Latest / Dragnet | Old Time Radio / Dragnet - "Big Bounce" (Old Time Radio, 1955)

Transcript

Dragnet - "Big Bounce" (Old Time Radio, 1955) · Dragnet | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Fog hangs over Los Angeles as a rooming housekeeper discovers
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: that a check from a familiar name has no account
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: behind it. Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Frank Smith, assigned
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: to the LAPD forgery detail, trace a string of worthless
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: checks passed by a man posing as the late film
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: actor Parker Allington. With return checks marked no such account,
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: the trail leads from Western Avenue into the Hollywood Entertainment District.
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: From January 25th, 1955, this is Dragnet, episode 284, Big Bounce,
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: with Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday. And now, our
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: story begins.
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: ¶ ¶.
• 0:52
  Speaker 3: Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: Drag men. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned to forgery detail.
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: For the past several months, a man posing as an
• 1:15
  Speaker 3: actor has been passing worthless checks in your city. You've
• 1:18
  Speaker 3: got a description of the suspect, but no lead to
• 1:21
  Speaker 3: his whereabouts. Your job, get him.
• 1:29
  Speaker 4: Dragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime. For the
• 1:33
  Speaker 4: next 30 minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department,
• 1:37
  Speaker 4: you will travel step by step on the side of
• 1:40
  Speaker 4: the law through an actual case transcribed from official police files.
• 1:44
  Speaker 4: From beginning to end, from crime to punishment, Dragnet is
• 1:48
  Speaker 4: the story of your police force in action.
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: It was Tuesday, January 10th. It was foggy in Los Angeles.
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: We were working the day watch out a forgery division.
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: My partner's Frank Smith. The boss is Captain Welsh. My
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: name's Friday. I was on my way back to the
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: office from a cup of coffee. It was 4.12 p.m.
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: when I got to forgery.
• 2:08
  Speaker 5: I told her to report it herself. Told her it
• 2:10
  Speaker 5: was her duty as a citizen. It is her duty,
• 2:12
  Speaker 5: isn't it?
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am.
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: Hi, Joe.
• 2:14
  Speaker 5: Hi.
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: Mrs. Neskett, this is my partner, Sergeant Friday. Mrs. Neskett?
• 2:17
  Speaker 6: Hello, Sergeant.
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: Seems Mrs. Neskett's mother got stuck with a bum check, Joe.
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: She's a landlady out on Western.
• 2:22
  Speaker 7: Well, not a landlady, exactly. Only rents a couple of rooms.
• 2:25
  Speaker 7: More for company than anything. Dad left a plan to
• 2:27
  Speaker 7: get by on.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am.
• 2:29
  Speaker 5: And we'd help her out if it was necessary.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: Dick and me.
• 2:32
  Speaker 6: Dick's my husband.
• 2:33
  Speaker 5: We'd help her out.
• 2:34
  Speaker 7: So far, she's managed pretty well by herself. But if
• 2:36
  Speaker 7: she pulls any more fool stunts like this... Phony has
• 2:40
  Speaker 7: a $ 3 bill.
• 2:40
  Speaker 5: See right there? No such account. Big as life, stamped
• 2:44
  Speaker 5: all over it. Mm-hmm.
• 2:45
  Speaker 7: I just don't understand her. I just don't understand her
• 2:48
  Speaker 7: at all.
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: Well, anybody can take a bad check in his basket,
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: no matter how careful they are. Even with good identification,
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: you can be fooled.
• 2:54
  Speaker 5: When they do, they report it, don't they?
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: Well, yes, ma'am, usually.
• 2:57
  Speaker 5: Look at the date. Way last December, over a month ago.
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 3:01
  Speaker 7: Over a month ago, and she hasn't done a thing
• 3:02
  Speaker 7: about it. Didn't intend to either. Didn't even want me
• 3:06
  Speaker 7: to know. Good thing I started early this year.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: Early, ma'am?
• 3:09
  Speaker 6: On her income tax. That's how I found out about
• 3:11
  Speaker 6: the check.
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: Oh.
• 3:12
  Speaker 7: I used to work in a tax office, so I
• 3:14
  Speaker 7: always make out Mother's return. If I didn't do it,
• 3:16
  Speaker 7: I don't know who could. Doesn't keep any records. Just
• 3:20
  Speaker 7: stubs and a few bills. Well, someday they'll audit her
• 3:23
  Speaker 7: and she'll find out.
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: Well, why didn't your mother report this check herself, do
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: you know?
• 3:27
  Speaker 5: You tell me.
• 3:28
  Speaker 6: The man had an honest face. That's about all I
• 3:30
  Speaker 6: can get out of her.
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: How'd she happen to take it?
• 3:33
  Speaker 5: It was supposed to be for his first month's rent.
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: Well, and she's not out any cash.
• 3:36
  Speaker 5: Sure she's out cash. Twenty dollars.
• 3:39
  Speaker 7: That's what she's out. He made the check for seventy.
• 3:43
  Speaker 7: A month's rent's only fifty. Not a lot of money,
• 3:46
  Speaker 7: but twenty dollars is twenty dollars.
