Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true.
Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.
NBC brings you Dragnet.
You're a detective sergeant.
You're assigned to robbery detail.
A ruthless fiend roams the streets of your city, masquerading as a police officer.
For months, helpless citizens have been robbed, beaten senseless, and kidnapped.
The criminal is a twisted genius, vicious, cunning.
Your job is to get him.
Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime, investigated and solved by the men
who unrelentingly stand watch on the security of your home, your family, and your life.
For the next 30 minutes in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, you will
travel step by step on the side of the law through an actual case from official police
files, from beginning to end, from crime to punishment.
Dragnet is the story of your police force in action.
It was Wednesday, June 4th.
It was warm in Los Angeles.
We were working the night watch out of robbery detail.
My partner is Ben Romero.
The boss is Ed Backstrand, chief of detectives.
My name's Friday.
I was on my way back from communications and it was 11.13 p.m. when I got to room 27A.
Robbery detail.
Oh, hi, Joe.
Hi, Ben.
You got that message to call home?
Yeah, bad news.
What's the matter?
That dog gone kid of mine chicken pox.
Oh, again?
Last year it was a mumps.
Year before that, the measles.
Every time I get set for a vacation, he decides to catch something.
Forget it, Ben.
Think what a comfort he's gonna be in your old age.
Go ahead, lad.
You'll find out.
Yeah?
How are you Friday, Romero?
Fine.
What can we do for you?
You don't look like you remember me.
Oh, no, wait a minute.
Name's Savage, isn't it?
George?
Johnny, Sergeant.
Johnny Savage.
You remember now?
Oh, sure.
Those liquor store robbers out in the Wilshire district.
About six, seven years ago, wasn't it?
Ten years, Romero.
You ought to remember that.
You went to trial.
We testifying court every week.
Ten years is a long time.
It's longer in the state pen.
It's a lot longer.
You cried a little at that trial, didn't you, Savage?
You said we beat that confession out of you.
Yeah, that's why I figured I'd drop in for a little visit.
I kind of apologized to you fellas.
You gave me a square deal.
I guess I kind of lost my head.
I figured I'd apologize.
Oh, that's all right, Savage.
When did you get out?
A couple of weeks ago.
I did it the hard way.
Served ten flat.
I don't own my day.
You find a job yet?
Yeah, Friday.
I'm working nights.
What kind of a job?
Laborer in a warehouse south end of town.
Good.
You decided to level?
Ten years in prison's a long time.
You learn a lot of things.
Nights are long.
You think a lot.
You get things straightened out.
I hope you mean that.
Sure I mean it, Friday.
I've got everything straightened out.
I know who my friends are and I know who to watch out for.
You sound like maybe on the right track.
I got a figured room, Harold.
I like you two fellas.
You caught me red-handed and you send me up for ten years.
Well, you did all right, Savage.
Five armed robberies.
You got off pretty easy.
You got a break, Savage.
Make the best of it.
Sure, I'm not kicking.
Ten years, a real break.
That's right.
Well, I just dropped in for a little visit.
Maybe I'll see you fellas sometime.
All right, Savage.
Keep your nose clean.
Sure.
No heart feelings?
No.
You just took ten years of my life.
That's all.
There's no such thing as a man going through prison without changing.
Ben and I have seen him switch in both directions.
Some men learn their lesson after they land behind bars, and when they're released, they
turn into good citizens.
Johnny Savage was sour.
We made a mental note to check him out later on, and then we went down to the record bureau
and pulled his coming out mug.
That's about all that we had time for, because about an hour later, we started to get busy.
Hot shot, Joe.
Grab it.
On the corner of Selma and Naples, the drug store.
Two-eleven and probable attack.
On the corner of Selma and Naples, two-eleven and prob...
What you got, Joe?
On the corner of Selma and Naples, two-eleven and attack.
Come on.
Here we are, Joe.
Don't play on the corner.
Yeah.
All right.
Come on.
We got the story from the victim, the store owner, Mr. Thomas.
For the most part, it was the usual rundown of an early morning holdup.
There was only one exception.
Oh, I've had young hoodlums try to hold me up before, but there was nothing like this
one.
How you mean, Mr. Thomas?
