Podcast Summary:

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode: Dragnet: The Big Lens (Aired 12/14/1954)
Release Date: December 2, 2025
Host: Choice Classic Radio

Episode Overview

This episode features a compelling installment of Dragnet, titled "The Big Lens," originally broadcast in December 1954. Detective Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith investigate the harrowing case of a woman who is kidnapped, beaten, and robbed. The episode provides a step-by-step look at the police work involved in solving the crime, emphasizing the meticulous process that leads to the eventual capture of the perpetrators.

Key Discussion Points & Narrative Progression

1. The Crime and the Victim's Account ([02:14] - [07:26])

• Joe Friday and Frank Smith meet Gwen Alston at Georgia Street Hospital after she reports being kidnapped and assaulted.
• Gwen’s Testimony:
  • She stopped at a signal; a man entered her car with a knife and forced her to drive ([02:48]).
  • Another man entered—she was threatened, robbed of her purse, watch, and ring, and repeatedly struck when she resisted.
  • The assailants drive erratically, leading to a police chase and a crash into a wall. The men flee, and Gwen finds help to contact the police.
• Emotional impact: Gwen expresses deep fear, shock at her inability to recall clear suspect details, and guilt for "failing" after regularly excelling at magazine observation tests ([05:33]).
• Notable Quote:

  "I'm always doing those observation tests in magazines... When I'm up against the real thing, I fail. Miserable."
  — Gwen Alston ([05:33])

2. Gathering Evidence ([07:26] - [10:56])

• Police gather limited suspect descriptions—male, around 20, dark hair, sport coat/brown suede jacket, one with a bandaged right thumb.
• Crime scene investigation uncovers partial fingerprints and, crucially, a small container holding corneal (contact) lenses not belonging to the victim ([08:41]).
• Joe Friday on the sparse clues:

  "All she could give us in the way of a description would fit any number of guys."
  — Joe Friday ([08:29])

3. Tracking the Corneal Lenses ([09:41] - [10:56])

• The unique lenses are traced to the Stimson Company and identified as specialized for keratoconus ([09:59]).
• Manufacturer provides the optician’s info, who, in turn, gives the police the name and address of the actual wearer: Robert Briarton ([10:23]-[10:56]).

4. Interrogating the Suspect – A Dead End? ([11:32] - [15:00])

• Briarton is brought in; he fits the rough description and owns the brown suede jacket, but asserts innocence and states he was home all night, corroborated by his wife.
• Lenses are missing from their usual place at home.

5. The Twist – The Real Suspect Emerges ([15:00] - [16:11])

• Mrs. Briarton clarifies the jacket was lent out to her younger brother, Gordon Hedig, the previous evening.
• Gordon, a high school student with a troubled record, becomes the primary person of interest.

6. Confronting Gordon Hedig ([16:26] - [19:59])

• Police confront Gordon at school; he displays a defensive and sarcastic attitude.

• Gordon claims he was at a downtown movie alone and refuses to provide a consistent alibi ([18:33]).

• Quote:

  "You always tell you guys what to do. Sit down, stand up. You're all the same. Or get off a guy."
  — Gordon Hedig ([17:39])

• The lens case found in the victim's car ties him to the scene, but he remains combative and insists on his innocence.

7. Positive Identification & Breaking the Case ([20:28] - [21:55])

• Gwen Alston identifies Gordon Hedig as her assailant through a lineup ([21:43]).
• Partial fingerprints match, but not conclusively enough for a case.

8. Uncovering the Accomplice ([22:25] - [24:42])

• Police records show Gordon was stopped with a “John Burko,” age 19, whose thumb was bandaged—the same detail the victim remembered ([22:27]).

• Gwen Alston identifies Burko from a mug shot as the second kidnapper.

• Police apprehend John Burko at his boarding house ([23:33]).

• Confrontation Reveals Mutual Betrayal:
  Burko, when captured, curses Gordon as a coward, not knowing that Gordon has said the same about him.

• Notable Exchange:

  "Suppose you know how he beat up that woman."
  — John Burko ([24:21])
  "Well, that's real funny, isn't it? ... He said the same things about you."
  — Joe Friday ([24:29])

9. Case Resolution & Punishment ([24:42] - [25:37])

• Both suspects are tried as adults.
• Both convicted for first-degree robbery and kidnapping for the purpose of robbery with bodily harm.
• Sentenced to imprisonment, with Burko receiving life without possibility of parole due to bodily harm caused.

Memorable Moments/Quotes

• The realism of victim psychology:
  Gwen’s honest recollection, admitting fear and imperfect memory, stands out as an authentic portrayal of trauma ([05:33]).
• Joe Friday’s matter-of-fact summation:
  "When we reach these two, they won't give us any fight." ([09:11])
• Sharp exchanges between the detectives and Gordon Hedig showcase typical Dragnet banter and moral clarity ([17:39], [18:11]).
• The mutual betrayal of criminals, with both blaming each other in the end ([24:17]-[24:29]).

Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:14] – [07:26]: Victim’s detailed account
• [08:41]: Discovery of corneal lenses in the car
• [09:41] – [10:56]: Lens identification and tracing to suspect
• [11:32] – [15:00]: Interrogation of Robert Briarton
• [16:26] – [19:59]: Police question Gordon Hedig, his evasive attitude
• [21:43]: Gwen Alston identifies Gordon Hedig in a lineup
• [22:27]: Discovery of John Burko as accomplice (bandaged thumb)
• [23:33] – [24:29]: Arrest and confrontation with Burko
• [24:42] – [25:37]: Trial verdict and sentences

Overall Tone & Storytelling

The episode retains Dragnet’s trademark no-nonsense, procedural dialogue—detached but empathetic, with dry humor surfacing amid the tense investigation. The detectives’ professionalism and understated compassion for both victim and perpetrator align with the iconic show’s realistic approach.

Final Thoughts

This Dragnet episode methodically builds suspense from a seemingly random act of violence, piecing together scant evidence into a convincing case through forensics, witness testimony, and persistent detective work. Listeners are immersed in the procedural process, witnessing the tension, psychological toll, and, ultimately, the genre-defining justice delivered by Friday and Smith.