This collection of "Dragnet" radio programs features 373 shows on 8 CDs. Each episode is presented in the .mp3 format. There are many hours of entertaining "Dragnet" episodes.

The CDs are labeled and provided in a highly protective jewel case. A list of the programs on the disc as well as the date the program originally aired (if known) is also provided.


PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR EQUIPMENT WILL PLAY MP3 FORMATTED FILES BEFORE PURCHASING THIS ITEM.

IT IS ULTIMATELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BUYER TO ENSURE THAT HIS OR HER EQUIPMENT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE MP3 FORMAT.


A note concerning sound quality. The sound quality for the shows in this collection is very good to good. It is difficult to find perfect recordings from the golden age of radio due to the equipment used for recording and the fact that many of the recordings were made 60, 70 or even 80 years ago.

HERE'S SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR "DRAGNET":

"THE STORY YOU ARE ABOUT TO HEAR IS TRUE. THE NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT."

"Dragnet" debuted inauspiciously. The first several months were bumpy, as Jack Webb and company worked out the program’s format and eventually became comfortable with their characters (Friday was originally portrayed as more brash and forceful than his later usually relaxed demeanor). Gradually, Friday’s deadpan, fast-talking persona emerged, described by John Dunning as "a cop's cop, tough but not hard, conservative but caring." (Dunning, 210) Friday’s first partner was Sgt. Ben Romero, portrayed by Barton Yarborough, a longtime radio actor. When "Dragnet" hit its stride, it became one of radio’s top-rated shows.

Webb insisted on realism in every aspect of the show. The dialogue was clipped, understated and sparse, influenced by the hard boiled school of crime fiction. Scripts were fast moving but didn’t seem rushed. Every aspect of police work was chronicled, step by step: From patrols and paperwork, to crime scene investigation, lab work and questioning witnesses or suspects. The detectives’ personal lives were mentioned, but rarely took center stage. (Friday was a bachelor who lived with his mother; Romero was an ever-fretful husband and father) "Underplaying is still acting," Webb told Time. "We try to make it as real as a guy pouring a cup of coffee.” (Dunning, 209) Los Angeles police chiefs C.B. Horrall and (later) William H. Parker were credited as consultants, and many police officers were fans.

Webb was a stickler for accurate details, and "Dragnet" used many authentic touches, such as the LAPD's actual radio call sign (KMA-367), and the names of many real department officials, such as Ray Pinker and Lee Jones of the crime lab or Chief of Detectives Thad Brown.

Episodes began with an announcer describing the basic premise of the show. "The Big Saint" (April 26, 1951) for example, begins with, "You're a Detective Sergeant, you're assigned to auto theft detail. A well organized ring of car thieves begins operations in your city. It's one of the most puzzling cases you've ever encountered. Your job: break it."

Friday offered voice-over narration throughout the episodes, noting the time, date and place of every scene as he and his partners went through their day investigating the crime. The events related in a given episode might occur in a few hours, or might span a few months. At least one episode unfolded in real time: in "City Hall Bombing" (July 21, 1949), Friday and Romero had less than 30 minutes to stop a man who was threatening to destroy the City Hall with a bomb.

At the end of the episode, the announcer would relate the fate of the suspect. They were usually convicted of a crime and sentenced to jail or prison, but other occasions the cases had ambiguous, unusual or even disappointing resolutions. Sometimes, criminals avoided justice, at least on the radio version of "Dragnet". In 1950, Time quoted Webb: "We don’t even try to prove that crime doesn’t pay ... sometimes it does" (Dunning, 210)

Specialized terminology was mentioned in every episode, but was rarely explained. Webb trusted the audience to determine the meanings of words or terms by their context, and furthermore, "Dragnet" tried to avoid the kinds of awkward, lengthy exposition that people wouldn’t actually use in daily speech. Several specialized terms (such as "A.P.B." for "All Points Bulletin" and "M.O." for "Modus Operandi") were rarely used in popular culture before "Dragnet" introduced them to everyday America.

