DRAGNET – 'The Big Hit - Run Killer" – 1954 There has been a late night hit and run accident. An elderly woman is killed, and her 10 year-old grand son is badly hurt. Detectives Jack Webb and Ben Alexander draw the case.
They hit the downtown street where the incident happened. They grill various witnesses on if they saw anything. They catch a break when the teller, Mary Shipp, at an all night movie theater gives them a lead. "It was a Ford panel van with some sort of bakery sign on the side in black letters." The boys thank Shipp and return to the office.
They go through the files and narrow the possible trucks down to 156. They belong to the same fleet of trucks used by a bakery for day-time deliveries. They also find out that the drivers all take the trucks home with them in the evening. That means 156 visits. Oh well, it is the job.
Webb and Alexander though, catch another break when a damaged delivery van is found parked on a street. The van number is called into the bakery, and the driver is soon identified. A quick visit is paid to the man's home. There, they find that the man, James Anderson, works a second job at a small diner as a counter man.
Webb and Alexander question Anderson on his whereabouts at the time of the hit and run. Anderson tells them he was at the diner from 7 till 12 that night. Just then, a regular customer comes in and asks Anderson where he had been last night when he came in for a coffee. Webb and Alexander look at each other, then at Anderson. All three pile in a car for the trip to the station.
Webb gives Anderson a good bout of 3rd degree on what really happened. The more he talks, the more his story changes. A call now comes in telling the Detectives that the young boy has died. Anderson now agrees to tell the Detectives the truth. He had slipped out for bit to say good-bye to a friend who was leaving town for the east. "I was only gone for 15 minutes." As for the van, he had lent the delivery van to a regular customer earlier in the night. The fellow, Walter Reed, needed a vehicle for an hour and Anderson had given him the keys. "I have not seen him or the van since!" My boss will fire me." Webb and Alexander are not sure if they believe Anderson or not. Anderson has no address or phone number for this Reed fellow.
They arrest Anderson and lock him up on vehicular homicide charges. The next day, a lawyer gets Anderson out on a five day writ. Anderson pays Webb and company a visit. He offers to help find this Reed and clear his name. While still not sure if Anderson is on the level. Webb and Alexander spend the next 4 days looking for this Reed.
On the fifth day, they find there is indeed a Reed. They run him to ground at a fleabag hotel and grab him up.
Reed denies anything to do with the hit and run. I was out of town is his story. Webb brings Anderson into the room to identify Reed. Reed now caves and admits it was he who was driving the van. He had been drinking and was afraid to go to the Police. Anderson's charges are dropped while Reed ends up getting one to five in San Quentin.
The more of these early episodes I see, the more I like them, rapid-fire dialogue and to the point stories. This one was directed by Jack Webb and is a TV version of a story used on the DRAGNET radio series. (b/w)
They hit the downtown street where the incident happened. They grill various witnesses on if they saw anything. They catch a break when the teller, Mary Shipp, at an all night movie theater gives them a lead. "It was a Ford panel van with some sort of bakery sign on the side in black letters." The boys thank Shipp and return to the office.
They go through the files and narrow the possible trucks down to 156. They belong to the same fleet of trucks used by a bakery for day-time deliveries. They also find out that the drivers all take the trucks home with them in the evening. That means 156 visits. Oh well, it is the job.
Webb and Alexander though, catch another break when a damaged delivery van is found parked on a street. The van number is called into the bakery, and the driver is soon identified. A quick visit is paid to the man's home. There, they find that the man, James Anderson, works a second job at a small diner as a counter man.
Webb and Alexander question Anderson on his whereabouts at the time of the hit and run. Anderson tells them he was at the diner from 7 till 12 that night. Just then, a regular customer comes in and asks Anderson where he had been last night when he came in for a coffee. Webb and Alexander look at each other, then at Anderson. All three pile in a car for the trip to the station.
Webb gives Anderson a good bout of 3rd degree on what really happened. The more he talks, the more his story changes. A call now comes in telling the Detectives that the young boy has died. Anderson now agrees to tell the Detectives the truth. He had slipped out for bit to say good-bye to a friend who was leaving town for the east. "I was only gone for 15 minutes." As for the van, he had lent the delivery van to a regular customer earlier in the night. The fellow, Walter Reed, needed a vehicle for an hour and Anderson had given him the keys. "I have not seen him or the van since!" My boss will fire me." Webb and Alexander are not sure if they believe Anderson or not. Anderson has no address or phone number for this Reed fellow.
They arrest Anderson and lock him up on vehicular homicide charges. The next day, a lawyer gets Anderson out on a five day writ. Anderson pays Webb and company a visit. He offers to help find this Reed and clear his name. While still not sure if Anderson is on the level. Webb and Alexander spend the next 4 days looking for this Reed.
On the fifth day, they find there is indeed a Reed. They run him to ground at a fleabag hotel and grab him up.
Reed denies anything to do with the hit and run. I was out of town is his story. Webb brings Anderson into the room to identify Reed. Reed now caves and admits it was he who was driving the van. He had been drinking and was afraid to go to the Police. Anderson's charges are dropped while Reed ends up getting one to five in San Quentin.
The more of these early episodes I see, the more I like them, rapid-fire dialogue and to the point stories. This one was directed by Jack Webb and is a TV version of a story used on the DRAGNET radio series. (b/w)