Well, he came in here just before closing, and ordinarily I'd have kept an eye out, because
that's the time to look for him.
But this fellow came to the door and said he was a policeman, so I let him in.
He looked like a cop.
Boy, it's right up to me and the wife behind the counter and pointed a gun.
And she screamed, and he hit her in the face with the butt of the gun.
Sergeant, it was horrible.
That's the way it started, and that's the way it kept going, because most of the victims
and most people don't realize that as a citizen, they have the right to check on police officer's
identification when in doubt.
After we got the story from Mr. Thomas and checked the store in the neighborhood, Ben
and I headed back for the office.
Attention, all units, at the end of North Baxter Road near Hillcrest, victim of 211 and slugging.
Car 71-72, take the call, code 3.
Attention, all units, at the end of North Baxter Road.
That's four blocks away from the last one.
Let's roll on it, huh, Ben?
Right, I'll hit the siren, you get the last.
By the time Ben and I got up to the end of North Baxter, the men from Car 71 were already
there.
The victim was telling his story.
His face looked like it had been through a meat grinder.
We were just shifting the car into second to make the hill when I hear this siren behind
me and I see this red light flashing in the side view mirror.
Well, naturally, I pulled over to the curb and I was just reaching for my driver's license
when the cop runs up, yanks me out of the car and starts clubbing me in the face with
the butt of his gun.
Did you get a look at him?
Think you can describe him?
No, I'm afraid not.
He swung me around and kept me staring into that red light on his car all the time he
was beating me.
After a while, everything just went black.
When I woke up, my wallet was gone, all my money's...
45 minutes later, Ben and I were interviewing the third victim, a young housewife out in
the Wilshire district.
Same trademark.
I tried to tell him, Sergeant.
I tried to tell him I didn't have any money, but he wouldn't listen.
He kept holding me.
He kept holding me by the throat and beating me with his fist like he enjoyed it.
Beating me.
Yeah, all right, all right, Mrs. Jamison.
Could you tell us how he got in the house?
He came in the front door and rang the bell.
I opened the door, but I left the burglar chain on.
He said he was a policeman.
So when he demanded I open the door all the way, I did.
And he grabbed me.
And you can't describe the man-forced, Mrs. Jamison.
He was a man-forced.
It was like a nightmare.
Tall, dark hair, big hands.
Your guess is the same as mine, Joe.
Maybe.
Let's wait and see.
Come on.
Let's check with the boss.
Hi, Mike.
Hi.
He's waiting for you in there.
Come on, Ben.
He's with the Detectives, always.
Hannan.
You two, let's have it.
The guy with the red light?
Yes, the guy with the red light posing as a policeman.
Why hasn't he been picked up?
You know as much about it as we do, Ed.
We got our first call around midnight.
He knocked over a drug store out on Selma.
He hasn't stopped working since.
Didn't you get any definite lead on him?
No description, no license number?
Nothing. He's tall, big hands, dark hair. That's all.
Fine.
Either of you got any ideas?
Could be anybody, Skipper, with that description.
You're sure it wasn't anybody on the force?
We sent all the victims down to personnel.
Lowry showed them the mugbook of all police officers.
Wasn't one of our men.
Works fast. Drug store motorist, a pedestrian, a housewife out in the Wilshire district.
Went right in the house after her. Four of them, right in a row.
Five.
Huh?
There's a 20-year-old kid in the next room.
Came in just before you got here.
Couple of hours ago he was sitting in a car with his girl up in Mulholland Drive.
This red light bandit comes along, slugs him and kidnaps the girl.
Kidnaps? He still missing?
Not a trace.
When did this happen?
Couple of hours ago. They brought the kid over from Georgia Street Hospital.
We can talk to him now.
He's had a bad time.
Right in here.
Okay.
Pete, we're going to have to ask you a few more questions.
Oh, yeah. Okay.
It feels a little better now.
This is Sergeant Friday and Sergeant Romero.
Hi, Pete.
Hi.
Can you tell us what time the trouble started?
Oh, about 10.15, 10.30.
Sally and I were sitting in the car talking about wherever we're going on our honeymoon.
We're going to be married next month.
And then this car pulls up behind us and starts flashing a red spotlight on us.
A guy runs over and pulls open the door. He said he was a cop.
