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Today’s Mystery:
The wife of a college professor is kidnapped.
Original Radio Broadcast Date: June 29, 1950
Originating from Hollywood
Starring: Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday; Barton Yarborough as Sergeant Ben Romero
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As a practicing traditional Jew, and a retired professor of Religious Studies, I was impressed at the accuracy of the portrayal of the Passover seder—such accuracy is not the norm in Hollywood productions. I assume that the writers consulted with knowledgeable experts. There were some nice touches, like Prof. Kessel’s remark that “Hebrew law” requires them to feed strangers. This was a reference to a passage in the seder liturgy that “let all who are hungry come and eat.”
There seems to be a hidden subtext to the plot. It was never explained why the culprit chose this unlikely family to victimize. There was no indication that they were acquainted in any way. I strongly suspect that he was operating on the antisemitic myth that all Jews, even humble college professors, are rich and control global finance? Regrettably, it’s a myth that is still very much alive in the pro-terrorist anti-Israel propaganda campaigns.
(Note that there is a lot of on-line confusion about this title, since there is a different episode, involving the kidnapping of a child, that gets mixed up with this one on several sites.)