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: That's right.
• 3:48
  Speaker 5: There's a principal, too.
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 3:51
  Speaker 5: An actor or something like that.
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: Ma'am?
• 3:53
  Speaker 5: The fellow gave it to her. Mother says she remembered
• 3:56
  Speaker 5: his name from the movies.
• 3:57
  Speaker 7: That's how she happened to take the check. I don't
• 4:00
  Speaker 7: see why she'd trust an actor any more than she
• 4:02
  Speaker 7: would somebody else.
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: Can I see that, please? Parker Allington. You ever hear
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: of him, Joe? Allington? Uh-huh. Well, I think it sounds familiar.
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: It was in pictures when I was a kid, I believe. Oh?
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: As I remember, I never cared much for him, though.
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: If it's the same guy, the parts he played. What
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: do you mean? Heavies.
• 4:23
  Speaker 6: Heavies.
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: We ran the name Parker Allington through R & I
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: and we turned up one package listing a drunk arrest
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: in 1935. We called the Screen Actors Guild to see
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: if they could help locate him. They said they'd check
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: and they asked us to call back in an hour. 4.30 p.m.
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: We left the office and drove out to the Western
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: Avenue address Mrs. Neskut had given us. It was a
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: two-story Spanish stucco with a rooms for rent sign in
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: the front window. Somebody's coming.
• 4:55
  Speaker 7: Who?
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: Yes. Miss Grimm?
• 5:00
  Speaker 8: Yes.
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: We're police officers. This is Frank Smith. My name's Friday.
• 5:03
  Speaker 5: Police officers?
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: That's right, ma'am. Anita. Beg your pardon?
• 5:07
  Speaker 6: My daughter, Anita. She sent you.
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am.
• 5:10
  Speaker 6: I told her not to. She never does anything I
• 5:13
  Speaker 6: tell her. Never has.
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: Be all right if we come in?
• 5:17
  Speaker 6: Living room's a mess.
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: Don't worry about it, ma'am.
• 5:19
  Speaker 6: I was just putting away the ornament from the tree.
• 5:21
  Speaker 7: It was raining last week when I took it down
• 5:24
  Speaker 7: and I couldn't get out to the garage.
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am.
• 5:28
  Speaker 7: I won't press any charges.
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: Well, that's up to you.
• 5:32
  Speaker 7: Not against that poor man, I won't. You can't force
• 5:35
  Speaker 7: me to press charges.
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: No, ma'am. Suppose you tell us about the check.
• 5:39
  Speaker 6: There isn't much to tell.
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: Your daughter says this man Allington gave it to you
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: for rent.
• 5:44
  Speaker 6: Here.
• 5:44
  Speaker 7: Let me get that box out of the way so
• 5:46
  Speaker 7: you'll have some place to sit.
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: I'll take care of it, ma'am. All right, I'll put
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: it here.
• 5:50
  Speaker 6: Oh, yes, yes, fine.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: Thanks. The check was for rent, is that right?
• 5:55
  Speaker 6: That's right.
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: When did you take it?
• 5:57
  Speaker 7: Last month sometime. A week or so before Christmas. The
• 6:02
  Speaker 7: date's on it, isn't it?
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: December 9th.
• 6:04
  Speaker 6: Well, that's what it says.
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: Had you ever seen Ellington before? You ever met up
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: with him?
• 6:08
  Speaker 6: Not in person.
• 6:09
  Speaker 7: I may have seen him in pictures. He said he'd
• 6:12
  Speaker 7: been in a lot of pictures. He seemed familiar.
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: Well, now, ma'am, how'd he happen to come here to
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: rent a room?
• 6:16
  Speaker 7: We saw the sign out in front in the window.
• 6:19
  Speaker 7: He was living in a hotel downtown, and he was
• 6:21
  Speaker 7: out this way visiting friends.
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: Did he mention the name of the hotel? No. Oh.
• 6:26
  Speaker 6: I don't think so.
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: What about the people he was visiting?
• 6:30
  Speaker 6: What about?
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: Well, did he tell you who they were?
• 6:32
  Speaker 6: He may have. I couldn't say for sure.
• 6:34
  Speaker 5: Not now.
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: Now, you said he saw the sign. In the window. Yes, ma'am.
• 6:39
  Speaker 6: He came in and asked about the room, but was
• 6:41
  Speaker 6: still for rent. I showed it to him.
• 6:44
  Speaker 7: Upstairs in front, the real nice view.
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: He agreed to take it, did he?
• 6:47
  Speaker 7: Straight off, straight off. Said he used to live in
• 6:49
  Speaker 7: a house something like this when he first came to
• 6:51
  Speaker 7: California years ago when his wife was alive. Sort of
• 6:54
  Speaker 7: reminded him of better times.
• 6:57
  Speaker 6: That's how he put it.
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: And he gave you this check for the first month's rent? Yes.
• 7:03
  Speaker 7: I suppose he'd already told you. He made it out
• 7:06
  Speaker 7: for $ 20 extra.
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: Why was that?