Did you get a good look at his car, Pete?
I think it was a black sedan.
Did you get a look at the man, Pete?
No. No, I didn't.
It was pretty dark and he kept me staring into that red spotlight.
It all happened so fast. Then he started slugging me and I went down.
What happened then?
Well, the next thing I knew Sally was screaming.
He had one hand on her throat and he had her backed up against the side of the car.
He was beating her with the other hand.
Some kind of a short billy club.
I got up and I started for him and he slugged me again.
When I came to, Sally was gone.
Anybody check the area up there, Ed?
Yeah, Davis and Griffin. Didn't find a thing.
Oh, Sergeant, you've got to find it. You've got to.
I wouldn't know what to tell her folks. I wouldn't know what to say.
That's all right, Pete. We'll find her. You take it easy.
Got a hot shot, Ed, up in Summit Road near Westmore.
A woman, unconscious, ambulance follow-up, possible dead body.
All right, Hannon, look after Pete here.
Frady, Romero, let's go.
Up ahead, Romero, to the right.
Okay, Skipper.
Yeah, there's the ambulance and the cruiser car.
You're a lonely-looking spot.
All right, come on.
Hiya, Doc. What'd you find?
Hiya, fellas. Right over here.
Just gonna take her in.
Oh, where'd you find her?
Over there by the side of the road.
Somebody driving by us, sorry. They called us.
Any identification?
This bracelet on her wrist.
Hmm, to my dearest Sally from Pete, December 25th, 1947.
That's a girl, all right. What are the chances, Doc?
I wouldn't bet on them. Pretty bad shape.
All of you seen enough?
Yeah. Frady, Romero, call the crime lab and check the area for footprints and tire tracks.
I'll ride back in the ambulance with the girl.
If she regains consciousness, I want to talk to her. All right?
Okay, Ed.
I'll meet you in the office by 8.30.
We're working straight through till we get this guy.
See you at the office, Skipper.
What time you got, Ben?
Seven minutes to four. Long night.
That car up there ahead, let's take a look at it, huh?
Black sedan.
Hey, look, he's flashing a red spot on that convertible.
Come on.
I'll take a look.
He sees us, Joe.
He's pulling away.
Get that gas pedal down to the floor.
Already there. He's turning off right.
Hit the siren. I'll get the light.
We're gaining a little, Ben. Next corner to the left.
Joe, where'd he go?
It's a fancy driver. Try the alley up ahead, to the left, here.
Must've turned up that cross street.
He gets through the alley and double back on him.
There he is, Ben, look out.
He's gonna ram us!
We got hit just in front of the rear bumper.
Our car was forced into the curbing and it turned over.
He was real lucky. He kept right on going.
But this time Ben and I were sharing the luck.
All we got out of it was a couple of nasty cracks in the head and a few bruises,
but it was enough to keep us in a hospital under observation for a day.
By this time Ed Backstrand was fuming, so were the newspapers.
During the day we spent in the hospital, a red light bandit went on a real blitz.
He pulled six more jobs, one liquor store, two residential holdups and three car robberies.
Five of the six victims were slugged and beaten.
Davis and Griffin had taken over for Ben and me,
and by the time we got back on the job, they'd built up a lead for us.
We've been working with Wilkerson up an auto theft job.
He's used four stolen cars already. We got the makes and numbers on each one of them.
How about the dark sedan he was driving when he rammed us?
The boys picked it up this morning out on Sepulveda. We're checking it for prints now.
That's fine, Dave. You got any description on the guy yet?
No luck there, Joe. He works too fast.
Nothing at all?
Same as you had. Tall, black hair, big hands. Loves to use them.
Friday, Romero, got a minute?
Okay, Skipper. Check you later, honey.
Sure thing, boys.
Sit down. How do you feel?
Pretty fair, Ed.
Little stiff here and there.
All right. Did Davis fill you in?
Up to date.
Okay. I just called the doctor who's handling Sally Wilder, Pete's girlfriend. You remember?
Oh, yeah.
She's been in pretty bad shape since we found her up there on Summit Road.
This morning she took a turn for the better.
She's conscious and her doctor thinks she might be able to talk to us a little bit.
Good. When?
About an hour. I cleared it with the doctor and with her family.
