Premier Collections: 
Let George Do It, Volume 1
Liner notes written by Ivan G. Shreve, Jr.

Click to listen to a Microsoft WMA audio clip
Click to listen to a MP3 audio clip

"Personal notice: danger's my stock in trade. If the job's too tough for you to handle, you've got a job for me, George Valentine."

Old-time radio fans love and revere actor Bob Bailey - particularly when it comes to his long-running stint as "America's favorite freelance investigator" on the classic radio crime drama "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar" in the 1950s. But before landing that lucrative gig, "Robert" Bailey cut his teeth on another detective show favorite that ran on the West Coast Mutual-Don Lee network from October 18, 1946 to September 27, 1954: a decidedly offbeat private-eye series entitled "Let George Do It." During its original run, George's audience was limited to a West Coast listenership and, although transcribed repeats were heard in New York City from January 20, 1954 through January 12, 1955, it wasn't until much later that the show was appreciated by a small but devoted audience who enjoyed the series as a cut above the usual hard-boiled detective offerings.

George Valentine was an ex-cop-turned-private-investigator who set himself apart from his private eye brethren - at least, in the early episodes - by eschewing tough-guy muscle in favor of a certain manual dexterity and analytical thinking skills. His cases ran the gamut from murder to blackmail to kidnapping, and the program showcased a wry sense of humor thanks to the better-than-average plotting and writing of scribes Polly Hopkins, David Victor and Jackson Gillis. (Gillis, who often wrote in tandem with Victor, later demonstrated his talent for labyrinthine plots as a writer and associate producer on TV's "Perry Mason.") Bob Bailey essayed the role of Valentine almost to the end - veteran actor Olan Soule replaced Bailey in 1954 - and the part of the P.I. was in essence a dress rehearsal for his more celebrated turn as the titular insurance investigator on "Johnny Dollar." As OTR historian Elizabeth McLeod once observed, "the actor's interpretation of George Valentine is that of an intelligent, thinking man leavened by just a touch of world-weary cynicism."

Because Valentine had a strained relationship with 'John Law' - his friendly nemeses on the force included Lieutenant Riley (Wally Maher) and Lieutenant Johnson (Ken Christy) - he often depended on a trio of confederates to assist him in his investigations. At the top of the list was his gal Friday, Claire Brooks ("Brooksie"), who was first played on the show by Frances Robinson, then replaced in 1949 by Virginia Gregg, a future Bailey-era "Johnny Dollar" alumnus. (Shirley Mitchell and Lillian Buyeff were also heard as Brooksie.) Brooksie occupied the middle ground between secretary and girlfriend, frequently accompanying George on out-of-town investigations. She carried a none-too-subtle torch for her boss but, where romance was concerned, George kept her at arm's length most of the time - though he did refer to her affectionately as 'Angel'. Brooksie had a brother named Sonny (Eddie Firestone, Jr.) who served as George's office boy; both he and an elevator operator named Caleb (Joseph Kearns) completed the investigative triad.

The episodes offered in this Premier Collection originate from vinyl transcription discs syndicated by the New York-based Harry S. Goodman Radio Productions. The discs themselves were found in Toronto and were originally syndicated throughout Canada by S. W. Caldwell Ltd. The audio quality of these recordings is exceptionally fine and, at first listen, it was assumed that the original scripts from the series had actually been re-recorded for syndication. However, additional research - and, particularly, reviews of the cast listings - lends credence to the theory that they are instead edited and repackaged broadcast recordings of the original 1946-54 Mutual-Don Lee run. The fact is, at this writing, there is no way to be certain of their origin -- but what is certain is that several of these broadcasts are not mentioned in any of the program logs for the series, suggesting that this is the very first time they have appeared in circulation.

Thanks to expert transfers and complete audio restoration, the crystal clear recordings in this set of ten compact discs give First Generation Radio Archives members the opportunity to really hear "what happens when you 'Let George Do It'."

