THE BIG HATE and THE BIG SIGNET DRAGNET

1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS DRAGNET THE BIG HATE Original Air Date: January 11, 1951 Cast:

Jack Webb – Sgt. Joe Friday

Barton Yarborough – Sgt. Ben Romero

Raymond Burr – Supporting role

Herb Butterfield – Supporting role

Harry Bartell – Supporting role

⭐ EPISODE SUMMARY (Spoiler‑Safe) A brutal assault shocks Los Angeles, and Friday and Romero find themselves tracking a suspect whose motives appear rooted in personal vengeance — or something darker. As the detectives peel back the layers of the case, they uncover a trail of anger, obsession, and escalating violence that threatens to erupt again if they don't act fast.

This is Dragnet at its most intense: a story about the destructive power of hatred and the quiet, methodical police work required to stop it.

⭐ FULL SHOW NOTES In The Big Hate, Friday and Romero are called to investigate a savage beating that leaves a man clinging to life. The victim's background is murky, his relationships strained, and his enemies numerous. As the detectives begin their rounds — interviewing neighbors, coworkers, and family — they discover that the victim had been living under the shadow of a long‑standing feud.

The case takes Friday and Romero through cramped apartments, dingy bars, and tense interrogation rooms as they piece together the suspect's movements. The deeper they dig, the clearer it becomes that the assault was not random — it was the culmination of a simmering hatred that had been building for years.

The episode's strength lies in its realism: the slow, steady unraveling of motive; the quiet desperation of witnesses; and the grim determination of Friday and Romero as they race against time to prevent a second attack. The final confrontation is taut, understated, and unmistakably Dragnet — a reminder that hatred, once unleashed, rarely stops at one victim.

⭐ CROSS‑SHOW NOTE If you're enjoying Dragnet here at 1001 Radio Crime Solvers, be sure to check out 1001 Radio Days, where we're currently running classic Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar episodes — sharp, atmospheric detective stories from radio's golden age.