Ep 12. The Big Phone Call

The Big Phone Call is the twelfth episode of the first season of the classic police procedural drama series Dragnet. Originally aired on December 16, 1951, the episode follows the story of a woman who receives a disturbing phone call and the LAPD detectives who try to uncover the source of the threat.

The episode starts with Sergeant Joe Friday (played by Jack Webb) and Officer Ben Romero (Barton Yarborough) patrolling the city streets when they hear a woman's scream coming from an apartment building. They rush to the scene and find a woman named Lois Banks (played by Virginia Gregg) who is visibly shaken and claims that she received a threatening phone call. According to her, an anonymous caller informed her that he will kill her within 48 hours.

Friday and Romero sympathize with Banks and try to console her while maintaining their cool and professional approach. They assure her that they will do everything in their capacity to keep her safe and conduct an investigation to catch the perpetrator. Friday takes down the details of the phone call and questions Banks about any potential enemies or suspects that may have a motive to harm her.

The detectives then visit the telephone company and track down the phone number from which the call was made. They determine that the call was made from a public phone booth and try to collect evidence from the scene. With the help of a witness who saw a man leaving the booth around the time of the call, they are able to narrow down their search to a suspect named George Kendrick (played by Herb Butterfield). Kendrick has a criminal record and has served jail time for extortion and blackmail. He is known to be a manipulative and intelligent individual who often uses his intellect to outsmart the authorities.

Friday and Romero visit Kendrick's apartment but find it locked and empty. They stake out the building and wait for him to return. Eventually, they spot him entering the building and arrest him. Kendrick denies making the threatening phone call but the detectives are suspicious of his alibi and his demeanor.

The detectives then interrogate Kendrick and play good cop-bad cop with him. They try to intimidate him into confessing but Kendrick maintains his innocence and claims that he has been set up. The detectives are not convinced and tell Kendrick that they have evidence that proves his guilt.

The episode ends with the detectives solving the case and arresting the perpetrator. The show closes with Friday delivering a monologue that emphasizes the importance of law enforcement in protecting citizens and maintaining order.

Overall, The Big Phone Call is an engaging and suspenseful episode that showcases the detective skills of Friday and Romero. The episode is notable for its realistic portrayal of police work and for its emphasis on investigative procedures. The plot is well-written and holds up even after almost 70 years since its initial airing.