• 7:08
  Speaker 7: Well, he needed some cash money to hire a cab
• 7:10
  Speaker 7: and move his things out here.
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: And you gave him the cash, hmm?
• 7:13
  Speaker 6: $ 20. Well, I couldn't turn him down.
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: Why not?
• 7:17
  Speaker 6: Well, it just seemed.
• 7:19
  Speaker 6: Honest, that's all. You can tell when a person's honest.
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: Yeah, sometimes.
• 7:23
  Speaker 7: And he was so anxious to get the room. He
• 7:26
  Speaker 7: wanted to be all moved in in time.
• 7:28
  Speaker 6: For the holidays. Wanted to be with people, I suppose.
• 7:32
  Speaker 6: I felt sorry for him.
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: Did you ask for any identification?
• 7:35
  Speaker 7: Well, now, there wasn't any reason. I recognized his name. Besides,
• 7:38
  Speaker 7: he was going to be living here. If there wasn't
• 7:40
  Speaker 7: anything wrong with his.
• 7:41
  Speaker 6: Check, he'd be around to make it right.
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: And you never heard from him again?
• 7:44
  Speaker 6: Now, that doesn't mean he was trying to cheat me.
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: Well, it looks that way, ma'am.
• 7:49
  Speaker 6: Well, you folks are policemen. It's your job to suspect
• 7:51
  Speaker 6: people of being crooked, and I don't blame you. It's
• 7:53
  Speaker 6: your job.
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am.
• 7:56
  Speaker 6: Twenty dollars?
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: Ma'am.
• 7:58
  Speaker 6: Twenty dollars. Is that reason to throw a man like Mr.
• 8:02
  Speaker 6: Arrington in jail?
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: Well, it might be more than twenty dollars.
• 8:05
  Speaker 7: Well, that's all I gave him, don't you believe me?
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am. This man has passed quite a few checks.
• 8:11
  Speaker 6: Well, I told you before, I won't press charges.
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am, you told us.
• 8:17
  Speaker 6: You don't understand. He didn't mean any harm.
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: You sure about that, Miss Crimson?
• 8:21
  Speaker 6: I'm a pretty good judge of human nature. I ought
• 8:23
  Speaker 6: to be by now.
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am.
• 8:25
  Speaker 6: He's had lots of troubles. He's talented. Lots of troubles.
• 8:30
  Speaker 7: An actor like him probably pulled down a fancy salary
• 8:34
  Speaker 7: and never had any worries.
• 8:35
  Speaker 6: Now it's all gone. All his money, his wife, everything. Well,
• 8:42
  Speaker 6: if he'd never been rich, it wouldn't be so hard.
• 8:44
  Speaker 6: You don't miss something you've never had.
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 8:46
  Speaker 6: If you're finished with me, I'd like to get on
• 8:48
  Speaker 6: with my housework.
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: Mind if we use your phone?
• 8:50
  Speaker 6: It's in the hall. I'll show you.
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: That's all right. I'll find it. Thank you. You know,
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: I didn't mean any offense, Mrs.
• 8:54
  Speaker 5: Cranston.
• 8:55
  Speaker 6: Oh, I suppose it's just your job.
• 8:56
  Speaker 7: There's some cookies there while you wait.
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: I'd like to, but no. They're homemade. Very good.
• 9:02
  Speaker 9: Thank you.
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: Mr. Breckhardt, please. I'll wait if you don't mind. Thank you.
• 9:16
  Speaker 5: Hello, Mr.
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: Breckhardt. This is Sergeant Friday. I spoke to you a
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: little while ago about Parker Allington. Yeah, that's right. He
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: asked me to call back.
• 9:25
  Speaker 5: Uh-huh.
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: When was that? Oh, I see. Yes, it certainly does.
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: You bet. Thank you very much. Right. Goodbye. Goodbye. I
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: remember this guy when I was a kid. My mom
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: used to make it for Christmas.
• 9:41
  Speaker 6: Oh, well, maybe you'd like to take a few home
• 9:42
  Speaker 6: with you. I've got plenty extra.
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: Oh, thanks anyway. They wouldn't let me inside the front
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: door if I showed up with an armload of cookies.
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: You ready, Joe?
• 9:50
  Speaker 7: Yeah.
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: We'd like you to come with us, Miss Krim.
• 9:52
  Speaker 5: Me?
• 9:53
  Speaker 6: What on earth for?
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: I want to see if you can identify the man
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: who gave you that check.
• 9:57
  Speaker 6: You mean you've already arrested him?
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: No, ma'am.
• 9:59
  Speaker 6: Well, I don't understand.
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: Well, we want to show you some mug shots, some photographs.
• 10:03
  Speaker 6: You want me to pick out Mr. Arlington's picture?
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: If you can.
• 10:06
  Speaker 7: Now, that's silly. You don't need me for that. The
• 10:08
  Speaker 7: studios must have pictures of him in the newspapers.
• 10:11
  Speaker 6: Why, that sounds like silly.
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: It wasn't Arlington, ma'am. What? The fellow who passed that check.
