Mar 25, 2014
This week on Ron’s amazing stories we have a special Dragnet episode. The tale we play takes place on March 25, 1949 and that is exactly 65 years ago. 65 years, that is a long time, but yet the story content is as good today as was then. Today we have much better forensic science capabilities to help solve crimes, but you have to keep in mind that back 65 years ago they had solved crimes as well. How they did it was highlighted by programs like Dragnet. In our episode they tell us about IBM data storage. Using computers to compile data to link past crimes to current ones. Did you even know that they had that ability in 1949? I for one did not.
The story we have special in another way as well. It happens to be the second episode of Dragnet. The first one has been lost to time. This one does not sound or completely follow what Dragnet would become. However, you can see Jack Webb’s vision and that would lead to twenty plus years of police stories. The tale is called, “The Nickel Plated Gun” and first aired on June 10, 1949.