Robbers and Robbery in Old Time Radio

Stealing or committing theft is the act of taking something which rightfully belongs to another without consent or permission. For theft to be a crime, there is a general implication that taking the item will not only deprive the rightful owner of the benefit of possessing the item, but benefit shall pass to the thief.

Modern society views thievery as a crime, but it should be pointed out that it is a perfectly valid and often successful survival tactic in the wild kingdom. If a lion brings down a wildebeest, the meat from the kill rightfully belongs to the lion and her pride to consume at their leisure. However, if a pack of hyenas manages to steal the carcass, the meat is theirs unless the lions take it back or another animal manages to take it from the hyenas. It is simply survival of the fittest enforcing itself.

Fortunately, our concept of private property and the right to keep what is ours is enforced by generations of custom and traditions which express themselves in the laws and the law enforcement community which help form the backbone of our society. Custom alone does little to protect us or our possessions from falling prey to those willing or desperate enough to use force to steal them.

The use of force or fear raises simple theft to robbery. Most thievery tactics depend upon "getting the goods" as quickly and with as little fuss as possible, but a robber is all too willing to escalate to violence to get what he wants. The threat of force also raises the stakes from simple misdemeanor theft to felonious assault with intent to rob.

The level of force usually escalates with the value of the expected haul or "take" by the robbers. A house burglar probably needs little more than a jimmy or crowbar for his work while a gang of bank robbers might include submachine guns in their tool kit. The danger is that the level of the threat can escalate suddenly and unexpectedly. Only the most psychopathic of bank robbers expect to use the full force they carry; the mere threat of submachine guns should be enough for them to accomplish their work. The burglar who expects an empty house but discovers a homeowner about to call the cops is faced with a sudden and desperate choice; attempt to flee or savagely and perhaps fatally attack the witness.

Social scientists often operate under the assumption that a diseased mind at the root of robberies and assaults. This may be true, but it does not mitigate the threat of the desperadoes who are willing to resort to such horrific tactics. It also underscores our appreciation for the dedicated lawmen who protect us from that threat and pursue the evil-doers who commit robberies.