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: What'd you find out? Arlington died three years ago. Miss
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: Breckhardt at the Screen Actors Guild had checked with a
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: motion picture relief home. They reported that Allington had lived
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: there from 1949 until a heart attack caused his death
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: several years later. We managed to convince Mrs. Krimp that
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: she'd been taken by a professional swindler. Down at the
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: city hall, we showed her mug shots of known bad
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: Czech artists.
• 10:46
  Speaker 6: No, that's not him.
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: Oh, how about this one?
• 10:48
  Speaker 6: I don't think so.
• 10:49
  Speaker 5: I'm pretty sure not.
• 10:50
  Speaker 6: That's not him, either.
• 10:52
  Speaker 5: He was older.
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: Well, the picture might be out of date.
• 10:55
  Speaker 6: Even so.
• 10:57
  Speaker 10: Well, that's it.
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: Well, Miss Krimp.
• 11:00
  Speaker 5: Yes?
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: Could you describe him for us?
• 11:02
  Speaker 6: Well, he was medium-sized, a little taller than you are, maybe.
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: Yeah. How old would you say he was?
• 11:08
  Speaker 6: Oh, about my... any 60.
• 11:09
  Speaker 5: Right here?
• 11:10
  Speaker 6: That's right.
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: Any marks or scars? How about his eyes?
• 11:16
  Speaker 6: Beg your pardon?
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: What color were his eyes?
• 11:18
  Speaker 6: Well, I couldn't say. He was only there for a
• 11:20
  Speaker 6: few minutes.
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am, I understand.
• 11:21
  Speaker 7: He just seemed like an average man for his age. Gentleman, nice-looking,
• 11:26
  Speaker 7: sort of distinguished.
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: Anything else about him?
• 11:29
  Speaker 6: No, except for his expression.
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: What do you mean?
• 11:32
  Speaker 7: He was kind of sad, unhappy, like he'd been through
• 11:36
  Speaker 7: a lot. I guess that won't help you, though.
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: It might.
• 11:39
  Speaker 10: Is that all?
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am. We'll take you home now.
• 11:43
  Speaker 6: Uh, officers.
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am.
• 11:45
  Speaker 6: Would you mind doing me a favor? I'd appreciate it.
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: What is it, Miss Grant?
• 11:49
  Speaker 7: Don't tell my daughter about all this. I mean that
• 11:51
  Speaker 7: it wasn't Mr. Allenton that I let somebody trick me.
• 11:55
  Speaker 7: She said it proves that I'm not able to take
• 11:57
  Speaker 7: care of myself. I'd never hear the end of it.
• 11:59
  Speaker 6: She treats me like a child, as it is. Now,
• 12:03
  Speaker 6: you don't have to tell her, do you?
• 12:04
  Speaker 5: No, ma'am.
• 12:05
  Speaker 6: I'd sure appreciate it.
• 12:07
  Speaker 7: Not that she doesn't have my best interests at heart,
• 12:09
  Speaker 7: but nobody likes to be criticized all the time. Especially
• 12:13
  Speaker 7: by their own flesh and blood. You got any children, Sergeant?
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: No, ma'am.
• 12:17
  Speaker 6: Well, then you don't understand how I feel.
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am. Maybe I do.
• 12:21
  Speaker 6: You couldn't.
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: We drove Miss Crimp to her home, and then we
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: checked out for the night. By the end of the week,
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: two more landladies in the Western Avenue area had reported
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: receiving bad checks from a man who claimed to be
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: Parker Allington. Their stories tallied almost word for word with
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: what Miss Crimp had told us. January 13th, 4.45 p.m.
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: Frank and I checked back into the office after an
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: interview with one of the victims.
• 12:55
  Speaker 10: You'd think that guy would wise up. Can't go on
• 12:59
  Speaker 10: using the dead actor's name forever. Somebody's gonna catch on.
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: Well, they haven't so far. No? Sooner or later. Thought
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: you were on a diet. Huh? I thought you were
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: on a diet. Well, Joe, I've got to keep up
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: my strength. Yeah. A person needs a certain amount of sugar,
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: you know.
• 13:14
  Speaker 10: It's not so high on calories. Read an article the
• 13:17
  Speaker 10: other day. A teaspoonful of sugar, only 35 calories.
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: Have you lost any weight yet? No, all of my own.
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: You haven't lost any, though. No, I don't want to
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: get thin, Joe. I'm just sort of watching it, that's all. Forgery, Friday. Yes, ma'am,
• 13:38
  Speaker 2: this is the right extension. Could you speak up a little, please?
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: I can't hear you. Now, just a minute. All right,
• 13:45
  Speaker 2: go ahead, please. That's 2238? Yes, ma'am, I have it. Yes, ma'am,
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: right away. Well, looks like you had it figured. How come?
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: Somebody did catch on. A woman over near Los Feliz Boulevard. Yeah?
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: A fellow's trying to give her a phony check. Trying? Yeah,
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: he's still there.
• 14:02
  Speaker 5: All right.
