Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Suspense "Fall River Tragedy" (1-14-52)

Fall River Tragedy (Aired January 14, 1952


Suspense was one of the premier programs of the Golden Age of Radio (aka old-time radio), and advertised itself as "radio's outstanding theater of thrills." It was heard in one form or another from 1942 through 1962. There were approximately 945 episodes broadcast during its long run, over 900 of which are extant in mostly high-quality recordings. Suspense went through several major phases, characterized by different hosts, sponsors and director/producers. There were a few rules which were followed for all but a handful of episodes: Protagonists were usually a normal person suddenly dropped into a threatening or bizarre situation. Evildoers must be punished in the end.

THIS EPISODE:
Suspense. January 14, 1952. CBS net. "The Fall River Tragedy". Sponsored by: Auto-Lite. Lizzie Borden tells her side of the story! Agnes Moorehead, Harlow Wilcox (commercial spokesman), Joseph Kearns, Elliott Lewis (producer, director), Gil Doud (writer), Peggy Webber, Will Wright, Herb Butterfield, Lucien Moraweck (composer), Lud Gluskin (conductor), Rolfe Sedan, Stuffy Singer, Larry Thor (announcer), Bert Holland (commercial spokesman). 29:29.


"Lizzie Borden took an ax, and gave her mother 40 whacks; when she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41. Most of us know the grisly rhyme, but not the whole story. Who was Lizzie Borden? Did she really murder her father and stepmother on that muggy morning in August 1892? Or does she stand wrongly accused"?

FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Your's Truly Johnny Dollar "The Todd Matter - Show One Of Two" (9-13-56)

THE TODD MATTER ( Originally presented in 5 episodes, contained here in 2 postings)


Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was a radio drama about a freelance insurance investigator "with the action-packed expense account." The show aired on CBS Radio from February 11, 1949 to September 30, 1962. There were 811 episodes in the 12-year run, and over 720 still exist today. Each story started with a phone call from an insurance agent calling on Johnny to investigate an unusual claim. Each story required Johnny to travel to some distant locale, usually within the United States but sometimes abroad, where he was almost always threatened with personal danger in the course of his investigations.

THIS EPISODE:
September 13, 1956. Program #1. CBS network. "The Todd Matter". Sustaining. An expensive tip from an ex-con starts Johnny on the trail of stolen goods, and a murder attempt! The system cue has been deleted. Amerigo Moreno (music supervisor), Bob Bailey, Barbara Fuller, Frank Gerstle (doubles), Jack Johnstone (producer, director), John Dawson (writer), Lawrence Dobkin (quadruples), Marvin Miller (doubles), Roy Rowan (announcer), Shirley Mitchell (doubles), Vivi Janis. 13:55.

FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Diary Of Fate "Nelson Walker" (6-15-48)

Nelson Walker


Diary of Fate is a mystery and horror program where “Fate” narrates and always wins by the end of the story. These are great suspense filled stories about average people who are subject to the mysteries of their ‘Fate’. In This episode, March 16, 1948. Program #14. Finley syndication. "Joe Mattock". Commercials added locally. Book 63, page 397. A truck driver and his beautiful hitch-hiker commit murder to get their hands on $100,000, kept in a little black bag. The date is subject to correction. Ivan Ditmars (music), Larry Finley (producer), Hal Sawyer, Frank Albertson, Gloria Blondell, Herb Lytton, Jerry Hausner, Ray Ehrlenborn (probable sound effects). 26:47

THIS EPISODE:

June 15, 1948. Program #27. Finley syndication. "Nelson Walker". Commercials added locally. Book 97, page 302. A drifter faces "an instant of horror." Not auditioned. The date is subject to correction. Larry Finley (producer), Gloria Blondell, Herb Lytton, Jack Edwards Jr., Pat McGeehan, Ray Ehrlenborn (probable sound effects), Hal Sawyer, Bern Surrey. 27:06.

FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The CBS Radio Mystery Theater "The Meteorite" (4-11-77)

The Meteorite (Aired April 11, 1977)


The CBS Radio Mystery Theater (or CBSRMT) was an ambitious and sustained attempt to revive the great drama of old-time radio in the 1970s. Created by Himan Brown (who had by then become a radio legend due to his work on Inner Sanctum Mysteries and other shows dating back to the 1930s), and aired on affiliate stations across the CBS Radio network, the series began its long run on January 6, 1974. The final episode ran on December 31, 1982. The show was broadcast nightly and ran for one hour, including commercials. Typically, a week consisted of three to four new episodes, with the remainder of the week filled out with reruns. There were a total of 1399 original episodes broadcast. The total number of broadcasts, including reruns, was 2969. The late E.G. Marshall hosted the program every year but the final one, when actress Tammy Grimes took over. Each episode began with the ominous sound of a creaking door, slowly opening to invite listeners in for the evening's adventure. At the end of each show, the door would swing shut, with Marshall signing off, "Until next time, pleasant...dreams?"
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - You Bet Your Life "Secret Word Is Water" (3-15-50)

Secret Word "Water" (Aired March 15, 1950)


Groucho Marx matches wits with the American public in four episodes of this classic game show. Starting on the radio in 1947, You Bet Your Life made its television debut in 1950 and aired for 11 years with Groucho as host and emcee. Sponsored rather conspicuously by the Dodge DeSoto car manufacturers, the show featured two contestants working as a team to answer questions for cash prizes. Another mainstay of these question and answer segments was the paper mache duck that would descend from the ceiling with one hundred dollars in tow whenever a player uttered the "secret word." The quiz show aspect of "You Bet Your Life" was always secondary, to the clever back-and-forth between host and contestant, which found Groucho at his funniest. It's in these interview segments that "You Bet Your Life" truly makes its mark as one of early television's greatest programs. Directed by: Robert Dwan.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Barry Craig Confidential Investigator "Dead On Arrival" (11-14-51)

Dead On Arrival (Aired November 14, 1951)


Barry Craig, Confidential Investigator is one of the few detective radio series that had separate versions of it broadcast from both coasts. Even the spelling changed over the years. It was first "Barry Crane" and then "Barrie Craig". NBC produced it in New York from 1951 to 1954 and then moved it to Hollywood where it aired from 1954 to 1955. It attracted only occasional sponsors so it was usually a sustainer. William Gargan, who also played the better known television (and radio) detective Martin Kane, was the voice of New York eye BARRY CRAIG while Ralph Bell portrayed his associate, Lt. Travis Rogers. Craig's office was on Madison Avenue and his adventures were fairly standard PI fare. He worked alone, solved cases efficiently, and feared no man. As the promos went, he was "your man when you can't go to the cops. Confidentiality a speciality."
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Black Museum "Four Small Bottles" (1952)

Four Small Bottles (1952) *Exact Date Unknown


Opening in 1875, the Crime Museum at Scotland Yard is the oldest museum in the world purely for recording crime. The name Black Museum was coined in 1877 by a reporter from The Observer, a London newspaper, although the museum is still referred to as the Crime Museum. The idea of a crime museum was conceived by Inspector Neame who had already collected together a number of items, with the intention of giving police officers practical instruction on how to detect and prevent burglary. It is this museum that inspired the Black Musuem radio series. The museum is not open to members of the public but is now used as a lecture theatre for the curator to lecture police and like bodies in subjects such as Forensic Science, Pathology, Law and Investigative Techniques. A number of famous people have visited the musuem including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Orsen Welles hosted and narrated the shows. Following the opening, Mr. Welles would introduce the museum's item of evidence that was central to the case, leading into the dramatization. He also provided narration during the show and ended each show with his characteristic closing from the days of his Mercury Theater on the Air, 'remaining obediently yours'.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - CBS Radio Workshop "Light Ship" (4-28-57)

Light Ship (Aired April 28, 1957)


Broadcast from 1936 through to 1947 with just an occasional break. Revived again from January 1956 to September 1957 as CBS Radio Workshop with pretty much the same format. Broadcast from 1936 through to 1947 with just an occasional break. Revived again from January 1956 to September 1957 as CBS Radio Workshop with pretty much the same format. This was drama with a difference. Columbia Workshop was not everybody’s cup of tea and in terms of audience popularity it was always noted that it was never a strong contender for the title “Radios Top Rated Drama Series” and yet it was always considered to be the drama program that led the way in radio standards. Columbia was the first to mexperiment with what radio drama was all about, introducing new techniques never before used in over the airwaves drama and because it received little encouragement from established writers, actors, etc., it was only by breaking new ground with new ideas and new techniques from writers who were not versed in the old ways that it was going to survive.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Hollywood Radio Theater "It Happened On 5th Avenue" (5-19-47)

It Happened On 5th Avenue (Aired On May 19, 1947





Hollywood Radio Theater (Lux), one of the genuine classic radio anthology series (NBC Blue Network, 1934-1935; CBS 1935-1955), adapted first Broadway stage and then (and especially) films to hour-long live radio presentations and became the standard by which future radio and early television anthologies would be judged. Cecil B. DeMille was the host of the series each Monday evening from June 1, 1936 until January 22, 1945.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Black Museum "The Telegram" (1952)

