman ball. Yes, you board an

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eastbound bus at Lebray and Melrose at
nine thirty five pm. You get off

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at Wilcox and Melrose at nine.
Walk north on Wilcox to Wearing, Turn

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west on Wearing for two blocks,
and north on Cherokee. Follow Cherokee for

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two blocks, Turn east on Romain, follow Romaine to Cold, and turn

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north on Coal. When you get
to Santa Monica Boulevard, retrace your steps

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to your starting point. You'll be
covered by Unit eighty seven. K Will

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the cars be cruising or will be
part both Friday and Romero be cruising all

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the time. I'll get to the
others when I finished with these instructions.

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Of course, if you see any
police car, give no recognition. Yeah,

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you said the two suspects were sneakers. That's right. It'd be pretty

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hard to hear them come up behind
you, I'd say, so, did

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any of the victims here they had
they wouldn't be victims. Nine pm the

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decoy plan went into effect. We
waited. Tuesday night passed, nothing happened.

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Wednesday night nothing. Thursday July fourth, the decoy plan was enlarged to

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include a larger area, but everything
was quiet. Friday July fifth, Captain

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Walker decided that the new plan,
covering an area from Robraya to Vine Street

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and from Sunset to Beverly, would
be kept in operation. Ten forty five

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pm, Ben and I cruise the
exposed area. We've been thinking about moving

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to a new place. Yeah.
Only trouble is we don't know what's gonna

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happen. You mean if rent control
goes off. Yeah, we don't know

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if prints will go up or now
he's got a lease. Seventy one and

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Mariposa five h seven parties. We're
gonna know what to do. We even

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toss the coin to decide. It's
about as good a way as any coin

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00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:33.559
came up tails four times in a
row. You know, wife changed your

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mind on each coss No decisions Rogers
seventy one on not a policewoman down there,

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Yeah, Nancy, sure you've got
a right there. South on Hudson

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00:14:46.639 --> 00:14:50.320
east on Melrose, then up will
Cox to Sunset all units will it be?

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And Hudson for eighty four bs and
slugging both three. Let's roll on

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it eighty three, Ye will it
be? And Hudson for eighty four bs

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and slugging code three. We drove
to Willoughby to solve the corner and saw

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00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:09.960
a woman sitting on the grass with
a few people around. She was a

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00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:13.039
young woman, about twenty five.
Her clothes had been torn and was a

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00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:15.919
red weld in her right cheekbone.
She was trying to get to her feet

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00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:18.399
as we came up. There'll be
an ambulance here in a few minutes.

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Miss, Can you tell us how
it happened? My cheeks swelling? Did

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you see who attacks? Yes?
I did. I can tell you about

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00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:26.159
him. Look here I ripped off
one of their pockets. These cards fell

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00:15:26.200 --> 00:15:31.159
off m driver's license George Landon.
Here's the piece of cloth I threw off

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00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:33.039
his pocket. Sun take that man? Thank you? You want to stay

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with her? See if I can
get a make on this license here?

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Okay, would you give me your
name? Please? Barbara Cutis I live

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on put eighty K to control one
eight? Ok? To control one.

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00:15:48.039 --> 00:15:54.480
Go ahead, Eddy check suspect for
making warrants. George Landon mail, White,

204
00:15:54.679 --> 00:15:58.960
age eighteen, five feet nine inches, one hundred and fifty five pounds,

205
00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:03.159
blue eyes, black hair, Address
twenty seven, twenty two and a

206
00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:07.679
half, Arthur Avenue, Cam E
three six seven, God your eighty k

207
00:16:11.799 --> 00:16:17.480
I'm gonna Did you see the car? Yes? I saw a white sidewall

208
00:16:17.559 --> 00:16:19.360
tires of the club coup. I
tried to see the license to play.

209
00:16:19.399 --> 00:16:22.559
I couldn't make it out. What
good was it case? I don't know,

210
00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:25.480
God Green, I think I'm so
mad I could boil. Can you

211
00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:27.480
describe the man? Well, you
got the driver's license, it's all there.