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: Frank and I drove out to a side street just
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: south of Los Feliz Boulevard. It took us 20 minutes
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: to get to the house. When we pulled up in
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: front of the place, a lady was standing on the porch.
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: She spotted our car and walked down the steps.
• 14:20
  Speaker 5: You the policeman?
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am. My name's Friday. This is Frank Smith. Hello.
• 14:23
  Speaker 6: How are you?
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: How are you doing, ma'am?
• 14:24
  Speaker 5: You certainly didn't hurry.
• 14:25
  Speaker 2: Well, the traffic's kind of heavy this time of day.
• 14:27
  Speaker 5: Well, why didn't you use your siren?
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: We didn't want to scare him off.
• 14:29
  Speaker 7: Well, it's too late for that. He left about 10,
• 14:31
  Speaker 7: 15 minutes ago. Oh, I'm Daisy Williker. Suppose you need
• 14:34
  Speaker 7: that name for your records.
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: Yes, Mrs.
• 14:36
  Speaker 5: Williker. Not Mrs. Oh.
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: You see which way he went?
• 14:39
  Speaker 5: He took a bus on the corner, probably in Hollywood
• 14:41
  Speaker 5: by now.
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: Well, why did he leave in such a rush, do
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: you know?
• 14:43
  Speaker 6: He got suspicious.
• 14:44
  Speaker 7: He might have heard my phone call. I had to
• 14:46
  Speaker 7: talk so loud to make you understand me. I tried
• 14:48
  Speaker 7: to keep him here as long as I could.
• 14:50
  Speaker 5: I did my best. You can't ask more than that.
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: No, ma'am, thanks.
• 14:53
  Speaker 5: Well, you might as well come inside. I suppose you
• 14:55
  Speaker 5: want a full report. That's a regular procedure, isn't it?
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: Are you familiar with police procedure.
• 15:00
  Speaker 6: Are you?
• 15:00
  Speaker 5: Watched on television, go to the movies. They got it
• 15:03
  Speaker 5: all down pat.
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am.
• 15:06
  Speaker 5: Well, he came up to my door. Oh, it must
• 15:08
  Speaker 5: have been an hour ago by now. At least an hour.
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am.
• 15:11
  Speaker 7: Asked if I had a room for rent. I told
• 15:12
  Speaker 7: him that's what the sign said. He just laughed, like
• 15:15
  Speaker 7: he thought I'd been making a joke. Didn't know I
• 15:17
  Speaker 7: was serious.
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: You show him the room?
• 15:19
  Speaker 7: Well, I tried to. He hardly even glanced at it.
• 15:22
  Speaker 7: Then he said this was exactly what he'd been looking for.
• 15:24
  Speaker 7: That's when I first began wondering about him.
• 15:26
  Speaker 2: What else did he say?
• 15:27
  Speaker 7: That he used to live in a house like this
• 15:29
  Speaker 7: when he was a little boy back east, and that
• 15:31
  Speaker 7: it reminded him of home. I figured he was softening
• 15:33
  Speaker 7: me up to get me to lower the rent. Well,
• 15:35
  Speaker 7: two can play at that game.
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am. What did you do?
• 15:38
  Speaker 5: Well, I opted $ 10.
• 15:40
  Speaker 6: Room's not worth a.
• 15:41
  Speaker 5: Cent over 45. I asked 55.
• 15:43
  Speaker 6: Mm-hmm.
• 15:45
  Speaker 7: That way I'd be able to come down when he
• 15:46
  Speaker 7: started playing on my sympathies.
• 15:48
  Speaker 5: Wouldn't be out anything either.
• 15:49
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 15:50
  Speaker 5: Didn't bat an eye when I told him it was 55.
• 15:54
  Speaker 5: Said he'd take it, just like that. I knew right
• 15:56
  Speaker 5: away something was wrong.
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: What happened then?
• 15:58
  Speaker 5: Well, we came downstairs into the living room here.
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: Go ahead.
• 16:02
  Speaker 5: Well, I said I wanted the first month's rent in advance.
• 16:05
  Speaker 7: A lot of them try to pay you by the week.
• 16:07
  Speaker 7: Before you can turn around, they're behind. Takes forever to
• 16:09
  Speaker 7: get rid of them once they're moved in. I always
• 16:11
  Speaker 7: insist on a full month.
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am.
• 16:13
  Speaker 5: Well, didn't Brad and I have that either. Brought out
• 16:15
  Speaker 5: a checkbook.
• 16:16
  Speaker 2: Now, did he ask if he could make it for
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: a little extra? How'd you know? Well, he's been around before.
• 16:20
  Speaker 5: Twenty-five extra. That's what he wanted. If he'd been around
• 16:23
  Speaker 5: so long, why haven't you picked him up?
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: Well, we're trying, ma'am.
• 16:25
  Speaker 5: A few minutes earlier this afternoon, you'd solve the whole case.
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: Well, we're just as anxious to solve it as you are, Ms. Wilkerson.
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: You say why I needed the extra cash, ma'am?
• 16:32
  Speaker 5: Something about cab fare to get his things out here.
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: That's a lot of cab fare.
