Podcast Summary: Choice Classic Radio Detectives

Episode: Dragnet – "The Big Convertible" (06/28/1955)

Release Date: April 7, 2026

Overview

This episode of Dragnet, titled "The Big Convertible," follows Sergeant Joe Friday and Detective Frank Smith as they track down a check forger whose crimes have rattled Los Angeles for six weeks. With little more than a description of the suspect and his female accomplice, the detectives unravel a steadily increasing number of payroll check forgeries using methodical police work and sharp deduction. The case takes unexpected turns, leading to a rented car, multiple false leads, and a tangled web of personal motives and betrayals.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Forgeries Emerge

• Initial Setup (00:21–01:53)
  • The team is briefed: 24 (soon 25) forged payroll checks have hit various businesses and shops across LA.
  • The forger uses a consistent method (MO), sometimes accompanied by a woman said to be his wife, and good forged IDs.
  • Captain Welsh summarizes the citywide panic:

    “Fact is, factories raisin’ cain ‘cause their employees can’t cash legitimate payroll checks. Merchants scared to death of being stuck with a phony.” (01:31–01:41)

2. Interviewing Victims and Following Leads

• Interview with Alvin Driscoll, Latest Victim (03:44–05:58)
  • Driscoll describes selling sports shirts to the suspect, who paid with a forged check and produced convincing identification.
  • Driscoll notes:

    “He had a whole wallet full [of ID]…driver’s license, union card, whole wallet full. …Wasn’t any way of my knowing it was phony.” (04:40–05:04)

  • A key clue emerges: Driscoll notes the suspect left in a brand-new Ford convertible, jotting down the license plate.

3. Tracing the Vehicle & Unraveling the Mystery

• Leads on the License Plate (06:32–08:11)

  • DMV trace leads detectives to a six-year-old Buick, not a new Ford, owned by Philip Myson.
  • Myson's estranged wife is interviewed; she denies her husband’s involvement and provides his photo.

    “You don’t think he pulled a job or something? …You really picked the wrong guy.” (11:26–11:38)

• License Plate Breakthrough (12:24–12:44)

  • After experimenting with variations on the plate number, detectives discover the vehicle is registered to a car rental agency.

4. Car Rental Agency – The Real Break

• Interview with Clifford P. Adams, Agency Owner (13:00–14:54)
  • The new Ford convertible was rented by “Gerald Waters,” often with a blonde woman presumed to be his wife.
  • Waters recently turned in the car and received a ride to Union Station, claiming to be leaving town.

5. The Suspect's Real Identity

• National Manhunt and Identification (15:00–15:47)
  • Springfield, Illinois PD confirm “Waters” is actually wanted for similar crimes in Illinois, real name Fred H. Joyce.
  • Joyce’s mug shot is positively ID'd by several LA victims.

6. The Sting Operation

• Setting the Trap (15:57–17:08)

  • Joyce (as Waters) tries to rent another car. Detectives arrange a sting at the Crest Plaza hotel bar.

• The Arrest (17:43–19:41)

  • Joe and Frank await Joyce; with help from the bartender, they spot him and make a calm but decisive arrest as he arrives with his accomplice.
  • Memorable moment: The bartender’s dry wit about “swilling coffee” versus booze sales while oblivious to the sting operation.

7. The Interrogation and Confession

• Fred Joyce's Story (19:45–22:38)
  • Joyce tries to negotiate his wife's release, confessing to the forgeries to protect her.
  • He reveals financial difficulties led him to crime:

    “Old things started right after Myra and I were married. I was making pretty good money. …Just all of a sudden, the bottom seemed to drop out…. I had to do something.” (21:03–21:23)

  • The police reveal Myra, his wife, is hardly an innocent bystander and has a criminal past herself, to Joyce’s shock:

    “That’s a lie. …It doesn’t really make any difference if she did. …Everybody’s a sucker. …Those guys that cash the checks from me? Suckers, every one of them.” (22:14–22:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Captain Welsh on the forger's impact:

  “24 bum checks, huh? That’s wrong. …It’s 25 now.” (02:27–02:30)

• Alvin Driscoll’s sardonic take on victimhood:

  “Well, I’m still out $100, ain’t it?” (05:07)

• Ms. Philip Myson on her estranged husband:

  “Character like my husband, he’s apt to try anything. …Giving me a shirt with some other dame’s lipstick on the collar. …I should have throttled him with it.” (10:03–10:24)

• Joe Friday’s dry humor during the cigarette exchange:

  “I wouldn’t be asking if I wasn’t [out].” (07:11)

• Fred Joyce's cynical confession:

  “Everybody’s a sucker. Everybody in the world is going to fall for a con game. Sooner or later, everybody. …Those guys that cash the checks from me? Suckers, every one of them.” (22:44–22:56)

Important Timestamps

• 01:31 – Captain Welsh describes citywide alarm from the forgeries.
• 03:44 – Detectives interview latest victim, Alvin Driscoll.
• 05:23 – The crucial clue is revealed: a Ford convertible.
• 08:48 – Interview with Ms. Philip Myson about the license plate.
• 12:39 – Detectives discover the convertible is from a rental agency.
• 14:42 – The suspect’s local and home addresses surface.
• 15:00 – Suspect identified as Fred Joyce, wanted in Illinois.
• 17:43 – The detectives stakeout and arrest Joyce at the hotel bar.
• 21:02 – Joyce’s confession and motives exposed.
• 22:56 – Joyce’s bitter pronouncement: “Everybody’s a sucker.”
• 23:13 – Court official announces trial verdict and sentencing.

Tone and Style

• The episode maintains Dragnet’s distinctive clipped, laconic delivery ("Just the facts, ma’am"), interspersed with dry humor and the weary professionalism of LA’s finest.
• Dialogue is efficient, hard-boiled, and reveals character through small details and deadpan humor.

Conclusion

“The Big Convertible” tells a classic tale of dogged police work, the pitfalls of easy money, and the inexorable grind of justice. Even as the detectives untangle lies and false leads, they expose not just the mechanics of crime, but also the emotional vulnerabilities and self-deceptions that drive people to desperation. The episode encapsulates Dragnet’s enduring appeal: methodical investigation, dry wit, and a measured, realistic look at human flaws.