212
00:16:27.799 --> 00:16:30.720
Well it's just for one of them. And you said there were two

213
00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:32.879
men. I don't know. I
grabbed one of their coats and the other

214
00:16:32.919 --> 00:16:36.080
one hit me. I think I'm
so mad about it. If I tried

215
00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:38.519
to scream and nothing had come out, I understand. All right, Hi,

216
00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:41.080
you're the sixty three f we got
the call. It's fine. This

217
00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:44.639
is the victim of this, Curtis. If you'll handle the report and see

218
00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:47.000
that she gets home. We got
to lead to check out here. Okay,

219
00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:52.080
thank you? Can't your call back, Jill, we better get it.

220
00:16:52.120 --> 00:17:03.519
Come out of eighty k to control
one go ahead, eighty k.

221
00:17:03.119 --> 00:17:08.000
Suspect as mister minor m felony record
one arrest suspicion of robbery and one arrest

222
00:17:08.039 --> 00:17:14.640
GTA no once at this time all
streets and address on suspect twenty seven twenty

223
00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:18.440
two and one half Arthur Avenue,
Roger been in trouble before fell a named

224
00:17:18.440 --> 00:17:22.880
mister Mayor. Yeah, and he
and dress matches maybe this cloth does?

225
00:17:33.880 --> 00:17:44.960
You? Are listening to Dragnet?
Friday, eleven PM. Ben and I

226
00:17:45.079 --> 00:17:48.039
drove to twenty seven to twenty two
and a half. Arthur Avenue was a

227
00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:49.359
small house at the rear of a
lot on the east end of town.

228
00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:53.160
Alongside the front house, there was
a narrow passageway leading to the house in

229
00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:57.079
the back of a small lawn.
Between the two was no alley, and

230
00:17:57.200 --> 00:18:00.519
anybody leaving from the front or back
door had to go through the narrow passage.

231
00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:03.240
As we approached the house, a
light was on in the front room

232
00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:07.480
and through the window we could see
a middle aged woman reading a magazine.

233
00:18:07.680 --> 00:18:17.680
We rang the bell, Yes,
police officers, does George Landon live here?

234
00:18:18.119 --> 00:18:21.160
Why? Yes, he does?
I miss aunt, Miss Landon,

235
00:18:22.119 --> 00:18:25.559
what do you want? Will we
come in? Why? Yes, i'll

236
00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:33.519
won't you sit down? Thank you? Man? Is George Landon at home

237
00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:37.039
now? No, he isn't,
but I think he'll be home soon.

238
00:18:37.799 --> 00:18:41.160
He never stays out late. He
isn't in any trouble, is he.

239
00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:45.519
Do you know where he is with
his friends? I suppose he's a popular

240
00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:49.359
boy. He really should be home
soon. Where has he been, miss

241
00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:53.160
Lendon? I don't know. He
goes out at night, you know,

242
00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:59.720
with his friends. Well, I
really don't know. You see, it's

243
00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:03.559
difficult to keep track of a young
boy. He's a big boy, and

244
00:19:03.640 --> 00:19:07.960
he's full of vitality. He has
to find things to do. Yes,

245
00:19:07.079 --> 00:19:11.920
ma'am. He lives here with me. I'm his aunt. I'm not married,

246
00:19:11.960 --> 00:19:15.920
so I take care of him.
His parents died when he was a

247
00:19:15.960 --> 00:19:18.160
baby. I say, is George
worker? Does he go to school?

248
00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:25.880
Oh? He's finished school. You
aren't here about that automobile that was torn

249
00:19:25.920 --> 00:19:29.759
a year ago, are you no, ma'am? Oh, he had some

250
00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:33.759
trouble then. I'm sure he didn't
do it. Since then, he's been

251
00:19:33.880 --> 00:19:38.160
very good. He hasn't missed a
day's work, and he goes to church

252
00:19:38.200 --> 00:19:41.240
with me anytime I ask him?
Where does he spend his evenings? Do

253
00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:45.720
you know what I told you?
With his friends? A young man has

254
00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:49.839
to use up his energy. I
don't try to hold him too tightly.