• 16:36
  Speaker 7: That's my own words, right to his face, exactly what
• 16:38
  Speaker 7: I said. He said he'd have to clear up his
• 16:40
  Speaker 7: hotel bill, too. Claimed they wouldn't take a check if
• 16:43
  Speaker 7: he was moving.
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: And that's when you called up?
• 16:44
  Speaker 5: Of course not.
• 16:46
  Speaker 7: Didn't call you until I was sure the check was
• 16:47
  Speaker 7: no good. Not that I would have cashed it. But
• 16:50
  Speaker 7: there's no point in running to the police until you
• 16:51
  Speaker 7: got the facts to.
• 16:52
  Speaker 6: Back you up.
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: What made you so sure it was phony?
• 16:55
  Speaker 5: Well, the way he signed it.
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: What do you mean?
• 16:58
  Speaker 5: Parker Allington.
• 16:59
  Speaker 2: You knew he wasn't Allington.
• 17:00
  Speaker 5: Well, how could he be? Allington's dead. You didn't know
• 17:03
  Speaker 5: he was dead?
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am, we knew it.
• 17:05
  Speaker 5: Well, then?
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: Miss Wilkers, are you connected with show business?
• 17:07
  Speaker 5: I follow it, that's all.
• 17:09
  Speaker 7: Oh, I don't spend all my time reading movie magazines
• 17:12
  Speaker 7: or anything like that. But I keep up with what's
• 17:14
  Speaker 7: going on in the field. Do you know Allington was
• 17:17
  Speaker 7: on television last night?
• 17:18
  Speaker 2: What's that?
• 17:19
  Speaker 5: The Late Show. Picture must have been at least 20
• 17:22
  Speaker 5: years old.
• 17:23
  Speaker 7: He played the villain. Did a good job considering it
• 17:25
  Speaker 7: was 20 years ago. Gives you a funny feeling, though,
• 17:28
  Speaker 7: watching somebody who isn't here anymore.
• 17:31
  Speaker 2: Yes, ma'am.
• 17:32
  Speaker 10: Now, as soon as you saw the name Allington on
• 17:33
  Speaker 10: the check, you realized the guy was a phony and
• 17:35
  Speaker 10: called us.
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: Is that right?
• 17:36
  Speaker 5: Well, approximately.
• 17:37
  Speaker 2: Approximately.
• 17:39
  Speaker 5: Well, I told him I didn't know if I had
• 17:40
  Speaker 5: the cash in the house. Said I'd have to go
• 17:42
  Speaker 5: upstairs and make sure. I got an extension.
• 17:45
  Speaker 6: Phone up there.
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: I see.
• 17:46
  Speaker 5: Then I telephoned you. Uh-huh.
• 17:48
  Speaker 2: One more thing, Miss Walters.
• 17:49
  Speaker 6: Well.
• 17:50
  Speaker 2: We've got a description, but it's rather vague.
• 17:52
  Speaker 5: Description?
• 17:53
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that this guy has been passing himself off as Allington.
• 17:55
  Speaker 5: Oh.
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: All we know is he's medium-sized, gray hair, and fairly well-dressed.
• 17:58
  Speaker 5: That's about right.
• 17:59
  Speaker 2: But it's not very specific. Can you add anything?
• 18:02
  Speaker 5: You mean you want to know who he is?
• 18:03
  Speaker 2: That's right.
• 18:04
  Speaker 5: Wilbur French.
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: Who's that?
• 18:07
  Speaker 5: Used to play bit parks in pictures.
• 18:08
  Speaker 7: Yeah.
• 18:09
  Speaker 5: I recognized him the minute he came through the door.
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: Miss Wilkers insisted her identification of the Czech forger was correct.
• 18:19
  Speaker 2: We drove back to the office, checked the name Wilbur
• 18:21
  Speaker 2: French through R & I. We had nothing on him.
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: I telephoned Miss Breckhardt at the SAG. She reported that
• 18:27
  Speaker 2: French was a member in bad standing, two years delinquent
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: in his dues. She had no address listed for him,
• 18:32
  Speaker 2: but she was able to tell us that the last
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: company he had worked for was a small TV outfit
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: on Santa Monica Boulevard. She also told us that his
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: file showed that he was last represented by a Paul Pilcher,
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: an agent with offices on Sunset. January 14th, 9.35 a.m.
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: I dropped Frank off at the Santa Monica TV company
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: and I drove on out to interview Pilcher.
• 18:54
  Speaker 5: Yes, sir?
• 18:55
  Speaker 6: What can I do for you?
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: I'd like to see Mr. Pilcher.
• 18:57
  Speaker 5: Are you a client?
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: Police officer. My name's Friday.
• 19:00
  Speaker 6: Oh. Is Mr.
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: Pilcher in?
• 19:01
  Speaker 6: Not yet.
• 19:02
  Speaker 2: Are you expecting him?
• 19:03
  Speaker 6: Well, I don't know when exactly.
• 19:04
  Speaker 7: Sometimes he plays tennis on Saturday mornings before he comes.
