The Great Detectives Present Dragnet (Old Time Radio)

Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith investigate the robbery of an elderly diamond dealer who was lured to a hotel room and assaulted by a seemingly respectable businessman. With more than $150,000 in diamonds missing, the detectives struggle to locate the thief until a suspect is caught attempting to sell some of the stolen stones. However, the suspect's unusual appetite for fine dining complicates their efforts to uncover the truth.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: August 7, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

• Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday
  
  
• Vic Perrin as Sergeant Frank Smith
  
  
• Herb Ellis
  
  
• Vic Rodman
  
  
• John Robinson — writer
  
  
• Walter Schumann — music
  
  
• Hal Gibney — announcer
  
  

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Todays Mystery: Two armed bandits rob a Los Angeles café, leaving the elderly owner brutally beaten and one suspect wounded. Detective Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner, Frank Smith, pursue the fugitive, but a promising lead falls apart when the victims fail to identify their suspect. Then a treasured diamond signet ring offers a new clue—and the robber’s own mistakes may be the key to bringing him to justice.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: July 31, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

• Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday
  
  
• Herb Ellis as Sgt. Frank Smith
  
  
• Vic Perrin
  
  
• Virginia Gregg
  
  
• Harry Bartell
  
  
• Ralph Moody
  
  
• Jim Moser, writer
  
  
• Walter Schumann, music
  
  
• Technical advice from the office of Chief W.H. Parker
  
  
• Captain Jack Donahoe, Sgt. Marty Wynn, and Sgt. Vance Brasher, technical advisors
  
  
• Hal Gibney, announcer
  
  

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Cheryl, a Patreon supporter since May 2022

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Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith investigate the death of a 52-year-old music teacher whose body is discovered in an abandoned freight car, cradled in the arms of a young man who refuses to explain what happened. When the young man finally confesses to killing her, the detectives struggle to understand why he would murder a woman he claims to have loved deeply and who had devoted years to nurturing his musical ambitions.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: July 10, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

• Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday
  
  
• Herb Ellis as Sgt. Frank Smith
  
  
• Vic Perrin
  
  
• Harry Bartell
  
  
• Joyce McCluskey
  
  
• Jim Moser, writer
  
  
• Walter Schumann, music
  
  
• Technical advice from the office of Chief W.H. Parker
  
  
• Captain Jack Donahoe, Sgt. Marty Wynn, and Sgt. Vance Brasher, technical advisors
  
  
• George Fenneman, announcer
  
  

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day:Dolly, Patreon supporter since November 2025.

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Todays Mystery: On the eve of the Fourth of July weekend, Joe Friday and Frank Smith are assigned to Accident Investigation and confront the devastating consequences of reckless driving when a 16-year-old takes his father’s car on a high-speed ride through Los Angeles. As the holiday begins, a succession of traffic calls illustrates how quickly carelessness, alcohol, and poor judgment can turn an ordinary drive into tragedy.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: July 3, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

• Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday
• Herb Ellis as Frank Smith
• Vic Perrin
• Stacy Harris
• Vic Rodman
• Jim Moser, writer
• Walter Schumann, music
• Technical advice from the office of Chief W.H. Parker
• Captain Jack Donahoe, Sgt. Marty Wynn, and Sgt. Vance Brasher, technical advisors
• Hal Gibney, announcer

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Splinator, Patreon supporter since August 2024.

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Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith investigate the abduction of an unidentified man from a downtown Los Angeles street. Bloodstains at the scene and an abandoned gray sedan suggest that the victim may have been seriously injured, but there are few clues to his identity or whereabouts. The investigation leads Friday and Smith through a missing car, conflicting stories, and two suspects with criminal records. As the detectives piece together the evidence, they must determine what happened to the missing man and whether he is still alive.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: June 26, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Starring:

• Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday
• Barton Yarborough as Sergeant Frank Smith

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Rebecca — Patreon supporter since August 2024

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Todays Mystery: Detective Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith are assigned to narcotics detail when a drug addict is arrested carrying a supply of high-grade heroin. The man refuses to reveal where he got the narcotics until the effects of withdrawal force him to talk. His information leads Friday and Smith to a bartender, a beer garden owner, and a larger narcotics operation that may be bringing European heroin into Los Angeles.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: June 19, 1952.

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

• Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday
• Barton Yarborough as Sergeant Ben Romero

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Patreon Supporter of the Day: Mirth, Patreon supporter since February 2021

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Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Bill Lockwood investigate a group of confidence men posing as authorized solicitors for legitimate charities and pocketing the donations they collect. An early arrest appears promising until the suspect proves he merely copied the scheme, leaving Friday and Lockwood searching for the experienced bunco artists whose fraud is depriving charitable causes of badly needed funds.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: June 12, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

• Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday
• Ken Peters as Bill Lockwood
• Virginia Gregg
• Vic Rodman
• Jim Moser, writer
• Walter Schumann, music
• Technical advice from the office of Chief W.H. Parker
• Captain Jack Donahoe, Sgt. Marty Wynn, and Sgt. Vance Brasher, technical advisors
• Hal Gibney, announcer

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Sergey, Patreon Supporter since May 2020

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Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

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Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and Frank Smith investigate the death of an unidentified woman found in a vacant lot, apparently the victim of chloroform poisoning. With no identification and little evidence beyond a chloroform-soaked handkerchief, the case takes an unusual turn when a stranger walks into police headquarters and insists that he murdered her.

Original Radio Broadcast Date:June 5, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Cast:

• Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday
• Herb Ellis as Frank Smith
• Vic Perrin
• Gil Stratton
• Jack Kruschen
• Script by Jim Moser
• Music by Walter Schumann
• Technical advice from the office of LAPD Chief W. H. Parker
• Technical advisors: Captain Jack Donahoe, Sgt. Marty Wynn, and Sgt. Vance Brasher
• Hal Gibney, announcer

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day: Tony, Patreon Supporter since March 2023

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Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

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Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and Frank Smith investigate a disturbing series of infant abductions in which babies disappear from the same general neighborhood, only to be found unharmed within a day. With no clear motive and few useful clues, the detectives devise a decoy operation while searching for the person responsible before another child disappears.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: May 29, 1952.

Originating from Hollywood

Starred: Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday, Martin Milner as Detective Bill Lockwood

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day:

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

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Give us a call 208-991-4783

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Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith investigate a bookmaker’s claim that a police officer has been demanding weekly payments in exchange for allowing him to operate. But when no one matching the man’s name or description can be found in law-enforcement records, Friday and Smith begin searching for an extortionist who may not be a policeman at all.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: May 22, 1952

Originating from HollywoodCast:

• Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday
• Herb Ellis as Frank Smith
• Also featuring Vic Rodman and June Whitley
• Script by Jim Moser
• Music by Walter Schumann
• Technical advisors: Captain Jack Donahoe, Sergeant Marty Wynn, and Sergeant Vance Brasher

Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

Patreon Supporter of the Day:

Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.

Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

Take the listener survey…http://survey.greatdetectives.net

Give us a call 208-991-4783

Become one of our friends on Facebook.

Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

Follow us on Twitter@radiodetectives