The Big Scrapbook

Originally Aired: April 26, 1953

Dragnet #201, "The Big Scrapbook," finds Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Frank Smith responding to an urgent call from the San Diego Police Department. Three armed and dangerous holdup men have struck the Carlton Surf Hotel, making off with a staggering $135,000 in jewels and $15,000 in cash after forcing the manager to open the safe and robbing guests in the lobby. The suspects locked their victims in a back storeroom before fleeing, and evidence suggests they're heading straight for Los Angeles.

San Diego detectives Carl Davis, Jerry Walk, and Pappy Hewen arrive at city hall to brief Friday and Smith on their prime suspect: Virgil Russell, a former hotel busboy who was positively identified by multiple victims. Russell's sister unwittingly provided crucial evidence when a stolen diamond and ruby brooch fell from his luggage during a hasty morning visit. The manhunt focuses on Russell's red and black 1953 Nash Continental with a distinctive rear window covered in gas station stickers. As the officers coordinate with border authorities and pawn shop detail, they race against time to catch the dangerous trio before they can disappear into the sprawling city or slip across the Mexican border.