255
00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:53.880
Good boy like him. Can we
look at his room? Oh? Yes,

256
00:19:55.319 --> 00:19:59.119
if it's right here, right,
I'll show you how neat he keeps

257
00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:07.319
it so there in that night,
Yes, ma'am. I'm not trying to

258
00:20:07.400 --> 00:20:11.640
defend him. I'm only telling you
about him. He keeps his room cleaned

259
00:20:11.720 --> 00:20:17.240
up himself. He smokes a little, but I've never smelled a drop of

260
00:20:17.319 --> 00:20:21.799
liquor on his breath. He's a
very good boy, yes, ma'am.

261
00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:23.599
He even reads a lot. You. You can see his books over here.

262
00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:27.319
Yes, ma'am, you learn if
we look around little No, No,

263
00:20:27.480 --> 00:20:34.279
that's all right. Should be home
soon. He's probably at a movie.

264
00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:37.559
Do you wanna wait for him?
No, I won't be necessary.

265
00:20:38.519 --> 00:20:44.920
He's always home by midnight. I'm
telling you. We're here. Oh that

266
00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:48.240
must be George, now, George. Yeah, these men would like to

267
00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:53.319
talk to you. They're police officers. All right, Take it easy,

268
00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:56.880
young fellow. We'll go hold him, turn him around. Yep, how

269
00:20:57.000 --> 00:21:02.599
stands for a young fella. That's
no gun. What do you guys think

270
00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:06.839
you're doing? I didn't do anything. It was just out for a ride

271
00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:11.519
this year, nephew. Yes,
coat string Joe pocket ripped off this year.

272
00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:18.200
Driver's license here, George, Yeah, I lost it when last week?

273
00:21:18.440 --> 00:21:23.519
It was found tonight. So what
how'd you tear your coat getting out

274
00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:26.480
of the car the other night?
Here's a piece of cloth. A girl

275
00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:30.440
who was attacked tonight gave it to
us. It matches the tear there in

276
00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:34.960
your coat. What if you done? George? Tell her I didn't want

277
00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:37.480
to do it. I didn't want
to do it anytime he talked me into

278
00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:40.759
it, he made me do it. He's got a gun, and he

279
00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:42.160
stole the cars. He made all
the plans. Who made all the plans?

280
00:21:42.200 --> 00:21:45.000
Tommy? Oh, we never did
anything. He said to hang out

281
00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:47.680
at the drug store until that time
a year ago. What's his last name?

282
00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:48.680
He said that it had always be
held against me, and I better

283
00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:52.440
go along with him. Tommy?
Who Decker? Was he with you tonight?

284
00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:53.559
Yeah? He's the one that hit
her when she grabbed hold of me.

285
00:21:55.079 --> 00:21:56.079
He's the one that always had him. I never wanted him to do

286
00:21:56.119 --> 00:22:00.839
it. Where's the stuff you took
out of that purse. Tommy's gonna hide

287
00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:06.599
it where back of where he works? Where's that garage? Someplace? I

288
00:22:06.599 --> 00:22:10.839
don't know where. He just started
working there. Where does place on West

289
00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:15.680
Sixth? I never been there.
What does this Decker look like? Same

290
00:22:15.720 --> 00:22:18.680
age I am, but about an
inch taller and must be fifteen pounds heavier.

291
00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:23.200
He's got dark hair. How's he
dressed? Just like me? Sneakers

292
00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:26.240
and bronze slacks and a tan sport
code. Better call the office, man,

293
00:22:26.359 --> 00:22:30.519
Yeah? Can I use your telephone? Man, it's in the hall

294
00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:36.880
behind the door. You said Decker's
got a gun? Yeah, officer,

295
00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:41.119
Will you tell me the truth?
I'll try. Man. Are George and

296
00:22:41.160 --> 00:22:45.119
this Tommy Decker the two men the
papers have been writing about. I'm afraid

297
00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:51.160
so the ones who'd been robbing the
women and beating them up. I didn't

298
00:22:51.160 --> 00:22:53.079
mean it. I didn't know what
I was doing. I raised your George.