• 19:06
  Speaker 5: To the office.
• 19:07
  Speaker 2: I see.
• 19:07
  Speaker 6: But he'll be in. He's closing a deal with TRC.
• 19:11
  Speaker 8: Oh.
• 19:11
  Speaker 6: That's a studio new company just getting started.
• 19:13
  Speaker 2: I see.
• 19:15
  Speaker 5: Would you like to look at the trades while you're waiting?
• 19:17
  Speaker 2: Yesterday's.
• 19:18
  Speaker 6: They don't come out on Saturday.
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: Well, thank you very much. Mr.
• 19:24
  Speaker 6: Pilcher in some kind of trouble?
• 19:26
  Speaker 2: Not as far as I know, no.
• 19:28
  Speaker 6: That's a relief.
• 19:31
  Speaker 2: Mr.
• 19:31
  Speaker 5: Pilcher's office.
• 19:34
  Speaker 6: I'm sorry he hasn't come in yet. Any minute.
• 19:38
  Speaker 5: Would you like me to have him call you?
• 19:41
  Speaker 2: I see.
• 19:42
  Speaker 6: Well, if you'll try again in about 15 minutes, you
• 19:44
  Speaker 6: ought to be here.
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: Bye. Morning, Mr. Pilcher. Good morning.
• 19:51
  Speaker 6: This gentleman's waiting to see you.
• 19:53
  Speaker 5: And Mr.
• 19:53
  Speaker 6: Brogan's office call. They'll call back.
• 19:55
  Speaker 2: Mr.
• 19:55
  Speaker 6: Brogan's getting shaved.
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: Yeah, all right. I'm a police officer. My name's Friday. Police?
• 19:59
  Speaker 2: That's right. What can I do for you? I'd like
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: to talk to you for a minute. All right. Come
• 20:04
  Speaker 2: on inside. Sit down. Thank you. Want a cigarette? Yeah,
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: thank you. Here's your liner. Never mind, I have a
• 20:14
  Speaker 2: match here. Well, you handle an actor named Wilbur French, Mr. Poulter. French?
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: That's right. No, no, I don't handle him. He used
• 20:29
  Speaker 2: to be his agent, didn't you? Oh, a couple of
• 20:30
  Speaker 2: years ago.
• 20:30
  Speaker 4: Not anymore.
• 20:31
  Speaker 2: Oh, what's he done? Could you tell me where I
• 20:34
  Speaker 2: could find him? I wouldn't have any idea. I don't
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: think he's had much work lately. At least I haven't
• 20:38
  Speaker 2: heard about him working. What was his last address? You've
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: come to the wrong man. Well, the last address that
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: you have for him, Bobby.
• 20:44
  Speaker 3: I don't keep addresses of actors after they leave me.
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: Well, why did they leave you? Usual reason. No work.
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: Pretty bad as an actor. Excuse me. Yes? Oh, put
• 20:54
  Speaker 2: him up. Hello, George. How are you? Glad to hear it.
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: And Mabel? Oh, that's a shame. Seems to be a
• 21:01
  Speaker 2: lot of it going around this time of year.
• 21:03
  Speaker 5: Well, what about Harvey?
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: You make up your mind?
• 21:06
  Speaker 3: Uh-huh.
• 21:07
  Speaker 9: I sure don't agree with you there, George. He didn't
• 21:09
  Speaker 9: look too old to the test. So he's been in
• 21:12
  Speaker 9: the business a few years. You can't hold that against him.
• 21:15
  Speaker 9: What do you mean a new face? You'll bring out
• 21:17
  Speaker 9: somebody from New York who's been on television a hundred times.
• 21:20
  Speaker 9: There won't be anything new about his face. Look, I'm
• 21:22
  Speaker 9: not trying to tell you your business. I'm just trying
• 21:24
  Speaker 9: to set a good actor in.
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: The right part. I'll be through soon, Mr.
• 21:27
  Speaker 5: Friday.
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 21:29
  Speaker 9: That's more like it, George. Now, how many weeks work? No, no, George,
• 21:33
  Speaker 9: I've read the script. Davis can't shoot that many scenes
• 21:36
  Speaker 9: in two weeks. $ 1, 200.
• 21:38
  Speaker 2: A week, four-week guarantee.
• 21:41
  Speaker 9: Fletcher paid him $ 1, 200 last fall. Go ahead and check. Look, George,
• 21:45
  Speaker 9: if I was a Beverly Hills agent, you know what
• 21:47
  Speaker 9: Harvey cost you? Well, I'm not going to argue with
• 21:49
  Speaker 9: you about it. You call Fletcher. He'll tell you what
• 21:51
  Speaker 9: he paid Harvey. I'll be here till noon if you
• 21:53
  Speaker 9: want to make a deal.
• 21:54
  Speaker 5: Bye.
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: Sorry it'd be so long. Sure. Any suggestions on how
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: I might get in touch with French? Screen actors, Gil. Well,
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: they sent me here.
• 22:02
  Speaker 7: Oh.