You'll only be able to stay a couple of minutes to make the most of them. That's all.
All right, Ed. We'll check with you later.
Hey, Joe, Ben, here's some mail came for you fellas while you were gone.
Oh, thank you, Mike. We're going over to the county hospital. We ought to be back in a couple of hours.
Okay. Say, there's been a couple of phone calls too.
Yeah. Anything important?
I don't think so. The guy just called to say hello. Said his name was Johnny Savage.
Just called to say hello.
I presume you men are aware of the girl's critical condition?
Yeah, that's right, Dr. Frohman.
We saw her before she was taken here to the hospital.
Ah, yes. You understand, of course, that you'll be able to see her for only a few minutes and please try your best not to excite her, huh?
Right, doctor.
Sally isn't able to talk. Bad mouth and face injuries. So your questions will have to be answered simply yes or no and nod of the head.
Okay, we got you. We only have a few questions and we want to know if she can identify the man who beat her from these pictures we've got here.
All right, Sergeant. This way, please.
Thank you.
Sally. Sally, these gentlemen are from the police department. They'd like to ask you a few questions.
Now, there's no need to be nervous or afraid. Just simply nod your head yes or no.
That's fine. All right, Sergeant.
Sally, did you see the man who attacked you?
Yes. She says yes.
Did you get a good look at his face?
You did. All right, Sally. Now you can answer these three together. Just yes or no.
Was he tall? Did he have dark hair? Did he have large hands?
He did. Ben.
All right. Yeah, Jim.
Hand me the folder.
Here you go.
Thanks.
Now, just one more thing, Sally. I'm going to show you some pictures now.
Take all the time you want before you make up your mind about each one.
If you recognize any one of these men as the person who attacked you, just nod your head. All right?
All right, that's fine. Good. Here's the first one.
No? All right. Here's the next one.
No.
How about this one?
No? All right. Here's another.
Do you recognize him?
This was the man? Are you sure, Sally?
Thank you. That's all. Let's go.
Did you find what you wanted, Sergeant?
Yes, Doctor, we did.
Here. It's this one.
Nice looking chap. Who is he, Sergeant?
His name's Savage, Doctor Frohman. Johnny Savage.
When we got back to the office, we checked in with Ed Backstrand.
In five minutes, an all-points bulletin and a full description of the suspect was broadcast to every radio car, every motorcycle officer, to every sheriff and law enforcement agency in Los Angeles and Southern California.
By nightfall, the manhunt was on.
More than a dozen extra patrol units were called in for duty that night.
And when they pulled out of the police garage, the name, the picture, and the full description of Johnny Savage was in the possession of every officer.
The same for the patrolmen. Whether they walked a beat downtown or out in the residential areas, the picture of Johnny Savage went with them.
Everything was done that could be done.
On the second night of the manhunt, far out on the edge of town, Johnny Savage, the red light bandit, got his 12th victim, a 63-year-old storekeeper.
Attention all units. 939 Markham Street, near Clark.
2-11 and slugging, code 3, ambulance dispatched. All units, 939 Markham Street, near Clark.
Here it is, skipper. Tie in.
What'd you get?
Wilkinson lifted the prints off that black sedan that rammed you and me.
Yeah?
They belonged to Johnny Savage.
Yeah, good.
That storekeeper last night, it was Savage, all right. Victim identified him from his mug.
They got enough in this Savage guy to put him on ice for life. All we have to do now is to get him.
Now look, the way we figure it, Ed, this red light bandit is using stolen cars with cold plates, so there's no way of tracking down the cars at regular commercial garages.
He's got to be running private garages someplace around town.
All right, let's get the neighborhood patrolmen on the job. Advertise it. All over town.
It's a city ordinance, isn't it? People who rent private garages are bound by law to register the car and license number with the police.
Start a campaign if you want, but find those cars.
Right.
All right, wait a minute. Hello, backstrand. Yeah? When? I see. Yeah, thanks.
What is it, Ed?
It was the hospital about the girl, Sally.
Sally Wilder? What about?
She died five minutes ago.
That night everybody went back on the job as usual. The cruiser cars, the patrolmen, the motorcycle officers, and about a dozen decoy cars.
We were armed police women riding alone in cars or parked in lonely spots with a police officer escort.
