In "My Old Man's Badge" a rookie cop thinks that he can do a better job of solving a murder case than rest of the police force. Why does he think so? The victim was his father, a beloved neighborhood cop.
The action takes place in a "Gay 90's" music hall, so the soundtrack of this episode is more interesting than the usual "gloomy ice-rink" organ accompaniment
As the story opens, Officer Malone is walking his beat and stops outside of Herman's Bowery Music Hall.
Miss Billie Lamont, one of the showgirls, comes outside and greets Officer Malone. She wants to discuss something, but he tells her that he is about to go off-duty to have dinner with his son, who has just joined the force. Officer Malone then asks Billie about the tray of costume items that she is peddling. She tells him that the paper hats and false moustaches help get the customers into a "Gay '90's" mood. Officer Malone takes a false moustache as a present for his landlady's son. Billie tries to talk him into taking a different moustache, but he sticks to the one he has.
Officer Malone then goes over to the police call box to phone headquarters that he is going off duty. Suddenly, a tattooed hand holding a gun appears, and Officer Malone is shot dead!
Next, we see his son, Johnny, and the captain at headquarters. On the desk are the items that the morgue sent over--a wallet, a pocket watch,a badge, and the false moustache. Johnny asks if he can keep his old man's badge, but the officer tells him that isn't possible because it is against regulations. Then, they argue. Johnny wants to be transferred to his old man's beat, but the captain refuses this,too. He tells Johnny to take a vacation, and Johnny agrees -- so that he can find his father's murderer! The captain warns Johnny against doing anything rash and tries to explain that this is a case that has to be solved by more experienced officers!
Later, Johnny enters Herman's Bowery Music Hall.
He walks up to the bar and orders a shot. When Billie is finished singing, she goes over to the bar and asks Johnny if he wants a souvenir. They chat and then he asks if she knows a man named Dolph. She loudly says that she doesn't, but then quietly tells him that she can't talk now.
Five seconds later, Billie's boss walks up to her to inquire about the stranger at the bar. She turns and says, "Oh, Hello Dolph!" Quickly, he slaps her and tells her never to call him by that name. (Too late! She already said it.) Dolph tells Billie to take over at the piano and then disappears into the back room.
Johnny goes over to the piano to talk to the humiliated Billie. She tells him that she wants to get away from Dolph Romano for a number of reasons. Johnny takes the false moustaches from her tray and shows her that he knows about the dope hidden inside. Officer Malone had figured out their dope peddling scheme, too, and that is why they killed him.
In the back room, which is more like a broom closet, Dolph and his two henchmen play cards. Dolph asks about the stranger at the bar and then asks to meet him.
The henchman goes over and asks Johnny what he wants. Johnny shows him the dope from the false moustache and tells him that he has a boatload more of the stuff he wants to sell.
Johnny enters the back room where Dolph and his henchmen are waiting... Will he find the murderer or will he end up like his old man?
"My Old Man's Badge" was adapted by Robert Tallman from a story by Ferguson Findley. (Robert Tallman also wrote many scripts for the Suspense radio show, but this was the only episode he did for the Suspense television show.) Barry Nelson starred as Johnny Malone and Steven Hill starred as Dolph Romano. Ann Thomas played Miss Billie Lamont. This episode aired on March 21, 1950.