299
00:22:53.160 --> 00:23:02.559
I didn't either. Eleven forty two
pm we checked into the office with

300
00:23:02.599 --> 00:23:06.759
the eighteen year old suspect, George
Landon. While Ben and a police deenographer

301
00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:07.880
took down the statement. I went
down to R and I and pulled a

302
00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:12.440
package on the other suspect Thomas Decker. His MAMA sheet showed a petition had

303
00:23:12.440 --> 00:23:17.359
been filed on four fifty nine PC
and FO eighty eight PC. They also

304
00:23:17.400 --> 00:23:21.440
showed three different recent addresses for Decker, one on West sixth Street, one

305
00:23:21.480 --> 00:23:25.680
on South Mariposa, and a third
on North Catalina. Two units were dispatched

306
00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:27.559
to the first two addresses. Ben
and I went to the address on North

307
00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:32.279
Catalina rooming house. We learned from
Decker's landlady that he was working as an

308
00:23:32.279 --> 00:23:36.880
apprentice mechanic on the swing shift at
a large garage on South Flower Street.

309
00:23:36.880 --> 00:23:42.799
Twelve fifty one am. Ben and
I arrived at the garage. I beg

310
00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:47.960
you Parke, Yes, police officer. Does Thomas Decker work here? Yeah?

311
00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:57.680
He works here? Hicker? Why
yeah here, Harry is back?

312
00:23:59.079 --> 00:24:07.079
Thank you? Where you want you
Thomas Decker? Yeah, police officers like

313
00:24:07.079 --> 00:24:11.319
to talk to you. Watch it, Joe, come on him and he

314
00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:18.400
he's going in the locker room.
All right, let's lock hit him.

315
00:24:18.759 --> 00:24:22.200
Don't go. Hey, you you
over there and they're all out of this

316
00:24:22.279 --> 00:24:30.480
locker room. Yeah, come on, man, here we are. Watch

317
00:24:30.519 --> 00:24:33.880
it came from behind that car back. But they don't I cover me,

318
00:24:37.240 --> 00:24:44.839
all right, Ben, give it
back to throw your gun out, throw

319
00:24:44.839 --> 00:24:51.519
it out right, I come on
off, hands behind your head. I'll

320
00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:56.240
get the gun, all right.
You turn around watching Joe, watch it.

321
00:24:56.440 --> 00:25:11.759
He's getting away and I'm loft outstairs. No, no, there,

322
00:25:11.799 --> 00:25:22.720
I go, come up, let
me come, let me go, all

323
00:25:22.799 --> 00:25:32.400
right. I get the cups on
them bed. Yeah, eighteen years old?

324
00:25:32.880 --> 00:25:36.640
What's it prove? Let I go? Sometimes you kind of wonder if

325
00:25:36.680 --> 00:25:48.240
it's true. What's There's no such
thing as a bad boy. The story

326
00:25:48.279 --> 00:25:52.880
you have just heard was true.
Only the names have been changed to protect

327
00:25:52.920 --> 00:25:56.279
the innocent. On November, first
trial was held in Superior Court, Department

328
00:25:56.319 --> 00:26:00.480
eighty two, City and County of
Los Angeles, State of California. In

329
00:26:00.519 --> 00:26:12.559
a moment the results of that trial, Thomas Decker and George Landon were tried

330
00:26:12.599 --> 00:26:17.640
and convicted on five counts of grand
theft person, five counts of grand theft

331
00:26:17.680 --> 00:26:21.680
auto, and five counts of assault
with intent to do great bodily harm.

332
00:26:21.960 --> 00:26:25.759
They were sentenced to the state penitentiary
for a term as prescribed by law and

333
00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:33.920
are now serving their sentence. Ladies
and gentlemen, Chief of Police W.