Our car, 80K, was still in the garage for repairs, so they assigned us another one.
And we started to make the rounds. Everything was usual.
Except one thing. We weren't tracking down just a thief anymore or a sadist who liked to beat people's faces in. We were out to get a murderer.
It was a perfect night for the suspect. Dark, no moon.
I gave Ben two to one odds and I put up five dollars that we'd get Savage that night.
I lost the five dollars. We cruised until seven the next morning, but there wasn't even a nibble.
We had breakfast at the Federal Cafe, a little restaurant down the street from the city hall, and it was about 8.15 when we got back to the office. We were pretty tired.
Robert D.T., I'm Romero.
I would like to speak to Sergeant Friday.
Just a minute. It's for you, Joe.
Okay, thanks. Friday talking.
Sergeant Friday, I want to talk to you.
Well, I'm listening. Go ahead.
I mean, I want to talk to you in person as soon as possible.
Can't you tell me over the phone? What is it?
I cannot tell you over the phone. It is very important. Can you come now?
Well, now look, mister, I'm awful sorry, but we're very busy down...
554 Ramona Avenue. Can you come now?
What's this all about? Who is this speaking?
My name is Carl Savage. My son's name is John.
Here it is, Joe.
Neat looking little place.
Yeah.
Yeah?
I'm Sergeant Friday. You Mr. Savage?
Yeah, come in.
Okay. This is my partner, Sergeant Romero.
How do you do? I will be brief, gentlemen. I am the father of John Savage.
I wish for you to catch him. I will help you.
I noticed the name on the mailbox outside, Mr. Savage.
You changed your name lately?
I changed my name ten years ago when John first got into trouble.
My own name I had to change. The shame. Always from him, my son. Shame.
Mr. Savage, has your son been home since he got out of prison?
Yeah, many times. To ask for money. I would not give him any, so he stuck me.
Last night I read in the newspaper the little girl he beat up. She is dead.
Then I make up my mind.
Do you know where your son is now, Mr. Savage?
Not now, no. But our garage has a car in there. It is not his, I know.
Also in the garage I find many license plates. I find spotlights with red glass lens.
But you don't have any idea where we could find him.
No, but he will come back. He always comes back for money.
We're going to station an officer here in the house, Mr. Savage.
Anything you want, if it will catch him. He's bad, Sergeant. Like something poison. All true, he's bad.
See a sewing basket over there, Mr. Savage? Does your wife live here with you?
Ten days ago, before this starts, I buried Gertrude, my wife, his mother.
Sergeant, for ten years she is sick, but for ten years she stays alive to see him from prison.
Ten days ago, she died. He did not even come to the funeral.
Does your son have any idea that you might call us?
No, no, I don't think so. But when you catch him, give me a gun.
With my own two hands, I will kill him, Johnny Savage.
Before we left, we called Ed Backstrand and we brought him up to date.
He sent three detectives out to relieve us, Davis, Griffin, and Marsh.
We told them to keep an eye on the house and the stolen car in the garage.
That night after dinner, Ed Backstrand, Ben and I went out and relieved them.
We parked the cruiser car in the garage next door, and then we took up our posts.
Carl Savage had a light supper, and then he went to bed about nine.
The three of us sat at the front windows in the darkened house and we waited.
Ben kept his eye on the garage. Outside, across the city, the manhunt continued as usual.
Three hours went by. The waiting got monotonous.
Friday, Romero, look alive, will you?
Oh, yes, Caperman, sorry.
That clock's enough to put anybody to sleep.
What time you got?
12.23 a.m.
Thanks.
The clock kept ticking. We were tired. We took turns keeping each other awake.
At ten minutes past two, I looked at my watch, and then I settled back and tried to find some kind of a comfortable position.
They started so faintly, it was just like the ticking of the clock. Same rhythm.
And then they came closer and the sounds got out of rhythm.
Backstrand's head came up with a snap.
Friday. Romero, you hear that?
Yeah, Ed.
Get up to the window once the curtains. You see anything?
Yeah. Yeah, somebody's coming.
Savage?
Can't tell. Wait a minute, he's slowing down.
He's going up the driveway to the garage. He's going inside.
That's him.
Come on.
Watch it, he spotted us.
