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Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. You're a detective sergeant. You're assigned a burglary detail. A woman posing as a housemaid has been stealing cash and other valuables from homes in your city. Your job, stop her. Cragnet, the documented drama of an actual crime. For the next 30 minutes, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department, you will travel step by step on the side of the law…

Transcript

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Synopsis

In the Dragnet episode titled The Big Housemaid, detectives Joe Friday and Frank Smith are assigned to a burglary detail in Los Angeles. They are alerted to a peculiar case involving a woman who has been posing as a housemaid and stealing valuables from the homes she cleans. The stakes are high as they must stop her before she can cause further harm to unsuspecting families. The episode opens with the detectives returning from lunch, discussing a call from Frank's wife about an elderly woman named Mrs. Vesper, who has reported theft in her home.

Cast›

Ben Alexander

Jack Webb

Network›

NBC

Network

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← PreviousThe Big BoboNext →The Big Sheet

Credits

  • Audio from Internet Archive (OTRR_Dragnet_Singles). Curated by OTRR. Goldie does not claim ownership of this broadcast.
  • Cast and sponsor data from RadioGold Index (J. David Goldin / UMKC Libraries).
  • Historical context from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

Dragnet_55-07-26_310_The_Big_Housemaid.mp3

Dragnet, Episode 310

The Big Housemaid

Tuesday, July 26, 1955 · 25:10

Dragnet, Episode 310

The Big Housemaid

Tuesday, July 26, 1955 · 25:10

Summary

A woman posing as a housemaid steals valuables from homes in Los Angeles, claiming she is teaching her employers a lesson about trust. Detectives Joe Friday and Frank Smith are tasked with stopping her before she can cause more damage.

  • Tense
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That night in history

Headlines

  • 1955 — El Al Flight 402 is shot down by two fighter jets after straying into Bulgarian air space. All 58 people on board are killed.
  • 1955 — The Austrian State Treaty restores Austrian sovereignty.

On the air that night›

  1. DragnetThe Big HousemaidCurrently listeningEpisode 310
  2. SuspenseThe Greatest Thief in the WorldEpisode 608