THE BIG SAW and THE BIG NOTE DRAGNET
THE BIG SAW-Two masked gunmen pull off a carefully planned bank robbery after secretly entering the building by sawing through the steel bars of a rear window. They lie in wait for morning, then use the bank manager to lure arriving employees inside one by one.
When the manager refuses to surrender the vault keys, the confrontation takes a dangerous turn. He collapses from a severe heart attack, allowing the robbers to obtain the key, force the cashier to provide the combination, empty the vault, and escape.
Sergeant Joe Friday and Frank Smith of the robbery detail take over the investigation. The gunmen have worn gloves, leaving no useful fingerprints, but they haven't covered every trace. Footprints in the alley and broken hacksaw blades offer Friday and Smith something to work with, and the detectives begin the methodical hunt for the men behind the robbery.
Originally broadcast April 6, 1954, The Big Saw was episode 242 of the classic Dragnet radio series.
- The Anonymity: Sgt. Joe Friday and Officer Frank Smith receive an anonymous tip via a note addressed to the Juvenile Division, asking to meet at 7th and Broadway. The writer promises to show up wearing a green skirt and plaid sweater. [1]
- The Stakeout: Friday and Smith stake out the location and spot a 15-year-old girl named Edna matching the description. [1]
- The Friend in Danger: Edna explains she is worried about her 15-year-old friend, Catherine Pilgrim, who has fallen into a dangerous drug cycle involving marijuana and heroin. [1, 2]
- The Investigation: Edna points the detectives toward two older youths—Lewis Conklin and Vince Beal—whom they met at Balboa Beach, setting off a police investigation to track down the drug source and intervene before Catherine's addiction deepens