• The Allen Young Show, December 20, 1946, NBC. Alan is picking up the last of his Christmas shopping and he decides to get a water pistol for the neighbor kids. Neglecting to have it wrapped at the store, folks on the street think he is out to rob them.
• The Amos 'n' Andy Show, March 27, 1949, CBS, "Pawn Shop Robbery". Sapphire gives the Kingfish an ultimatum, buy her a new Easter outfit or else. After looking through the Lost and Found box at the Lodge he finds a gun. He can't sell it to Andy, so it is off to the 
• Crime Does Not Pay, October 30, 1950, MGM Syndication, "Escort for Hire". Miss Mayview provides attractive young men to escort women "who aren't quite willing to admit their past forty-five". She also dabbles in robbery, blackmail, and murder.Pawn Shop, but it doesn't go the way he expects.
• Dragnet, January 5, 1950, NBC, "The Big Escape". Ben Romero has been shot, and one of the suspects is an old Army buddy of Friday's, Max Tyler, but the shooter, gets away. Although Tyler admits he has "nothin' comin'" after he is arrested but he asks Friday to keep an eye on his wife and kids. Trust will cost Friday.
• Dragnet, September 14, 1950, NBC, "The Big Make". The Stendhals immigrated from Sweden to open a bakeshop on Silver Ave. A holdup artist robs the place after closing, shooting Mr. Stendhal and his oldest daughter. The robber has no distinguishing marks, but Mrs. Stendhal identifies a mug shot of recent releases from San Quentin.
• Dragnet, August 30, 1955, NBC, "The Big Fellow". The Merton Boys from Georgia and no good armed robbers, party boys, and dope fiends. They were arrested in Las Vegas but there was not enough to hold them. They are working their way to Los Angeles, robbing and assaulting citizens all the way. Friday gets a solid lead from a dope dealer and the hunt is on.
• The FBI In Peace and War, August 10, 1955, CBS, AFRTS, "The Target". The gangster turned stool pigeon at the bank robber's trial. Now, the robber busted out of prison and he follows the stoolie onto an old freighter to dispense some justice at sea.
• Front Page Drama, May 31, 1935, Hearst Syndication, "The Thief of Police". The police chief gets too friendly with the crooks in his jail and decides to help Blackie plan a bank job, just for fun.
• Fibber McGee and Molly, February 11, 1941. Molly met the President of the Meaning Watch Company and volunteers Fibber to be the sales representative for Wistful Vista. When he takes his sample case into the jewelry store, a tough guy with a gun shows up to knock over the store. When the cop sees Fibber with a dozen gold watches, he figures that Fibber must be the robber.
• Gangbusters, March 20, 1942, Blue Network, "The Black Bottom Bandit". Earl Joiner puts together a gang to knock over banks with machine guns which he plays as enthusiastically as his clarinet.
• Gangbusters, June 18, 1949, CBS, "The Case of the Bandit Brothers". Randall and Obie Throneberry leave Colorado after things get too hot. They make their way to Wyoming where the rifle they stole implicates them in their latest robbery and murder.
• Gangbusters, January 15, 1949, CBS, "The Case of the Masquerading Gunmen". A gang of robbers knock over a bank in Lynn County, Oregon during the Pioneer Days Celebration by dressing up in cowboy gear then hiding in the woods after the job.
• The Great Gildersleeve, April 14, 1946, NBC. The cops are holding a dangerous robber and murderer in the Springfield Jail. The sirens begin to sound because of a jailbreak, but never fear, Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve is about to burst into action!
• Gunsmoke, February 17, 1953, CBS, "The Doubtful Zone". A burglar has broken a window at the back of a store in Dodge City and stolen supplies to hit the trail, everything in diminutive sizes, including a bottle of perfume and a .44 Colt! The scent leads Matt and Chester to the Dodge House Hotel where they find Willy Deaver, a sixteen-year-old girl on the run from her abusive father.
• Have Gun, Will Travel, February 14, 1960, CBS, "Dollhouse in Diamond Springs". The President of the Diamond Springs hires Paladin to find the robber who made off with $20,000. On the stage on the way to the town, he is reunited with a sergeant from his old unit in the Army whose wife had been taken hostage during the hold-up.
• The Lucky Strike Program Starring Jack Benny, March 28, 1948, NBC. Jack and his neighbors, Ronald and Benita Colman, are at it again after Warner Bros sends a script for a Western. The real trouble begins when Jack "borrows" Ron Colman's Oscar, but the climax is when Jack is robbed and given one of the most memorable choices in comedy.
• Mister District Attorney, March 9, 1949, NBC, "The Case of Murder a la Carte". The rich folks go to dinner at the Regency Club and are served by their favorite waiter and then come home to find their places burglarized. Will the District Attorney make the connection in time?
• Mystery in the Air, August 28, 1947, NBC, "Beyond Good and Evil". The good Reverend who comes over every night to read to the Parson since his stroke is not who everyone thinks he is. Peter Lorre's character is actually an escaped convict who is playing a part until the heat is off.
• Police Headquarters, 1932, Broadcasters Associates/Bruce Eells Syndication. "Old Cop". "Pops" has been with the force for nearly thirty years, but he is still on-the-ball enough to figure out what happened in a mysterious bank robbery which looks like an inside job.
• The Six Shooter, July 15, 1953, audition program. James Stewart stars as Brit Ponsett, a wandering cowboy with a reputation for being fast with a gun. The Wells Fargo Office in Clay City has been robbed and Britt discovers evidence that the crook is the sheriff's son.
• The Adventures of Superman, January & February 1946, Mutual Network, "Is There Another Superman?". The Man of Steel robbing banks? Clark Kent and Batman are investigating and that is what the evidence indicates, but the money is always turned over to a charity.

See also: Bank Robberies in Old Time Radio.