While most radio shows used one or two sound effects experts, "Dragnet" needed five; a script clocking in at just under 30 minutes could require up to 300 separate effects. Accuracy was underlined: The exact number of footsteps from one room to another at Los Angeles police headquarters were imitated, and when a telephone rang at Friday’s desk, the listener heard the same ring as the telephones in Los Angeles police headquarters. A single minute of "A Gun For Christmas" is a representative example of the evocative sound effects featured on "Dragnet." While Friday and others investigate bloodstains in a suburban backyard, the listener hears a series of overlapping effects: a squeaking gate hinge, footsteps, a technician scraping blood into a paper envelope, the glassy chime of chemical vials, bird calls and a dog barking in the distance.

Scripts tackled a number of topics, ranging from the thrilling (murders, missing persons and armed robbery) to the mundane (check fraud and shoplifting), yet "Dragnet" made them all interesting due to fast-moving plots and behind-the-scenes realism. In "The Garbage Chute" (15 December 1949), they even had a locked room mystery.

Though rather tame by modern standards, "Dragnet" - especially on the radio - handled controversial subjects such as sex crimes and drug addiction with unprecedented and even startling realism. "Dragnet" broke one of the unspoken (and still rarely broached) taboos of popular entertainment when a young child was killed in "A Gun For Christmas" (aired December 21, 1950). The episode followed the search for eight-year-old Stevie Morheim, only to discover he’d been accidentally killed by his best friend while they played with a rifle his friend had received as a Christmas gift. Thousands of letters were mailed to NBC in complaint, including a formal protest by the National Rifle Association. Webb forwarded many of the letters to police chief Parker who promised "ten more shows illustrating the folly of giving rifles to children." (Dunning, 211) "Big Betty" (November 23, 1950) dealt with young women who, rather than finding Hollywood stardom, fall in with phony talent scouts and end up in pornography and prostitution.

The tone was usually serious, but there were moments of comic relief: Romero was something of a hypochondriac and often seemed henpecked; though Friday dated women, he usually dodged those who tried to set him up with marriage-minded dates.

Due in part to Webb’s fondness for radio drama, "Dragnet" persisted on radio until 1957 as one of the last old time radio shows to give way to television’s increasing popularity.

Episode Listing for the "Dragnet" programs included in this collection:

Dragnet - 490603 - Robbery
Dragnet - 490610 - Homicide
Dragnet - 490617 - The Werewolf
Dragnet - 490624 - Homicide
Dragnet - 490707 - Helen Corday
Dragnet - 490714 - Red Light Bandit
Dragnet - 490721 - City Hall Bombing
Dragnet - 490728 - The Big Missing
Dragnet - 490804 - Benny Trounsel
Dragnet - 490811 - Homicide
Dragnet - 490818 - Sixteen Jewel Thieves
Dragnet - 490825 - Police Academy - Mario Koski
Dragnet - 490901 - Myra, The Redhead
Dragnet - 490903 - Eric Kelby
Dragnet - 490910 - Sullivan Kidnapping - The Wolf
Dragnet - 490915 - Jewelry
Dragnet - 490917 - James Vickers
Dragnet - 490924 - Brick-bat Slayer
Dragnet - 491001 - Tom Laval
Dragnet - 491006 - Second Hand Killer
Dragnet - 491117 - Harry Girard
Dragnet - 491124 - Mother-in-law Murder
Dragnet - 491201 - Spring Street Gang
Dragnet - 491208 - Jade Thumb Rings
Dragnet - 491215 - Garbage Chute
Dragnet - 491222 - .22 Rifle For Christmas
Dragnet - 491229 - Roseland Murder
Dragnet - 500105 - The Big Escape
Dragnet - 500112 - Big Man (Part 01)
Dragnet - 500119 - Big Man (Part 02)
Dragnet - 500202 - Claude Jimmerson
Dragnet - 500209 - Big Girl
Dragnet - 500223 - Big Drifter
Dragnet - 500223 - Big Grifter
Dragnet - 500302 - Big Kill
Dragnet - 500309 - Big Thank You
Dragnet - 500316 - The Big Boys
Dragnet - 500323 - Big Gangster (Part 01)
Dragnet - 500330 - Big Gangster (Part 02)
Dragnet - 500406 - Big Book
Dragnet - 500413 - The Big Watch
Dragnet - 500420 - The Big Trial
Dragnet - 500427 - The Big Job
Dragnet - 500504 - The Big Badge
Dragnet - 500511 - The Big Knife
Dragnet - 500518 - The Big Pug
Dragnet - 500525 - The Big Key
Dragnet - 500601 - The Big Fake
Dragnet - 500608 - The Big Smart Guy
Dragnet - 500615 - The Big Press
Dragnet - 500622 - The Big Mink
Dragnet - 500629 - The Big Grab
Dragnet - 500706 - The Big Frame
Dragnet - 500713 - The Big Bomb
Dragnet - 500720 - The Big Gent (Part 01)
Dragnet - 500727 - The Big Gent (Part 02)
Dragnet - 500803 - The Big Dare
Dragnet - 500810 - The Big Actor
Dragnet - 500817 - The Big Youngster
Dragnet - 500824 - The Big Chance
Dragnet - 500831 - The Big Check
Dragnet - 500907 - The Big Poison
Dragnet - 500914 - The Big Make
Dragnet - 500921 - The Big Pair
Dragnet - 500928 - The Big Death
Dragnet - 501005 - The Big 38
Dragnet - 501012 - The Big Quack
Dragnet - 501019 - The Big Grandma
Dragnet - 501026 - The Big Meet
Dragnet - 501102 - The Big Church
Dragnet - 501109 - The Big Mother
Dragnet - 501116 - The Big Parrot
Dragnet - 501123 - The Big Betty
Dragnet - 501130 - The Big Car
Dragnet - 501207 - The Big Picture
Dragnet - 501214 - The Big Break
Dragnet - 501221 - .22 Rifle for Christmas
Dragnet - 501228 - The Big Family
Dragnet - 510104 - The Big Holdup
Dragnet - 510111 - The Big Jump
Dragnet - 510118 - The Big Dance
Dragnet - 510125 - The Big Tomato
Dragnet - 510201 - The Big Children
Dragnet - 510208 - The Big Cast
Dragnet - 510215 - Big Crime
Dragnet - 510218 - The Big Cast
Dragnet - 510222 - The Big Couple
Dragnet - 510301 - The Big Partner
Dragnet - 510308 - The Big New Years
Dragnet - 510315 - The Big Ben
Dragnet - 510329 - The Big Lover
Dragnet - 510405 - The Big Friend
Dragnet - 510412 - The Big Threat
Dragnet - 510419 - The Big Speech
Dragnet - 510426 - The Big Saint
Dragnet - 510503 - The Big Casting
Dragnet - 510510 - The Big Drills
Dragnet - 510517 - The Big Blast
Dragnet - 510524 - The Big Mailman
Dragnet - 510531 - The Big Bindle
Dragnet - 510607 - The Big Imposture
Dragnet - 510614 - The Big Building