334
00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:37.400
A. Wharton, speaking from his
office in City Hall, Los Angeles,

335
00:26:37.400 --> 00:26:44.519
California. As Chief of Police of
the City of Los Angeles, I wish

336
00:26:44.519 --> 00:26:51.119
to extend my hottiest congratulations to the
program Dragnet on the occasion of its first

337
00:26:51.160 --> 00:26:57.680
anniversary. The overwhelming success of this
program, as indicated by the hundreds of

338
00:26:57.759 --> 00:27:04.240
commendatory letters, telegrams and personal comments
I feel, has been due to the

339
00:27:04.279 --> 00:27:12.319
splendid job of portraying police officers and
their work. The American public, by

340
00:27:12.359 --> 00:27:19.640
its enthusiastic acceptance of Dragnet, has
indicated a desire for fractual police programs.

341
00:27:21.759 --> 00:27:26.920
The Los Angeles Police Department is proud
to contribute to the constructive entertainment of both

342
00:27:26.920 --> 00:27:33.079
adults and children through this medium.
May I extend my best wishes to the

343
00:27:33.160 --> 00:27:37.880
National Broadcasting Company, the sponsor,
the actors, the writer, and the

344
00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:44.000
producer of Dragnet, and I trust
there will be many more years of continued

345
00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:52.799
success for this program. You have
just heard Dragnet a series of authentic cases

346
00:27:52.839 --> 00:27:57.279
from official files. Technical advice for
Dragnet comes from the Office of Chief of

347
00:27:57.319 --> 00:28:07.480
Police W. A. Wharton,
S Angeles Police Department. Next, a

348
00:28:07.559 --> 00:28:26.880
great news show, Sarah's Private Caper
on NBC. This is Andrew Ryan's with

349
00:28:26.920 --> 00:28:32.240
OTR Westerns dot com, where we
stream live old time radio Westerns twenty four

350
00:28:32.279 --> 00:28:36.200
hours a day, seven days a
week with a special twist. You select

351
00:28:36.279 --> 00:28:40.000
the tracks that get to be played. We've got a thousand different episodes from

352
00:28:40.079 --> 00:28:44.200
shows like Gunsmoke, Tales of the
Texas Rangers, Escape, Genautry, and

353
00:28:44.279 --> 00:28:48.839
many more. Come check us out
at OTR Westerns dot com slash live Again.

354
00:28:48.920 --> 00:28:52.519
That's OTR Westerns dot com slash Live. You're listening to the great detectives

355
00:28:52.519 --> 00:28:56.640
of old time radio with Adam Graham. And now let's get back into the

356
00:28:56.680 --> 00:29:07.119
show. Welcome back. Well,
they were a little late for strict first

357
00:29:07.160 --> 00:29:11.559
anniversary celebration, as that was on
June the third. The last week's show

358
00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:17.519
was their fifty second script and this
was their fifty third. Some preemptions and

359
00:29:17.599 --> 00:29:22.920
schedule changes played into that. I
really appreciated the opening of the show.

360
00:29:23.240 --> 00:29:30.839
It showed kind of an old fashioned
sense of gratitude to the audience, and

361
00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:37.720
whether every program did this or not, I think there was that sense during

362
00:29:37.799 --> 00:29:44.279
the golden age of entertainment. It
was a reminder of what acting, performing

363
00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:51.480
singing was for the great mass of
entertainers. Now you might have your prima

364
00:29:51.599 --> 00:29:56.960
donnas, your big big stars on
occasion, but for a lot of actors,

365
00:29:56.960 --> 00:30:02.319
for most of them, acting was
very g work. It was dependent

366
00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:06.799
on you going from town to town
and city to city, gig to gig,

367
00:30:07.039 --> 00:30:11.839
playing the same part in the same
role over and over again, never

368
00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:18.759
quite knowing sometimes where your next meal
would come from. William Gargan wrote about

369
00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:22.720
his career on the stage of course, the star of Barry Craig, confidential

370
00:30:22.759 --> 00:30:30.640
investigator and such a great personality in
Hollywood, and he wrote about how the

371
00:30:30.759 --> 00:30:34.000
type of things that you went through
as an actor and even the early days

372
00:30:34.039 --> 00:30:40.400
of movies could often be quite brutal
to many of the early stars of the

373
00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:45.200
silence and even into the talkies.
So you have now starting the nineteen thirties

374
00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:52.279
radio where you don't have to go
anywhere or travel anywhere. You're able to

375
00:30:52.079 --> 00:31:00.160
ply your trade every week because someone's
willing to invite you into their hall.

