This is a really nice episode which demonstrates why Dragnet was such a good show. A gang of con-men scan the obituaries and target the kin of the deceased. They then sell them junk jewelry or pen and pencil sets for inflated prices. The police are called and one member of the gang is arrested. He won't talk and the search goes on unsuccessfully.
Finally a lead is developed from a former con-man now gone straight who gives the cops a name. Then the first con-man who is now in jail decides to turn in the gang because the leader failed to post his bail or get him an attorney. On New Years Eve the LAPD tracks down the leader of the gang and finds her in a party. She tells them that she always cries on New Years Eve for no reason. Sgt. Friday tells her that this year will be different. This year she will have a reason to cry. Her name is Betty from which the name of this episode is derived.
This is an excellent episode of Dragnet because it shows how police investigations really work. The police sift through endless dead end leads and finally find what they are looking for.
In the end Betty and all the members of the gang are convicted of grand theft, the penalty for which is 1-10 in state prison. Betty is convicted of 17 counts. Unfortunately we are not told whether her sentence is concurrent or consecutive, and whether she is to serve one year or 170 years. It would be nice to know the final outcome.
Finally a lead is developed from a former con-man now gone straight who gives the cops a name. Then the first con-man who is now in jail decides to turn in the gang because the leader failed to post his bail or get him an attorney. On New Years Eve the LAPD tracks down the leader of the gang and finds her in a party. She tells them that she always cries on New Years Eve for no reason. Sgt. Friday tells her that this year will be different. This year she will have a reason to cry. Her name is Betty from which the name of this episode is derived.
This is an excellent episode of Dragnet because it shows how police investigations really work. The police sift through endless dead end leads and finally find what they are looking for.
In the end Betty and all the members of the gang are convicted of grand theft, the penalty for which is 1-10 in state prison. Betty is convicted of 17 counts. Unfortunately we are not told whether her sentence is concurrent or consecutive, and whether she is to serve one year or 170 years. It would be nice to know the final outcome.