Dragnet - 510621 - The Big Run
Dragnet - 510628 - The Big Cliff
Dragnet - 510705 - The Big Love
Dragnet - 510712 - The Big Set-Up
Dragnet - 510719 - The Big Sophomore
Dragnet - 510726 - The Big Late Script
Dragnet - 510802 - The Big Cop
Dragnet - 510809 - The Big Screen
Dragnet - 510816 - The Big Winchester
Dragnet - 510823 - The Big In-Laws
Dragnet - 510830 - The Big Crazy
Dragnet - 510906 - The Big Seventen
Dragnet - 510913 - The Big Waiter
Dragnet - 510920 - The Big Sour
Dragnet - 510927 - The Big September Man
Dragnet - 511004 - The Big Want Ad
Dragnet - 511011 - The Big Shoplift
Dragnet - 511018 - The Big Story Man
Dragnet - 511101 - The Big Lease
Dragnet - 511108 - The Big Hit and Run Killer
Dragnet - 511115 - The Big Bungalow
Dragnet - 511122 - The Big Hands
Dragnet - 511129 - The Big Affair
Dragnet - 511206 - The Big Canary
Dragnet - 511213 - The Big Overtime
Dragnet - 511220 - Twenty-Two Rifle for Christmas
Dragnet - 511227 - The Big Sorrow
Dragnet - 520103 - Big Red
Dragnet - 520214 - Big Phone Call
Dragnet - 520313 - The Big Fire
Dragnet - 520320 - The Big Border
Dragnet - 520327 - The Big Rose
Dragnet - 520403 - The Big Streetcar
Dragnet - 520410 - The Big Show
Dragnet - 520417 - The Big Bunco
Dragnet - 520424 - The Big Elevator
Dragnet - 520501 - The Big Safe
Dragnet - 520508 - The Big Gamble
Dragnet - 520515 - The Big Mail
Dragnet - 520522 - The Big Shakedown
Dragnet - 520529 - The Big Fourth
Dragnet - 520605 - The Big Whiff
Dragnet - 520612 - The Big Donation
Dragnet - 520626 - The Big Roll
Dragnet - 520703 - The Big Trio
Dragnet - 520710 - The Big Hate
Dragnet - 520731 - The Big Signet
Dragnet - 520807 - The Big Impression
Dragnet - 520814 - The Big Drive
Dragnet - 520821 - The Big Paper
Dragnet - 520828 - The Big Test
Dragnet - 520904 - The Big Ray
Dragnet - 520914 - The Big Bull
Dragnet - 520921 - The Big Shot
Dragnet - 520928 - The Big Brain
Dragnet - 521005 - The Big Jolt
Dragnet - 521012 - The Big Lie
Dragnet - 521019 - The Big Pill
Dragnet - 521026 - The Big Number
Dragnet - 521102 - The Big Light
Dragnet - 521109 - The Big Dive
Dragnet - 521116 - The Big Walk
Dragnet - 521123 - The Big Guilt
Dragnet - 521130 - The Big Shirt
Dragnet - 521207 - The Big Mole
Dragnet - 521214 - The Big Evesdrop
Dragnet - 521221 - .22 Rifle for Christmas
Dragnet - 521228 - The Big Mask (Part 01)
Dragnet - 530104 - The Big Mask (Part 02)
Dragnet - 530111 - The Big Small
Dragnet - 530118 - The Big String
Dragnet - 530125 - The Big Layout
Dragnet - 530201 - The Big Strip
Dragnet - 530208 - The Big Press
Dragnet - 530215 - The Big Tooth
Dragnet - 530222 - The Big Smoke
Dragnet - 530301 - The Big Want
Dragnet - 530308 - The Big Laugh
Dragnet - 530315 - The Big Impossible
Dragnet - 530322 - The Big Informant
Dragnet - 530329 - The Big Dream
Dragnet - 530405 - The Big Chet
Dragnet - 530412 - The Big Compulsion
Dragnet - 530419 - The Big Rip
Dragnet - 530426 - The Big Scrapbook
Dragnet - 530503 - The Big Carney
Dragnet - 530510 - The Big Joke
Dragnet - 530517 - The Big False Make
Dragnet - 530524 - The Big Gun (Part 01)
Dragnet - 530531 - The Big Gun (Part 02)
Dragnet - 530607 - The Big Will
Dragnet - 530614 - The Big Lilly
Dragnet - 530621 - Big Revolt
Dragnet - 530628 - The Big Ham
Dragnet - 530901 - The Big Bop
Dragnet - 530908 - The Big Lift
Dragnet - 530915 - The Big Cab
Dragnet - 530922 - The Big Slip
Dragnet - 530929 - The Big Try
Dragnet - 531006 - The Big Little Mother
