Radio
Legends:
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, Volume 1
"Yours
Truly, Johnny Dollar" is a series with an interesting history. It debuted on CBS
as a fairly typical slam-bang half-hour detective series on February 11, 1949,
featuring Charles Russell in the title role as "America's action packed
insurance investigator". Over the next few years, several actors played the part
- including Edmond O'Brien and John Lund - but, though consistently well written
and acted, the series was never really unique or substantial enough to capture a
large and enthusiastic audience. Though the show was, at one point, sponsored by
Wrigley’s Gum, the network often simply carried it as a sustaining feature -- a
creative time-filler for the enjoyment of an increasingly sparse radio audience,
as television began to dominate the free time of the American public.
However, a few interesting things happened to "Johnny Dollar" in fall of 1955.
In a stroke of casting genius, long-time radio veteran Bob Bailey - fresh from
the Mutual network detective series "Let George Do It" - took over the title
role. Veteran director Jack Johnstone and writers John Dawson, Robert Ryf, and
Les Crutchfield joined the production team. And, at the same time, CBS began
experimenting with three of its long-running radio series by running them as
quarter hour, five-a-week "strip" shows running Monday through Friday. This
unique and innovative approach was tried with "Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost
Persons," "Mr. & Mrs. North," and "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar".
The result was a good one for the "Dollar" series. It was quickly obvious that
actor Bob Bailey was born to play the role, bringing to his portrayal a
realistic depth and likeability that had been lacking in earlier versions of the
show. The newly expanded format gave the writers a chance to craft characters
and develop the depth of the stories without the need to wrap up every loose end
after 24 brief minutes of dialogue. And the subtle cliffhanging nature of the
stories made radio's dwindling listening audience want to tune in day after day
- something that, by 1955, was seldom happening with any shows other than daily
soap operas.
This 10-CD Radio Legends collection features the first ten five-part stories
from the 1955 run of "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar", beginning with "The McCormick
Matter" from October of that year. As you listen to Dollar as he painstakingly
pursues each case to its conclusion, note the extensive research that has
obviously gone into each script; the action always takes place in real
locations, complete with real street names and landmarks noted throughout the
shows. Local stations that broadcast "Johnny Dollar" are often mentioned, as
well as the real names of station personnel -- an interesting and amusing way to
sustain interest in the show among network radio affiliates that might (or might
not) be willing to carry it at all. The sound patterns, the musical scores, and
the realistic dialog paint such a true audio picture that you can't help being
swept into the adventure - chapter after chapter - until it concludes its
75-minute playing time. And the performers - including such radio veterans as
Virginia Gregg, Peter Leeds, Hy Averback, Barney Phillips, Vic Perrin, John
Dehner, Paul Dubov, Parley Baer, Marvin Miller, Jack Moyles, Lillian Buyeff, and
Betty Lou Gerson - demonstrate their diverse talents in a series of realistic
and textured characterizations.
For long-time fans of "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar," the five-part adventures
constitute the absolute pinnacle of the series' run -- and, in this Radio
Legends CD collection, Radio Archives is pleased to bring you the first ten
weeks of these programs in excellent digital sound.
The McCormack Matter
Monday, October 3 through Friday, October 7, 1955 - 15:00 each - CBS
The Molly K Matter
Monday, October 10 through Friday, October 14, 1955 - 15:00 each - CBS
The Chesapeake Fraud Matter
Monday, October 17 through Friday, October 21, 1955 - 15:00 each - CBS
The Alvin Summers Matter
Monday, October 24 through Friday, October 28, 1955 - 15:00 each - CBS
The Valentine Matter
Monday, October 31 through Friday, November 4, 1955 - 15:00 each - CBS
The Lorcoe Diamonds Matter
Monday, November 7 through Friday, November 11, 1955 - 15:00 each - CBS
The Broderick Matter
Monday, November 14 through Friday, November 18, 1955 - 15:00 each - CBS
The Amy Bradshaw Matter
Monday, November 21 through Friday, November 25, 1955 - 15:00 each - CBS
The Henderson Matter
Monday, November 28 through Friday, December 2, 1955 - 15:00 each - CBS
The Cronin Matter
Monday, December 5 through Friday, December 9, 1955 - 15:00 each - CBS
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