The Big Betty

A gang of con artists checks the obituary section of the daily newspaper, then uses the information they gather to prey on the grief-stricken families of those who have recently died.

I always loved Dragnet. When I was a kid this show was re run in TV in the afternoons and I must have watched every episode. From the B&W shows of the 50s to color.

By today's standards, these are rather slow moving and the story is largely told by talking exposition.

Still, they are great. Dan Akroyd ruined this franchise when he made his horrible comedy by the same name.

Above average episode distinguished somewhat by the really sleazy nature of the crime. Con artists follow up obituaries by selling worthless jewelry to the bereaved claiming a purchase was among the deceased's last intentions. Of course the loved ones are only too eager to comply. In this case, Friday's tough-talking outrage seems wholly warranted. Some nice touches, such as Friday's having to repeat himself over the phone. Realistic touches such as this were mostly avoided in 50's TV since they used up air time and distracted from the plot. Nonetheless, it was thoughtful little measures like this that imparted an air of reality to the series. Ending the entry at a New Years Eve bash also provides some unexpected color. Watch too for Dragnet favorite Allene Roberts as a wrenchingly tearful victim.

"The Big Betty" is an episode of "Dragnet" about some real scum-bags. They are running a very sick scam. It starts by the cons reading through the obituaries to find the names of the recently deceased. Then, they show up at the homes of grieving family members to tell them that the dead person had ordered a gift before they died--some engraved pens or other crap that cost next to nothing. However, knowing the folks are going through the grieving process and are vulnerable, they charge then exorbitant rates for the crap. Soon after leaving, the victims realize that they've bought worthless items. Nice people, huh? Detective Smith and Sergeant Friday investigate this case but it turns out to be very frustrating. Finding these confidence men isn't easy and in the end, it all turns out to be the brainchild of a con-woman. Not among the very best but still a good episode--and a good warning to the viewers.

By the way, a variation on this con was used in "Paper Moon" but instead the item was an engraved Bible.