The Telegram (1952) *Exact Air Date Is Unknown

Opening in 1875, the Crime Museum at Scotland Yard is the oldest museum in the world purely for recording crime. The name Black Museum was coined in 1877 by a reporter from The Observer, a London newspaper, although the museum is still referred to as the Crime Museum. The idea of a crime museum was conceived by Inspector Neame who had already collected together a number of items, with the intention of giving police officers practical instruction on how to detect and prevent burglary. It is this museum that inspired the Black Musuem radio series. The museum is not open to members of the public but is now used as a lecture theatre for the curator to lecture police and like bodies in subjects such as Forensic Science, Pathology, Law and Investigative Techniques. A number of famous people have visited the musuem including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Orsen Welles hosted and narrated the shows. Following the opening, Mr. Welles would introduce the museum's item of evidence that was central to the case, leading into the dramatization. He also provided narration during the show and ended each show with his characteristic closing from the days of his Mercury Theater on the Air, 'remaining obediently yours'.

THIS EPISODE: :
The Black Museum. 1952. Syndicated, AFRTS rebroadcast. "The Telegram". A chauffeur with a taste for murder and a poor ability to spell is tripped up by a telegram and a long string of co-incidences. The date is approximate. Orson Welles (narrator), Harry Alan Towers (producer), Ira Marion (writer), Sidney Torch (composer, conductor). 24:10
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - NBC University Theater "At Heavens Gate" (1-22-50)

At Heavens Gate (Aired January 22, 1950)


NBC University Theater is an unusual series that focused on reenacting novels by great authors for college classes. Many accredited American universities such as Washington State College, University of Louisville, and University of Tulsa, used this dramatics series as a supplement to correspondent college courses.The series' creators made study guides to accompany the courses. Students studying great literature by Steinbeck, Faulkner, Hemingway, Huxley, and many others listened to these shows every week. It was an ambitious series that remained popular despite its academic and non-commercial appeal. The shows are high quality and will please many fans of great literature.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Campbell Playhouse "Mr. Deeds Goes To Town" (2-11-40)

Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (Aired February 11, 1940)


Samuel Dodsworth (Walter Huston) is an ambitious automobile designer, who builds his fortunes in Zenith. In addition to his success in the business world, he succeeds in winning the hand of Fran Voelker (Ruth Chatterton), a beautiful socialite. At the age of fifty, he sets out to do what he had always wanted - take a leisurely trip to Europe with his wife. His forty-one year old wife, however, is dissatisfied with married life and wants to live in Europe, not just visit. Passing up advancement in his company, Dodsworth leaves for Europe with Fran. Soon, both Sam and Fran are caught up in vastly different lifestyles. Fran falls in with a crowd of frivolous socialites. Sam meets Edith Cortright (Mary Astor), a woman who is everything his wife is not: self-assured, self-confident, and able to take care of herself. As they follow their own pursuits, their marriage is strained to the breaking point. Both Sam and Fran are forced to choose between marriage and the new lifestyles they have pursued.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Campbell Playhouse "Mr. Deeds Goes To Town" (2-11-40)

Mr. Deeds Goes To Town (Aired February 11, 1940)


Samuel Dodsworth (Walter Huston) is an ambitious automobile designer, who builds his fortunes in Zenith. In addition to his success in the business world, he succeeds in winning the hand of Fran Voelker (Ruth Chatterton), a beautiful socialite. At the age of fifty, he sets out to do what he had always wanted - take a leisurely trip to Europe with his wife. His forty-one year old wife, however, is dissatisfied with married life and wants to live in Europe, not just visit. Passing up advancement in his company, Dodsworth leaves for Europe with Fran. Soon, both Sam and Fran are caught up in vastly different lifestyles. Fran falls in with a crowd of frivolous socialites. Sam meets Edith Cortright (Mary Astor), a woman who is everything his wife is not: self-assured, self-confident, and able to take care of herself. As they follow their own pursuits, their marriage is strained to the breaking point. Both Sam and Fran are forced to choose between marriage and the new lifestyles they have pursued.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The CBS Radio Workshop "The Green Hills Of Earth" (7-21-57)

The Green Hills Of Earth (Aired July 21, 1957)




