The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio – Dragnet: "The Big Market" (EP4894) Originally aired October 25, 1951 | Podcast Host: Adam Graham | Date: January 22, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features a classic Dragnet drama, “The Big Market,” where Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Ben Romero tackle a string of rapid-fire supermarket robberies terrorizing Los Angeles. The case presents the detectives with a clever pair of bandits who consistently evade capture. Notable are the methodical, procedural efforts of law enforcement and the cooperation between city and county police—hallmarks of Dragnet realism. Host Adam Graham wraps up with appreciation for the show's details, like creating composite sketches and the humble mimeograph, and underscores the value of inter-agency teamwork.

Key Discussion Points and Story Breakdown

The Robbery Spree

• Crime Pattern:

  • Over 21 days, 11 markets have been hit by a pair of bandits (02:34).
  • All robberies occur in large supermarkets on major thoroughfares, generally in LA’s south end.
  • The bandits consistently use stolen cars, typically Pontiacs or Nashes, which they abandon a few blocks from the crime scene (05:19).

• Distinct MO:

  • Crimes take place in morning hours; one man drives, the other robs—often holding a white handkerchief up to conceal his face (06:43).
  • When a haul is small, they quickly hit another market nearby.

• Police Response:

  • Friday and Romero organize a large-scale police stakeout with 25 crews from Metro Division and the County Sheriff’s office to cover the area, distributing detailed suspect and crime information using mimeographs (13:02, 13:53).

Breakthrough: A Witness and Composite Sketch

• First Real Lead:

  • Witness Mrs. Swanson sees one suspect’s face when he removes his handkerchief due to a stuck car door (08:00).
  • She can’t pick an exact match from mug books but helps build a composite using features from several men (09:26).
  • “Just put the two sets of pictures together, I think you’d have the man perfectly.” —Mrs. Swanson (10:21).

• Composite Sketch and Distribution:

  • Police mimeograph over 1,000 wanted sheets and composite sketches for markets across the city and stakeout cars (13:53).

Large-Scale Stakeout Operations

• Briefing the Teams:

  • Friday coordinates 20 patrol units and additional county cars, each assigned a nine-block sector; teams are instructed to remain in their sectors unless called for backup (15:04–16:54).
  • “If there’s a robbery call in somebody else’s area, stay put till you get a call to lend a hand.” —Joe Friday (16:59).
  • Market managers have also been briefed and are warned to look out for and communicate with patrol teams.

• Patrols and Slow Progress:

  • First few days yield multiple false leads—suspects stopped and screened, abandoned cars checked, but no breakthrough (18:53–19:15).
  • Bandits change tactics, robbing a supermarket owner on the street, but again elude immediate capture due to a delayed report by the victim (20:12).

• Montage of Frustration:

  • As the days drag on, the detectives endure the grind and frustration of stakeouts—a signature Dragnet tone (21:41).
  • “Every day seems to get a little longer. These lousy stakeouts sure don’t wear very well on me.” —Ben Romero (21:41).

The Break and Culprits’ Capture

• Final Robbery and Chase:

  • A call comes in about a fresh market holdup on Graham Avenue. Sheriff’s deputies chase the suspects’ stolen Nash for two miles, capturing the driver after the second man escapes (22:42).

• Interrogation:

  • Arrested suspect Grant Jamison refuses to cooperate; police find a card with four suspicious names/addresses (24:06–25:04).
  • “You go right on kidding yourself, Jamison. Play it real close, you see how far it gets you.” —Joe Friday (25:03).

• Locating the Second Man:

  • Using the list, Friday and Romero track the second suspect, Matthew Sanford, to an apartment (26:32).
  • Sanford pulls a gun but is quickly arrested; the money sacks from the latest robbery are found on the premises (27:38).
  • “You pulled the gun. You got no business in here.” —Friday (27:32).
  • “Money sacks, Joe. Found him in the desk. Same market they hit tonight.” —Romero (27:38).

• Resolution:

  • Both Jamison and Sanford are charged and ultimately convicted on 14 counts of first-degree robbery, each receiving sentences of five years to life (28:03).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Composite Sketch Process:
  “Like the mouth and chin on this man here?... And the upper part of his face, would you say it resembled these others here?... Just put the two sets of pictures together, I think you’d have the man perfectly.” —Mrs. Swanson (09:35–10:21)

• Tough, Cynical Dragnet Tone:
  “Don’t let them make you the first [victim].” —Joe Friday, on always being careful (17:48)

• Policing’s Slow Grind:
  “‘Every day seems to get a little longer. These lousy stakeouts sure don’t wear very well on me.’ – Ben Romero” (21:41)

• 1960s Police Tech:
  Adam Graham lauds the role of the mimeograph in crime-fighting:
  “Of course, there is the secret star of the episode, the mimeograph...not something that people are as familiar with, but it was really important before you had photocopiers come along.” —Host Adam Graham (29:20)

Host Commentary & Insights

(29:20–32:54)

• Inter-agency Cooperation:
  Adam Graham highlights the key role of city/county collaboration in solving the case:
  “A good case, and one of those episodes where the capture comes from a partnership with Los Angeles county, which is really important in real life to so many LAPD operations.”

• Realism in Composite Drawings:
  Graham compares the composite sketch scene here to other old-time police procedures, linking it to real-world and pop culture practices—mentioning “He Walked By Night” and a “Perfect Strangers” sitcom mimeograph gag.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Case Setup & MO – 02:34 – 05:43
• The Critical Witness/Composite Sketch – 08:00 – 11:04
• Stakeout Briefing – 13:53 – 16:54
• Stakeout’s Grind – 18:53 – 21:15
• Victim Delay/Lost Opportunity – 20:12
• Lead from Arrested Suspect – 24:06 – 26:32
• Final Confrontation & Arrests – 26:32 – 28:03
• Case Resolution – 28:03
• Host Reflections & Historical Tech Talk – 29:20 – 32:54

Conclusion

This Dragnet episode plunges listeners into the procedural realism of midcentury policing, from working with scarce witness descriptions and mimeographs to orchestrating massive multi-agency dragnets. The detectives’ persistence—and eventual break—mirror the show’s commitment to authentic, unglamorous justice. Adam Graham’s commentary links period details to modern listeners, while the episode’s structure showcases why Dragnet remains an archetype of the police procedural.

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