Episode 597 - Friday’s Men Friday (Dragnet)

Down These Mean Streets (Old Time Radio Detectives)

Over the long run of the Dragnet radio series, Sgt. Joe Friday (Jack Webb) was paired with four different partners. Each of these cops brought a different energy to the show and had a similar but different dynamic with Friday. We'll hear all four of them in this week's episode. First, Barton Yarborough is Sgt. Ben Romero in "The Big Ben" (originally aired on NBC on March 15, 1951). Then, Barney Phillips plays Sgt. Ed Jacobs in "The Big Almost No-Show" (originally aired on NBC on January 31, 1952). Future Adam-12 star Martin Milner is Officer Bill Lockwood in "The Big Bunco" (originally aired on NBC on April 17, 1952). And Ben Alexander plays Officer Frank Smith - Friday's longest-tenured partner on radio, television, and the big screen - in "The Big False Make" (originally aired on NBC on May 17, 1953).