Review: Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (Bob Bailey editions)

Bob Bailey

If you listen to the full run of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, you will realize it employs a myriad of lead actors over the years.

To me, two guys stand out: Edmond O'Brien was one of the very early performers of the Johnny Dollar role and does a good job.  Bob Bailey took over near he end of the series (1955-60) and his time is the one I want to focus on here.

Working for the Universal Adjustment Bureau, Dollar was an insurance investigator.  This immediately made him different than detectives on other detective shows.  The show revolved around his expense account and it showed us that Dollar was honest - again, most detective shows on the radio employed less-than-honest gumshoes.  Dollar was up front with his doings and he told us about everything he spent his money on.

Other than O'Brien's stint, Bailey was the absolute class of the show.  While the earlier versions of Dollar are hard-boiled, noirish detectives (again - like the majority of radio detectives at the time), Bailey changed the way we look at Dollar.  Bailey turned Dollar into a real persona; though he was just as tough as his predecessors, he also made the character caring, bright, an avid fisherman and a regular guy. Bailey not only breathed new life into the role of Dollar but he seemed to do it so effortlessly; he was simply natural doing what he was doing - as if he were made for the role. 

The stories seemed to become better and more varied as well when Bailey was Dollar. Breaking the plots away from the normal detective program, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar did some different things to set itself apart from the others while Bailey was at the helm.

For one thing the show dealt with insurance rather than murder - something that all of the many detective shows were doing.  Yes, there was murder involved sometimes on YTJD but that wasn't what every show was about.  The series also dealt with then-current and timely issues -- the space race for example and the Cold War.  These little touches and Bailey's perfect portrayal make the Bailey years some of the finest radio listening you'll ever come across.

Another different thing when Bailey was on the show is that there are several 75 minute serials that were sustained - no commercials - therefore, we got a very complete picture of the story being told.

For just the years when Bailey was Dollar, I'd give the show 4 stars - my highest rating.

And MORE Bob Bailey

Something different: Bob Bailey photos

Photo dump/March 2nd

Rochester Anderson

Ray Noble

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Uncle Ezra

Frank Sinatra

©Jimbo 2010/2011

Reviewed: Let George Do It

"Let George Do It" is an easy, light, fun mystery in the vein of Mr. and Mrs. North or the Thin Man series.

Valentine (Bob Bailey) and Brooksie

George Valentine (Bob Bailey) is a laid-back, happy-go-lucky guy who seems to never find any real adventure; the "cases" (I really hesitate to call them "cases") that come his way seem to be more of a small problem rather some life or death situation.  You kind of feel like George could take it or leave it - as if his bags are packed for Tahiti and he feels like he really doesn't care about the case, but eh, it's a living.  (Think: Late-1950's Johnny Dollar on marijuana.)

That's not really a criticism of the show, as it's a worthwhile time-killer and I enjoy listening to it.  But old-time radio is filled with so many noir-type detectives, violent criminals and even more violent cartoon enigmas that I want to frame all OTR detectives the same way.  It's safe to say that Valentine is probably less of a detective than Baby Snooks is - he's more like a problem solver/delivery boy.


"Complimenting" George is his go-everywhere-he-goes Girl Friday or his secretary/sidekick/whatever-she-is with the odd name of Brooksie; she's usually not too hard to take but she's rarely any fun at all.

She kind of has a bitchy attitude but not enough of an attitude to dislike her. More of the attitude where you don't really give a hoot about her at all (and wonder - why is this girl hanging around?)  She is rather a bit protective of Valentine.   In some ways she acts like she is in-like with him - but there is no romance period between the two and that is probably one of the "problems" with the show.  She's like his younger tomboy sister or something similar.  He must like her a bit though as he calls her "Brooksie" and you just know that isn't her real name.  Add to that the fact that there is NO electricity between them - yet they somehow belong together, like Abbott belongs with Costello - without the silliness from Costello or the bite from Abbott.

Frances Robinson is "Brooksie"

The show Let George Do It often comes off as a cross between a very wilted version of Clark Kent/Lois Lane and a random episode of Box 13; the main difference is there's almost never any danger involved.  Bailey plays it so very cool at every turn and it seems he has more fun avoiding the almost-jealous allures of Brooksie than he does looking for trouble.  Besides, real trouble never comes.