He went over that fence, into the yard.
There he is, Friday.
He hit him, Joe.
Maybe.
He's going for the street.
He's headed for that car, Ed, that sedan up on the corner there.
Romero, go back and get the car.
Right, skipper.
Must have parked at the block before he came around. Where's Romero?
I don't know. Oh, here he comes now.
All right, let's go.
Get that radio on, Joe.
It's already on, Ed.
All right, give him a call. Any sign yet?
No, nothing so far. Next corner to the right, Ben.
Unit 80K to Control 4. 80K to Control 4.
Control 4 to Unit 80K, go ahead.
Clear and keep Frequency 4 open. This is an emergency.
80K, Roger. Frequency 4, open and clear.
Attention all units on Frequency 4, stand by. 80K, go ahead.
Yeah, there he is, Friday. Up ahead, dark blue sedan.
Control 4, we are in pursuit of the possible red light bandit.
Suspect is driving a dark blue 1949 sedan.
License number in the 7 column.
6-1, Robert, 7-8-4. Use caution. Suspect is armed.
Code 3.
Attention all units. Attention all units.
Unit 80K now pursuing possible red light bandit.
Suspect is driving a dark blue 1949 sedan.
License number in the 7 column.
6-1, Robert, 7-8-4.
Use caution. Suspect is armed. Code 3.
Your location, 80K.
Control 4, we are headed east on Wilshire Boulevard, crossing La Brea.
Attention all units. Suspect is headed east on Wilshire Boulevard, crossing La Brea.
Watch it, Romero. Don't lose him.
I see him, Skipper.
Control 4, still pursuing red light bandit.
Headed east on Wilshire, now crossing Rossmoor.
Attention all units. Suspect is still headed east on Wilshire, now crossing Rossmoor.
Suspect is armed. Use caution. Code 3.
That truck pulling out of the head.
Get to the siren, will you, Skipper?
Yeah.
All right, hold on to the taxi, please.
He's not on, Romero. A lot of traffic up ahead. He's got to slow down.
Control 4. Suspect headed east on Wilshire, crossing Western Avenue, closing in.
Attention all units.
There he goes. He'll go right down Sherman Alley. It's a dead end.
Yeah.
Control 4. Suspect turned south into Sherman Alley, closing in on Suspect.
Attention all units. Suspect has turned south into Sherman Alley.
Suspect is trapped in the urge on Sherman Alley.
There he is, Skipper. Pulling up ahead. He's jumping out.
All right, take the mike. What do you have here? Come on, Ben.
I'll direct the other cars in. If you need help, holler.
All right, Skipper.
All right, which way to go, Ben?
Down the front of the building.
Come on.
Starting up the back fire escape.
All right, keep him busy.
All right, Savage, come on down.
He wants to go to the roof.
One more chance, Savage. Come on down.
No use, Joe. He's heading up for the roof. Come on.
He climbs like a monkey. Come on, let's get him.
Come on.
All right, here, I'll give you a hand.
Here's the roof.
Where'd he go?
I don't know. Let's spread out.
All right, Savage, you're through.
Throw your gun out. Come on, with your hands up.
Watch it, Joe. He's running for the edge. He's gonna jump.
I'll get him.
All right.
Guy back here.
You lousy copper, you dirty lousy cop.
I'll kill you.
You're through, Savage. You're through.
Good, Joe.
Yeah.
Throw the cups out, will you?
You just betcha.
You want a smoke?
Yeah, I can sure use a little.
Thanks.
Quiet up here.
Yeah.
I was just thinking.
Yeah?
Carl Savage, this guy's father.
Mm-hmm.
What about him?
Nothing.
What would you do, Ben, if your son was a murderer?
The story you have just heard is true.
Only the names were changed to protect the innocent.
John Savage was tried and convicted of murder in the first degree.
He was executed in the lethal gas chamber at the State Penitentiary.
You have just heard the sixth in a new series of authentic cases from official files.
Technical advice for Dragnet is furnished by the Los Angeles Police Department.
Tonight's program is dedicated to Patrol Officer Robert Steele of the Montana State Highway Patrol,
who on the morning of November 2, 1947, gave his life so that yours might be more secure.
Dragnet came to you from Los Angeles.
This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.