THE BIG RAY and THE BIG BULL

🎙️ 1001 RADIO CRIME SOLVERS SHOW NOTES — DRAGNET Starring Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday "Just the facts, ma'am."

Dragnet's radio era (1949–1957) remains the gold standard for authentic police procedural storytelling. Each case was based on real LAPD files, dramatized with documentary precision and delivered with Jack Webb's trademark realism. Below are complete show notes for THE BIG RAY and THE BIG BULL.

⭐ THE BIG RAY Original Air Date: January 10, 1952

Series: Dragnet (NBC Radio)

Cast: Jack Webb – Sgt. Joe Friday

Barton Yarborough – Sgt. Ben Romero

Supporting cast: Harry Bartell, Herb Ellis, Ralph Moody, and others

Writer/Director: Jack Webb

Production: James Jewell, producer Walter Schumann, music

Episode Summary In The Big Ray, Friday and Romero investigate a disturbing assault involving a young boy who claims he was attacked with a "ray gun." The case begins with what sounds like a child's imagination — but Friday quickly realizes the injury is real, and the danger is far greater than anyone expected.

The detectives uncover:

a homemade high‑voltage electrical device