Dragnet - 531013 - The Big Plea
Dragnet - 531020 - The Big Paint
Dragnet - 531027 - The Big Fraud
Dragnet - 531103 - The Big Eain
Dragnet - 531110 - The Big Kid
Dragnet - 531117 - The Big Flight
Dragnet - 531124 - The Big Present
Dragnet - 531201 - The Big Odd
Dragnet - 531208 - The Big Pick
Dragnet - 531215 - The Big Brink
Dragnet - 531222 - The Big Little Jesus
Dragnet - 531229 - The Big Steal
Dragnet - 540105 - The Big Listen
Dragnet - 540112 - The Big Switch
Dragnet - 540119 - The Big Bill
Dragnet - 540126 - The Big Bid
Dragnet - 540202 - The Big Filth
Dragnet - 540209 - The Big Broad
Dragnet - 540216 - The Big Sucker
Dragnet - 540223 - The Big Pipe
Dragnet - 540302 - The Big TV
Dragnet - 540309 - The Cup
Dragnet - 540316 - The Big Rod
Dragnet - 540323 - The Big Mustache
Dragnet - 540330 - The Big Confession
Dragnet - 540406 - The Big Saw
Dragnet - 540413 - The Big Note
Dragnet - 540420 - The Big Net
Dragnet - 540427 - The Big Lift
Dragnet - 540504 - The Big Stop
Dragnet - 540511 - The Big Look
Dragnet - 540518 - The Big Help
Dragnet - 540525 - The Big Watch
Dragnet - 540601 - The Big Cowboy
Dragnet - 540608 - The Big Student
Dragnet - 540615 - The Big Cat
Dragnet - 540622 - The Big Customer
Dragnet - 540629 - The Big Chick
Dragnet - 540706 - The Big Search
Dragnet - 540713 - The Big Rescue
Dragnet - 540720 - The Big Heel
Dragnet - 540727 - The Big Match
Dragnet - 540803 - The Big Stand
Dragnet - 540810 - The Big Wish
Dragnet - 540817 - The Big Cad
Dragnet - 540824 - The Big Shock
Dragnet - 540831 - The Big Office
Dragnet - 540907 - The Big Trunk
Dragnet - 540914 - The Big Cut
Dragnet - 540921 - The Big Try
Dragnet - 540928 - The Big Bible
Dragnet - 541005 - The Big Handsome Bandit
Dragnet - 541012 - The Big Tar-Baby
Dragnet - 541019 - The Big Manikin
Dragnet - 541026 - The Big Key
Dragnet - 541102 - The Big Locker
Dragnet - 541109 - The Big Coin
Dragnet - 541116 - The Big Dog
Dragnet - 541123 - The Big Switch
Dragnet - 541130 - The Big Gone
Dragnet - 541207 - The Big Dig
Dragnet - 541214 - The Big Lens
Dragnet - 541221 - Big Little Jesus
Dragnet - 541228 - The Big Underground
Dragnet - 550104 - The Big Mug
Dragnet - 550111 - The Big Complex
Dragnet - 550118 - The Big Token
Dragnet - 550125 - The Big Bounce
Dragnet - 550201 - The Big Bird
Dragnet - 550208 - The Big Gap
Dragnet - 550215 - The Big Hat
Dragnet - 550222 - The Big Slug
Dragnet - 550301 - The Big Set-Up
Dragnet - 550308 - The Big Father
Dragnet - 550315 - The Big Set
Dragnet - 550322 - The Big Talk
Dragnet - 550329 - The Big Death
Dragnet - 550405 - The Big No Tooth
Dragnet - 550412 - The Big Tie
Dragnet - 550419 - The Big Deal
Dragnet - 550426 - The Big Child
Dragnet - 550503 - The Big Mama
Dragnet - 550510 - The Big Revision
Dragnet - 550517 - The Big Squealer
Dragnet - 550524 - The Big Siege
Dragnet - 550531 - The Big Sisters
Dragnet - 550607 - The Big Lick
Dragnet - 550614 - The Big Fall Guy
Dragnet - 550621 - The Big Grab
Dragnet - 550628 - The Big Convertible
Dragnet - 550705 - The Big Rush
Dragnet - 550712 - The Big Genius
Dragnet - 550719 - The Big Bobo
Dragnet - 550726 - The Big Housemaid
Dragnet - 550802 - The Big Sheet
Dragnet - 550809 - The Big Miss Us
Dragnet - 550816 - The Big Beer
Dragnet - 550823 - The Big Blonde
Dragnet - 550830 - The Big Fellow
Dragnet - 550913 - The Big Daughter
Dragnet - 550920 - The Big Close
Dragnet - 550927 - The Big Shot
Dragnet - 551004 - The Big Brain
Dragnet - 551011 - The Big Jolt