There Ain't No Justice (#3)
A dopey vagrant named Abner accuses the police chief of the town of Melody of burning down the jail. A man named Walter F. Smith has apparently "died" in the fire, and the subsequent investigation reveals that Mr. Smith was not only an embezzler but that $200,000 is still missing.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22594A.jpg

Portrait of a Suicide (#4)
A milkman prevents Mary Blair - who's just finished a lengthy stay at the Clearview Rest Home - from committing suicide. But when Mary jumps a second time, is it really suicide...or the perfect murder?
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22595A.jpg

The Prairie Dog (#5)
George's old friend Jerry Mace is standing in line to catch the 5:15 - and ends up on the Heavenly Express when he's pushed in front of the train. In pursuit of his murderer, Valentine and Brooksie find a trail leading to a pawnshop and "The Prairie Dog Killer." The program features Frank Gerstle, Don Diamond, Ken Christy, Bob Jellison, William Conrad and Joe Forte and was first broadcast over the Mutual-Don Lee West Coast network on March 12, 1951.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22596A.jpg

Tonight the Mayhem's Going to Be Different (#6)
Cecile Lewiston has sent a letter to her old friend Brooksie requesting help. The only trouble is, Brooksie has never met the woman. Still, she and George are game enough to make a pilgrimage to the hoity-toity community of Crescent Lane -- where the two of them soon find themselves investigating a murder.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22597A.jpg

The Eight Ball (#7)
The corruption-tainted hamlet of Summer Springs finds a trio of respected citizens asking for George's help. Not only does Valentine receive an offer of $1000.00 to not take the case, he also finds a corpse in his hotel room whose name is apparently...George Valentine. The program features William Conrad, Will Wright, Stanley Farrar, Bob Jellison and Herb Butterfield and was first broadcast over the Mutual-Don Lee West Coast network on April 2, 1951.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22598A.jpg

Every Shot Counts (#8)
A B-picture cowboy asks George to assist a damsel in distress: a female sharpshooter named Daphne Crockett who's marked for murder. Valentine is too late to save Daphne and, to add insult to injury, his chief suspect is a former marksman-turned-song plugger who's blind! This episode features Frances Robinson as Brooksie, with John Dehner, Leo Cleary, Clayton Post, Walter Burke and Virginia Gregg and was first broadcast over the Mutual-Don Lee West Coast network on October 31, 1949.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22599A.jpg

The Anthill (#9)
As a slot machine repairman lays dying of gunshot wounds, he asks George to locate his girlfriend Betty. The "little shrimp" may be the crucial link to finding the mysterious Mr. Black, the invisible head of the "three lemon business." The program features Wally Maher, Pat McGeehan, Jeanne Bates, Tony Barrett, Bill Bouchey and James Nusser and was first broadcast over the Mutual-Don Lee West Coast network on May 15, 1950.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22600A.jpg

Touched By an Angel (#10)
An automobile accident has taken the life of notorious crime kingpin Lefty Lumpert and prominent bank president Frank J. Emerson is concerned about what will happen if the news gets out that he did business with the deceased gangster. The program features Lawrence Dobkin, Ken Christy and Bill Bouchey.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22601A.jpg

Drop Dead! (#11)
Author Jerry Yuhl tells George an intriguing story about a parrot fond of uttering the phrase "Drop dead!" When the bird's former owner takes its advice, it's only the first in a string of deaths that soon follow. The program features Ken Christy, Parley Baer and Howard McNear.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22602A.jpg

Uncle Harry's Bones (#12)
Sophie Sturdevant summons George to catch the killer of her Uncle Harry, whose skeletal remains have recently been discovered. But it turns out that Harry's disappearance five years ago isn't the only skeleton in the family closet. The program features Ken Christy, Lurene Tuttle, Don Diamond, Fred Howard, Lawrence Dobkin and Joe DuVal and was first broadcast over the Mutual-Don Lee West Coast network on April 9, 1951.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22603A.jpg

