Podcast Summary: Dragnet – “The Big Shock” (08/24/1954)

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode: Dragnet – The Big Shock
Date originally aired: August 24, 1954
Podcast air date: August 26, 2025
Host: Choice Classic Radio
Length: ~30 minutes

Overview

This Dragnet episode, “The Big Shock,” immerses listeners in a tense, step-by-step police procedural. Detective Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith pursue a band of burglars responsible for a string of elaborate tunnel burglaries targeting local stores and, ultimately, a bank. The story (based on actual LAPD files, with names changed) highlights the persistence and methodical work of police detectives during "The Golden Age of Radio." The narrative is brisk, hard-boiled, and filled with period detail, police jargon, and the signature dry wit that defines Dragnet.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Progression

1. Opening Investigation and Initial Suspects (02:45–09:45)

• Joe Friday and Frank Smith check out a possible lead at the Verrell Arms Hotel, questioning Jed Nagel, a petty criminal with a colorful history and two wives back in Texas.
• Nagel is reluctantly taken in:

  “All right, now, come on, get your clothes on.” (07:00, Friday)

• Check of his recent activities confirms he couldn't be involved in the recent burglaries.

2. Crime Lab Analysis: Clues from the Scene (09:45–13:45)

• Friday and Smith consult Ray Pinker at the crime lab. Details from the burglary emerge:
  • Entry gained by breaching the wall between a barbershop and a bar—the bar protected by an alarm.
  • Footprint evidence: "One of them wore a size 9 shoe and another had a size 7 and a half foot. Might have been a third man." (12:15, Ray Pinker)
• No fingerprints or usable physical evidence beyond tool marks.

3. Narrowing Down Suspects (13:45–21:15)

• List of seven known burglars with similar methods is winnowed to one potential, Norris Pauley.
• Interview with Pauley and Sadie (his exasperated partner) confirms his alibi, but provides tips about two unknown suspects.
  • Pauley, reflecting on Sadie:

    “Real harpy. Always trying to take care of me... means good, but she doesn’t know how to carry it off.” (16:10)

• A newsstand vendor tips police to the nickname "Kiko."

4. The “Kiko” Lead (21:15–26:45)

• “Kiko” identified as Franklin James Zwig, a known cat burglar on parole.
• Interview and arrest of Zwig; he denies involvement but is clearly nervous:

  • “Good time once in your life and the cops never get off your back.” (23:45, Zwig)

• Zwig eventually confesses partial involvement, under pressure, and reveals a partner—Lester Crow (aka Kroll)—who planned to tunnel into a bank.

5. Hunt for the Mastermind: Lester Crow (26:45–29:30)

• Details emerge about Crow's ambition and recklessness:

  “The guy’s off his rocker. I left. ... Wants to tunnel into a bank.” (27:55, Zwig)

• Surveillance and citywide bulletin initiated; hunt intensifies as Crow is determined to be plotting a bank heist via storm drain tunnels.

6. Climax: The Foiled Bank Tunnel (29:30–33:45)

• Detectives discover tunneling gear and nitroglycerin under a bank vault via the city’s storm drains.
• After a period of 24-hour surveillance, Crow returns to continue his work. The detectives move in, but he's electrocuted after hitting a power line beneath the bank.
• Frank and Joe’s somber reflection:

  “He almost made it, Joe. Couple of more inches, he’d have gotten in. ... He must have figured wrong someplace. Made a mistake somewhere.” (33:45, Smith & Friday)

7. Resolution and Outcome (33:45–End)

• Zwig is tried and convicted for three counts of burglary.
• Crow’s accidental death during the commission of a felony is ruled so by the coroner's inquest.
• Friday’s classic close:

  “The story you have just heard is true. The names were changed to protect the innocent.” (Final minute)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Humor amid tension:
  Frank buys Joe a birthday present—on the wrong date:

  “This isn’t my birthday, you know.”
  “Oh, you’re choked up, huh? This is not my birthday, Frank. … My birthday’s August 30th.”
  “Well, that’s the 30th, isn’t it? March 30th.”
  (30:10–31:30)

• On the bleakness of recurring suspicion:

  “Good time once in your life and the cops never get off your back.” (23:45, Zwig)

• Tragic irony of the ‘mastermind’ thief:

  “He almost made it, Joe. Couple of more inches, he’d have gotten in.” (34:15, Smith)

Timed Segment Highlights

• 02:45–07:00 – Nagel’s hotel room interview; comic moments regarding his two wives.
• 09:45–13:45 – Crime lab analysis and Ray Pinker’s breakdown.
• 16:10 – Sadie storms out of Pauley’s apartment.
• 21:15–23:45 – Zwig’s defiant denial and classic Dragnet dialogue.
• 27:55 – Revelation of the planned bank tunnel job.
• 30:10–31:30 – Frank’s birthday confusion adds comic relief.
• 33:45–34:15 – Crow’s fatal mistake and the detectives’ grim assessment.

Tone & Style

• Hard-boiled, straight-shooting, and dryly humorous.
• Dragnet is marked by its matter-of-fact narration, clipped police exchanges, and subtle human touches—especially between Friday and Smith.
• Period details (storm drains, payrolls, classic criminal slang) place it firmly in mid-1950s Los Angeles.

For New Listeners

Whether you’re an old-time radio aficionado or a newcomer, this episode is a classic mix of procedure, suspense, and character moments. You’ll find strong dialogue, believable criminals, and a smartly unglamorous portrayal of police work—with just enough humor to keep things relatable.

Recommended segment:
If short on time, listen from 27:00 onward for the tense climax—the discovery of the tunnel, Crow’s fate, and the Dragnet signature wrap-up.