The Great Detectives Present Dragnet (Old Time Radio)

Dragnet: The Big Mailman (EP5044)

The Great Detectives Present Dragnet (Old Time Radio)

Show Notes

Today's Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and his new partner, Frank Smith, investigate the armed robbery of a U.S. mail truck carrying registered mail. The three-man gang escapes with 28 sacks, leaving police with little to work with beyond a stolen getaway car, a first name, and one robber’s distinctive voice.

.Original Radio Broadcast Date: May 24, 1952

Originating from Hollywood

Cast: Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday Herb Ellis as Frank Smith Also featuring Vic Perrin and Inga Hollis 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

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More from The Great Detectives Present Dragnet (Old Time Radio)

Oct 22, 2026

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.

Oct 15, 2026

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.

Oct 8, 2026

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.

Oct 1, 2026

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.

Sep 24, 2026

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.

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