Dragnet: The Big Fourth (EP5054)

Dragnet: The Big Fourth (EP5054)

Author: Adam Graham|Old Time Radio Detective Host September 3, 2026 Duration: 36:39
Todays Mystery: Sergeant Joe Friday and Frank Smith investigate a disturbing series of infant abductions in which babies disappear from the same general neighborhood, only to be found unharmed within a day. With no clear motive and few useful clues, the detectives devise a decoy operation while searching for the person responsible before another child disappears.

Original Radio Broadcast Date: May 29, 1952.

Originating from Hollywood

Starred: Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday, Martin Milner as Detective Bill Lockwood

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Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

Each weekday, Adam Graham opens the archive to the thrilling world of mid-century audio suspense with The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio. This daily series is a direct line to a time when crackling dials and tense narration filled living rooms, presenting a full mystery drama from the genre's golden age every Monday through Saturday. You'll hear the definitive voices of classic investigators at work, from the suave deductions of The Falcon to the methodical procedure of Dragnet, alongside the unique perspectives of Charlie Chan, the streetwise stories of Broadway's My Beat, and the detailed expense reports of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. It’s a carefully curated rotation designed to showcase the variety and depth of old-time radio detective fiction. Whether it's for a commute, a lunch break, or a nightly ritual, this podcast delivers a complete, immersive story in each episode, letting the atmospheric sound design and sharp dialogue build the case. Tune in for a consistent dose of intrigue and nostalgia, where every episode is a standalone journey into a meticulously crafted audio world.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio| Daily Mystery Dramas
Podcast Episodes
Dragnet: The Big Elevator (EP5029) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:48
Today's Mystery:Joe Friday and Bill Lockwood investigate the body of an unidentified woman which has been found abandoned in a hospital elevator. With no obvious cause of death and only a mysterious phone call to point t…
Broadway's My Beat: The John Elgin Murder Case (EP5028) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:13
Today's Mystery: Detective Danny Clover reopens what appeared to be a straightforward suicide after a former bookie claims he witnessed the victim being pushed from a rooftop. When the eyewitness is murdered before he ca…
The Big Story: More Tragic than Murder (EP5027) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:31
Today's Mystery: When rumors spread through rural Kansas that a woman has concealed her mother's death for years, Hiawatha Daily World reporter Virgil Hill uncovers a heartbreaking truth that proves far more tragic than…
The Saint: The Baseball Murder (EP5026) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:38
Today's Mystery: Simon Templar investigates rumors that a minor league baseball team is about to throw an important game. His inquiry leads him to a beautiful woman, a dangerous fixer, and a young pitching phenom whose p…
Counterspy: The Arrogant Arsonist (A0108) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:47
Today's Mystery: An international smuggling ring is threatened when a federal grand jury closes in on one of its American front companies. To cover their tracks, the organization's ruthless mastermind summons a professio…
Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Life at Steak Matter (EP5025) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:32
Today's Mystery: Johnny r is summoned by the eccentric Alvin Peabody Cartwright, who insists the matter is urgent. But when Johnny arrives, Cartwright has vanished, blood is found in the garage, and every clue points to…
Dragnet: The Big Bunco (EP5024) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:32
Today's Mystery: An experienced confidence man returns to Los Angeles with the same polished investment scam, cheating trusting victims out of thousands of dollars. As Sergeant Joe Friday begins breaking in a new partner…
Broadway's My Beat: The John Mooney Murder Case (EP5023) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:02
Today's Mystery: When a man unknowingly passes a stolen thousand-dollar bill from a long-unsolved payroll robbery, Detective Danny Clover follows a trail that leads from Broadway's underworld to a string of murders. As m…
The Big Story: Poker Game Ends in Death (EP5022) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:24
Today’s Mystery: When a suburban poker game ends in a deadly holdup, veteran Chicago reporter Bill Doherty becomes intrigued by the teenage brother of one of the dead gunmen.As evidence mounts against the youth, Doherty…