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: Well, what's he done? We'd rather talk to him. Well,
• 22:05
  Speaker 2: the last time I saw him, he touched me for
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: ten bucks. Where was that? I bumped into him on
• 22:09
  Speaker 2: the street. Is it serious? It's just a routine investigation.
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: Thanks very much, Mr. Pilcher.
• 22:13
  Speaker 6: All right.
• 22:15
  Speaker 2: Oh, wait a minute. Yes, sir? I suppose I could
• 22:18
  Speaker 2: turn him up. It'd be a dirty trick, though. I
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: don't know why.
• 22:21
  Speaker 9: Maybe it's my fault that he's in trouble. I didn't
• 22:24
  Speaker 9: get him enough work. Now I hand him over to you.
• 22:26
  Speaker 9: Makes me a heel, doesn't it?
• 22:27
  Speaker 2: You might be doing him a favor. He won't think so.
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: You said you didn't know where he lives. Well, I don't. Well,
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: how will you find out? Spread the word around that
• 22:34
  Speaker 2: I got a job for him. He'll hear about it.
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: I see. He'll turn up. All right, sir. Leave your number.
• 22:39
  Speaker 2: When I hear from French, I'll get in touch with you.
• 22:41
  Speaker 2: Thank you. I still feel like a heel. Well, you shouldn't.
• 22:44
  Speaker 2: You called the turn on him. He's a bad actor.
• 22:54
  Speaker 2: I left Pilcher's office and picked up Frank. The TV
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: company had given him a still photo from the last
• 22:58
  Speaker 2: production in which French had appeared. Two of the Czech
• 23:01
  Speaker 2: victims readily identified the man in the picture. The third
• 23:04
  Speaker 2: victim was also certain it was the same person who
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: had posed as Allington. January 16th, 3.32 p.m. Paul Pilcher
• 23:11
  Speaker 2: telephoned the office. He told us French was living at
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: a hotel in Hollywood on Selma Avenue. When we got there,
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: the desk clerk said French was in his room, 17B.
• 23:22
  Speaker 2: That's it. Yeah.
• 23:27
  Speaker 3: Who is it?
• 23:27
  Speaker 2: I'd like to talk to you, French. Just a minute. Yeah?
• 23:34
  Speaker 2: We're police officers. I'd like to ask you some questions. Downtown.
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: What is this, a gag? No, it's no gag. Well,
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: anybody can get hold of a badge. Who sent you? Mike? Sammy?
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: Come on, let's go, French. Knock it off. I've been
• 23:47
  Speaker 2: in too many pictures. I can tell actors from cops.
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: You ever hear of Parker Allington? Yeah, I've heard of him.
• 23:54
  Speaker 2: Worked with him in pictures. Used to be friends.
• 23:56
  Speaker 10: I'd give you the right sign his name?
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: Hmm? On bad checks. Now, look, boys. I know why
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: they sent you.
• 24:03
  Speaker 8: I told Mike I got a call this morning about
• 24:05
  Speaker 8: a job. It'd be just like him to pick a
• 24:06
  Speaker 8: time like this. Some practical joker, isn't he?
• 24:10
  Speaker 2: No, it won't work, French. What? Come on. You know
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: who we are and why we're here. Let's go. Well,
• 24:16
  Speaker 2: I'm Mike's gang. Yeah, well, three landlady say different. Oh.
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: You want to get your coat? There was only a
• 24:23
  Speaker 2: few bucks. It was enough. How'd you tell him? One
• 24:26
  Speaker 2: of the landladies knew Ellington was dead. I never figured
• 24:29
  Speaker 2: he was that famous. She knew you, too. Me? That's right.
• 24:34
  Speaker 2: Couldn't have known I was living here. Who told you?
• 24:38
  Speaker 2: Come on, let's go. Pilcher.
• 24:41
  Speaker 8: That's why I wanted to get in touch with me.
• 24:44
  Speaker 8: I should have figured it wasn't about a job.
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: Pilcher, wasn't it? Come on. Some agent. Couldn't land a
• 24:49
  Speaker 2: job if your life depended on it. Five years.
• 24:52
  Speaker 8: Over five years I was signed with him. Never had
• 24:54
  Speaker 8: a decent booking. Nothing that lasted. Couple of days here
• 24:58
  Speaker 8: and there. Nothing that lasted.
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: Oh, don't you worry about it. Huh? This one will.
• 25:12
  Speaker 4: Wilbur Carl Flicker, also known as Wilbur French, was found
• 25:16
  Speaker 4: guilty on three felony warrants charging forgery. He was sentenced
• 25:20
  Speaker 4: to the state prison as prescribed by Section 470 of
• 25:24
  Speaker 4: the California Penal Code for a period of one to
• 25:27
  Speaker 4: 14 years.
• 25:27
  Speaker 2: You have.
• 25:33
  Speaker 3: Just heard Dragnet, the authentic story of your police force
• 25:36
  Speaker 3: in action and starring Jack Webb.
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: Of the United States Armed Forces Radio System.
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: You have been listening to Dragnet, episode 284, Big Bounce.
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: Good night, and thank you for joining us for Classic Radio.