Following in the tradition of THE CBS WORKSHOP of the 1930's and
1940's, THE CBS RADIO WORKSHOP offered the listener an anthology
series that was one of the finest series of programs ever aired. It
featured stories by major authors, parts played seasoned actors and
frequently offered a place to try new things on the radio. Many of
the shows are considered classic representations of the very best of
Golden Age radio drama.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Cloak & Dagger "Seeds Of Doubt" (9-15-50)

Seeds Of Doubt (Posted September 15, 1950)


"Are you willing to undertake a dangerous mission for the United States, knowing in advance you may never return alive?" Cloak and Dagger first aired over the NBC network on May 7, 1950. It had a short run through the Summer on Sundays, changing to Fridays after its Summer run. The last show aired Oct. 22, 1950. This is the story of the WWII special governmental agency, the OSS, or Office of Strategic Services. Its mission was to develop and maintain spy networks throughout Europe and into Asia, while giving aid to underground partisan groups and developing espionage activities for Allied forces overseas.The show is based on the book of the same name by Lt. Col. Corey Ford and Major Alastair MacBain (who were associated with the OSS from its early days.) The dramas are not Hollywood-style, in that they sometimes end with plans foiled or leading characters dead.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Adventures Of Frank Merriwell "The Riddle Of The Wrong Answers" (10-05-46)

The Riddle Of The Wrong Answers (Aired October 5, 1946)


Frank Merriwell, the much-loved fictional hero of Street and Smith's Tip Top Weekly, was first introduced to readers on April 18, 1896. Merriwell was the creation of writer Burt L. Standish (real name: Gilbert Patten), and embodied a new type of dime novel hero, one who relied as much upon mental as physical prowess. The Yale-educated Merriwell possessed "a body like Tarzan's and a head like Einstein's," wrote one admiring writer, and thus represented "the perfect union of brain and brawn." First broadcast over NBC from 03/26/34 to 06/22/34 and again, on NBC, from 10/05/46 until 06/04/49. A 1946 Movie was also made.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Beyond Midnight "The Party" (1950)

Beyond Midnight - The Party (1950) *Exact Date Is Unknown







Let us journey “into the land that lies beyond midnight,” into a world of ghost hunters, men going mad, and DEATH DEATH DEATH! Written by the masterful Michael McCabe, these well-done South African radio shows will capture your attention and keep you up listening to them well beyond midnight.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Curtain Time "Practically Engaged" (8-07-48)

Practically Engaged (Aired August 7, 1948)






Curtain Time, like First Nighter, presented romantic drama in a theater setting complete with the announcer shouting, “Tickets please, thank you”. The shows announcer was Harry Halcomb who was later known best for his appearances on the 60 minutes television show. Great scripts and superb acting, Curtain Time is truly an Old Time Radio Classic.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Michael Shayne "The Case Of Anthony Carrell" (7-15-48)

Case Of Anthony Carrell (Aired July 15, 1948)


Michael Shayne was a fictional sleuth created by Brett Halliday (a pen name for author Davis Dresser) who was first initiated into the fraternity for detectives in the 1939 novel "Dividend of Death". Dresser based the character on a “tall and rangy” brawler who once saved his life during a braw in a Mexican cantina. The Shayne character would go on to appear in 69 novels, plus a long-running mystery magazine—and in 1941, was brought to the silver screen in Paramount’s Michael Shayne, Private Detective, an adaptation of Dividend of Death that starred Lloyd Nolan, and paved the way for six additional B-mysteries to follow. The New Adventures of Michael Shayne—premiered on July 15, 1948 starring Jeff Chandler.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Crime Does Not Pay "All American Fake" (10-17-49)

All American Fake (Aired October 17, 1949)




A series based on short films of the same name produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was similar to Gangbusters, having a moralistic message about the law and lawbreaker. It was first heard over WMGM (NYC), hosted by Donald Buka. The last original show aired on Apr. 11, 1951. The series started on Monday evenings at 7:30 PM (on WMGM) and held that time/day spot until Oct. 30, 1950. The 56'th show marked a change to Wednesday night, again at 7:30.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Nightwatch "Juvenile Burglar" (5-03-54)

Juvenile Burglar (Aired May 3, 1954)


Night Watch. January 7, 1954. CBS net. Audition program. Real police recordings, no actors are used. Car 54 and police reporter Donn Reed answer the first all, a Code 2 alert that a burglary is taking place. A woman is pushed in the bathroom by an alcoholic young man wearing a tie. He's captured in another house...wearing no clothes! A patrol through Culver City. Later, two witnesses to a homicide are interviewed. The suspect is captured and confesses on the air. Chief W. N. Hildebrand tells how the cases were resolved. Sterling Tracy (supervisor), Donn Reed (police reporter), W. N. Hildebrand. 25:34

THIS EPISODE
Juvenile Burglar. May 3, 1954. CBS net. Sustaining. The first report in the patrol car is a report of a burglary on Burlingame. A burglar is actually captured on-mike inside a gas station. He turns out to be a tearful fifteen year old who begs to be released. Excellent radio! The system cue has been deleted. Ron Perkins (technical advisor), Sterling Tracy (producer), Donn Reed (police recorder), W. N. Hildebrand, Jim Headlock (producer). 23:14.

FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Mr. President "Andrew Jackson" (9-08-53)

Andrew Jackson (Aired September 8, 1953)


Mr. President ran on the ABC Radio Network from June of 1947 until September of 1953 and starred Edward Arnold and Betty Lou Gerson. Each week, Arnold would play the part of a different President of the United States in historical dramas based on real events - some familiar, many little-known and largely untold. The unique aspect of the show was that the identity of the President being portrayed would not be revealed until the end of the program - a guessing game that often challenged the most fervent and knowledgeable students of American history.

THIS EPISODE:
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the 7th President of the United States (1829–1837). He was also military governor of Florida (1821), commander of the American forces at the Battle of New Orleans (1815), and the eponym of the era of Jacksonian democracy. He was a polarizing figure who dominated American politics in the 1820s and 1830s. His political ambition combined with the masses of people shaped the modern Democratic Party.[1] Nicknamed "Old Hickory" because he was renowned for his toughness, Jackson was the first President primarily associated with the frontier, as he based his career in Tennessee.

FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - The Jack Benny Show "The Drive-In" (10-24-54)

The Drive-In (Aired October 24, 1954)


Benny had been only a minor vaudeville performer, but he became a national figure with The Jack Benny Program, a weekly radio show which ran from 1932 to 1948 on NBC and from 1949 to 1955 on CBS, and was consistently among the most highly rated programs during most of that run. With Canada Dry Ginger Ale as a sponsor, Benny came to radio on The Canada Dry Program, beginning May 2, 1932, on the NBC Blue Network and continuing there for six months until October 26, moving the show to CBS on October 30. With Ted Weems leading the band, Benny stayed on CBS until January 26, 1933. Arriving at NBC on March 17, Benny did The Chevrolet Program until April 1, 1934. He continued with sponsors General Tires, Jell-O and Grape Nuts. Lucky Strike was the radio sponsor from 1944 to the mid-1950s. The show returned to CBS on January 2, 1949, as part of CBS president William S. Paley's notorious "raid" of NBC talent in 1948-49. There it stayed for the remainder of its radio run, which ended on May 22, 1955. CBS aired reruns of old radio episodes from 1956 to 1958 as The Best of Benny.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Pat Novak For Hire "Death In Harold Square" (11-30-47)

Death In Harold Square (Aired November 30, 1947)


Pat Novak, For Hire – 1949-1950

Pat Novak, played by Jack Webb, was a private detective working out of Pier 19, a waterfront office in San Francisco. The stories were always very similar: Someone would hire him, (if not a beautiful woman, the job would lead to a beautiful woman) someone would get murdered, he would investigate the case, get beaten up by the thugs, and then the case would be solved and end with glorious violence. The closing was always the same; the listener would be told who had done what, to whom and why they had done it.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711

Boxcars711 Old Time Radio Pod - Dragnet "Secretary Beaten With Steel Pipe" (7-07-49)

Secretary Beaten With Steel Pipe (Aired July 7, 1949)


Dragnet was a long-running radio and television police procedural drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. The show takes its name from an actual police term, a "dragnet", meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects. Dragnet debuted inauspiciously. The first several months were bumpy, as Webb and company worked out the program’s format and eventually became comfortable with their characters (Friday was originally portrayed as more brash and forceful than his later usually relaxed demeanor). Gradually, Friday’s deadpan, fast-talking persona emerged, described by John Dunning as "a cop's cop, tough but not hard, conservative but caring." (Dunning, 210) Friday’s first partner was Sgt. Ben Romero, portrayed by Barton Yarborough, a longtime radio actor. When Dragnet hit its stride, it became one of radio’s top-rated shows. While most radio shows used one or two sound effects experts, Dragnet needed five; a script clocking in at just under 30 minutes could require up to 300 separate effects. Accuracy was underlined.
FOR THIS EPISODE AND HUNDREDS MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK TO BOXCARS711