376
00:31:00.400 --> 00:31:06.160
You are, i guessed in their
home because they value what you have to

377
00:31:06.279 --> 00:31:11.359
offer. And this was the type
of program different from other crime programs where

378
00:31:11.359 --> 00:31:17.240
parents would call their kids and say, come on, it's time to listen

379
00:31:17.240 --> 00:31:23.400
to Dragnet and they valued that because
they remembered I think the roots of acting

380
00:31:23.920 --> 00:31:30.079
and what it often is for many
amateur actors, people who never quite make

381
00:31:30.119 --> 00:31:37.640
it big, but major entertainment industry
often gets disconnected from that. Maybe it's

382
00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:45.039
a familiarity with the idea of television
and big movies and an expectation that this

383
00:31:45.200 --> 00:31:48.599
is the way that it ought to
be. It may be a little bit

384
00:31:48.640 --> 00:31:52.519
of familiarity breeding contempt, but that's
something you don't get from the golden age

385
00:31:52.720 --> 00:31:59.000
of entertainment. I think in this
episode we also hear how drag that wasn't

386
00:31:59.119 --> 00:32:06.079
just about telling you how the police
work, but really educating people in good

387
00:32:06.119 --> 00:32:13.759
citizenship and being a good witness.
A chief example being that gentleman who really

388
00:32:13.880 --> 00:32:20.200
tried to help out the police but
mispertinent details. Getting a license number is

389
00:32:20.359 --> 00:32:24.359
great, but you want to try
and focus and get as much information as

390
00:32:24.599 --> 00:32:29.880
possible. Even if he'd gotten the
full license number, it could have been

391
00:32:29.920 --> 00:32:35.680
a case where you could have a
plight that doesn't match the car. And

392
00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:39.799
I will say that this first season
of Dragnet, and it's pretty much true

393
00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:50.759
throughout this Throughout Dragnet, the main
role we do see the policewomen in is

394
00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:58.519
undercover and in decoy sort of roles, and I think there is a certain

395
00:32:58.640 --> 00:33:01.920
element of realism, and that was, I think, at this point in

396
00:33:02.039 --> 00:33:09.240
history, one of the biggest parts
of police work. And certainly that's always

397
00:33:09.319 --> 00:33:15.880
going to be true when you do
have crimes that are targeted specifically against women,

398
00:33:16.039 --> 00:33:21.799
but it was very predominant in the
nineteen fifties. Perhaps it's for that

399
00:33:22.039 --> 00:33:29.400
reason that the very first ever show
about a policewoman as a television show was

400
00:33:29.480 --> 00:33:34.920
called Decoy. And while it's fair
to criticize some of the limitations that many

401
00:33:35.039 --> 00:33:40.160
police departments placed on women, that
should not be a criticism of the very

402
00:33:40.880 --> 00:33:47.680
brave policewomen in so many departments,
because in any situation taking on this role

403
00:33:47.960 --> 00:33:55.839
as a decoy is this episode really
illustrated that, despite whatever precautions they took,

404
00:33:57.200 --> 00:34:04.039
this was a dangerous situation that ultimately
the guard against everything. For at

405
00:34:04.079 --> 00:34:07.440
any rate, a very interesting episode, and I think I probably spent more

406
00:34:07.519 --> 00:34:15.039
time talking about the introduction and conclusion
in terms of recognizing Dragnet's achievement than I

407
00:34:15.119 --> 00:34:20.159
did the show itself. But that
will do it for today. We'll be

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00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:23.599
back on Monday with the Saint.
Join us back here next Saturday for another

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00:34:23.679 --> 00:34:29.239
episode of Dragnet. In the meantime, send your comments to Box thirteen at

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00:34:29.280 --> 00:34:34.199
Great Detectives dot net, follow us
on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and become

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00:34:34.280 --> 00:34:37.920
one of our friends on Facebook,
Facebook dot com. Slash Radio Detectives from

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00:34:37.920 --> 00:34:42.400
Boise, Idaho. This is your
host, Adam Grahamson and Off