Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) are contacted by a woman identifying herself as Mrs. Flint, who is worried that her husband Rodney is going to pull a holdup. It soon develops that "Rodney Flint" is really Ralph Frazy, an ex-convict who for reasons of self-preservation has violated his parole by purchasing a gun. However, Frazy is innocent of any wrongdoing--and though he doesn't say as much, Friday is obviously relieved that the parole board decides to honor the spirit rather than the letter of the law. Based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of August 9, 1955, this 1956 episode is unusual for its time in that the roles of Mr. and Mrs. Frazy are played by African American actors Joel Fluellen and Maidie Norman (for the record, the characters in the original radio version were both white).
by Hal Erickson
synopsis
