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| Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday |
The evolution of detective programs
on old-time radio began in the late twenties when most original
detectives were inspired by the murder mystery stage plays often
dramatized on stage on Broadway. By the early thirties, Philo Vance and
Charlie Chan began inspiring imitations and programs of their own...
sometimes adapted from the novels themselves -- others to help promote
major motion pictures.
In 1946, CBS began offering The Adventures of Sam Spade
and those early adventures revealed a different kind of gumshoe -- one
who stole money out of a dead man's wallet and shot a crooked thief (a
woman) in the back when she tried to escape. Radio listeners (and script
writers) took note and began their own imitations of the Sam Spade
series, more tame than the Sam Spade character. By 1947, radio
detectives became a common staple in network broadcasting -- so much so
that concerned parents formed organizations in an effort to curb the
vicious murders that intrigued impressionistic young minds. But after
you listen to a dozen of those programs -- Philo Vance, Boston Blackie, Nero Wolfe, Richard Diamond,
etc. -- the conclusion is the same. The detective programs are
relatively the same -- each with their own variation-on-a-theme.
Then came Jack Webb and
Dragnet,
which was far more original than any detective program on the airwaves.
So original that it is difficult to name another radio program that
attempted to imitate
Dragnet. (It is far easier to name a number of programs that spoofed
Dragnet.)
Many collectors today know of a handful of "lost" episodes -- lost being defined as episodes in which a recording is not known to exist. For all you
Dragnet fans, here is a scan of a
Dragnet script for a lost episode. Enjoy!