Dragnet - 551018 - The Big Lie
Dragnet - 551025 - The Big Pill
Dragnet - 551101 - The Big Number
Dragnet - 551108 - The Big Light
Dragnet - 551115 - The Big Dive
Dragnet - 551122 - The Big Walk
Dragnet - 551129 - The Big Guilt
Dragnet - 551206 - The Big Shirt
Dragnet - 551213 - The Big Mole
Dragnet - 551220 - .22 Rifle For Christmas
Dragnet - 551227 - The Big Mask (Part 01)
Dragnet - 560103 - Big Mask (Part 02)
Dragnet - 560110 - Big Small
Dragnet - 560117 - Big String
Dragnet - 560124 - Big Lay-out
Dragnet - 560131 - Big Strip
Dragnet - 560207 - Big Press
Dragnet - 560214 - Big Tooth
Dragnet - 560221 - Big Smoke
Dragnet - 560228 - Big Want
Dragnet - 560306 - Big Laugh
Dragnet - 560313 - Big Impossible
Dragnet - 560320 - .22 Rifle For Christmas
Dragnet - 560327 - Big Informant
Dragnet - 560403 - Big Dream
Dragnet - 560410 - Big Chet
Dragnet - 560417 - Big Compulsion
Dragnet - 560424 - Big Rip
Dragnet - 560501 - Big Scrapbook
Dragnet - 560508 - Big Carney
Dragnet - 560515 - Big Joke
Dragnet - 560522 - Big False Move
Dragnet - 560529 - Big Gun (Part 01)
Dragnet - 560605 - Big Gun (Part 02)
Dragnet - 560612 - Big Will
Dragnet - 560619 - Big Lilly
Dragnet - 560626 - Big Revolt
Dragnet - 560918 - Big Ham
Dragnet - 560925 - Big Bop
Dragnet - 561002 - Big Lift
Dragnet - 561009 - Big Cab
Dragnet - 561016 - Big Slip
Dragnet - 561023 - Big Flight
Dragnet - 561030 - Big Present
Dragnet - 561106 - Big Odd
Dragnet - 561113 - Big Pick
Dragnet - 561120 - Big Brink
Dragnet - 561127 - Big Steal
Dragnet - 561204 - Big Listen
Dragnet - 561211 - Big Switch
Dragnet - 561218 - Big Bill
Dragnet - 561225 - Big Little Jesus
Dragnet - 570101 - Big Bid
Dragnet - 570108 - Big Filth
Dragnet - 570115 - Big Broad (Clipped Ending)
Dragnet - 570122 - Big Sucker
Dragnet - 570129 - Big Pipe
Dragnet - 570205 - Big TV
Dragnet - 570212 - Big Cup
Dragnet - 570219 - Big Rod
Dragnet - 570226 - Big Mustache
Dragnet Extra - Jack Webb on The Tonight Show (Parody of Dragnet)

IMPORTANT NOTE!: The CD presented for sale contains radio programs recorded and preserved in the MP3 audio format. The MP3 format allows for audio compression and can allow the storage of over 50 hours of audio per CD. The MP3 format is compatible with many newer DVD and portable CD players, as well as MP3 players. The MP3 format is also playable on Windows based computers using Real Player, Windows Media Player or other players.

Attention EBay: After a careful search of the Library of Congress and the United States Trademark and Patent Office, it has been determined that the programs listed for sale here are in the Public Domain. They are being offered with the understanding that no valid or active copyright, trademark, and/or patent exist for them. These recordings are sold for private home listening and use only. No broadcast rights are stated, implied, or given. Historical Media assumes no responsibility for unauthorized use of these programs. The Library Of Congress has ruled that old radio broadcasts are within the Public Domain, since they were not qualified for copyright protection when presented, nor was any attempt to place them under such copyright protection when the opportunity existed in 1978-1979 when the copyright law regarding these programs was revised. Radio shows created before January 1, 1978 are protected by the Copyright Act of 1909. These shows are listed in accordance with current EBay policies concerning selling Old Time Radio Public Domain materials.