This Ain't No Way to Run a Railroad (#13)
Eccentric millionaire Casey Foster wants to buy a "haunted" railroad called the Desert Central, but the owner doesn't want to sell. George's curiosity about the rail line is piqued when the engineer is slugged from behind. The program features Harry Bartell, Earle Ross and Lawrence Dobkin.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22604A.jpg

No Escape From the Jungle (#14)
A Dutch chemist hires George to find a missing man who may or may not be truly missing. The program features Michael Ann Barrett, Ken Christy, Lawrence Dobkin, Bill Bouchey, John Dehner, Lurene Tuttle and Doris Singleton and was first broadcast over the Mutual-Don Lee West Coast network on March 26, 1951.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22605A.jpg

Murder on Vacation (#15)
Nothing ever happens in Sandy Spit, a quiet seaside town where George and Brooksie are hoping to score some of Miss Gallagher's fabulous fish stew. The two of them receive a most inhospitable welcome, however, when a carnival owner discovers buried treasure and later turns up dead. The program features Ken Christy, Bill Bouchey and Bob Jellison.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22606A.jpg

The Man Behind the Frame (#16)
Vic Barnett of the Federal Office Equipment Company invites his employee Lawrence Ferguson to a big convention, whereupon the "crazy rube" finds himself arrested for murder. The program features Ken Christy, Ed Begley, John Dehner and Ted De Corsia and was first broadcast over the Mutual-Don Lee West Coast network on January 8, 1951.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22607A.jpg

Big Brother (#17)
Nightclub owner Lou Mendel has hired a dancer named Dove who doesn't seem to have any particular talent in her chosen career. Nevertheless, she's protected by Mendel - who thinks of himself as her "big brother." The program features Gerald Mohr, Lawrence Dobkin, GeGe Pearson and Ken Christy.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22608A.jpg

What Became of Terry Cable? (#18)
Pub owner Shorty McGowan presents George with the puzzler "What's become of Terry Cable?" after finding Cable's watch in a pawnshop. Valentine's investigation soon turns up that the missing Mr. Cable is somehow connected to a string of mysterious warehouse fires. The program features Bob Jellison, Ken Christy and Herb Butterfield.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22609A.jpg

The Discovery of Ponce the Lion (#19)
J. H. Frankel has been murdered in the sleepy little hamlet of Baja Junction, a.k.a. "the boiling pot of the Pacific." The pot threatens to boil over when the chief suspect in the murder is the mutually despised "Ponce the Lion," a hardened criminal who has returned to Baja after a three-year stretch for manslaughter and has sworn to eliminate those who testified against him.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22610A.jpg

The Fearless Clown (#20)
Fofo the "Fearless Clown" has apparently been trampled by an elephant, but the way he was trampled seems to suggest that the hated Harlequin was murdered. George's client, a performer named Relita, is afraid that she looks good for the job -- particularly after she sends Valentine a letter in which she prematurely confesses that she's the likely culprit.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22611A.jpg

The Man From French Guiana (#21)
Franklin J. Scott's ne'er-do-well brother-in-law is preparing to return home, and his arrival has been preceded by a mysterious man who's watching Scott's abode. This man is also suffering from amnesia, but that's nothing compared to the fate of the prodigal in-law, who died as a result of being thrown overboard on the ship home. The program features Ken Christy, William Conrad and Bill Bouchey.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22612A.jpg

Sucker Stunt (#22)
Played for a patsy by one Tim McGeehan, George Valentine proves that McGeehan is the culprit in an armed robbery. Unfortunately, George has unwittingly provided him with an alibi in the murder of McGeehan's wife.
30:00 - Harry S. Goodman Syndication
http://www.radioarchives.org/scans/22613A.jpg

The complete content of this website, including all text, illustrations, and audio content © 2008 First Generation Radio Archives. All Rights Reserved. The contents of this website may not be duplicated or reproduced in any way, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of the copyright holder.