Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar is an insurance-investigator drama whose long run changed shape several times without losing its central hook: Johnny travels wherever a suspicious claim leads and later totals the cost in his famous expense account. The program is especially rewarding to browse by era. Charles Russell, Edmond O’Brien and John Lund all preceded Bob Bailey, whose 1955 arrival coincided with the distinctive five-times-a-week serial format. Later weekly versions continued with other actors, so the GRH archive lets listeners hear one character repeatedly reinterpreted across radio’s changing network years.
Where to Start
Researched entry points from recordings already in the Golden Radio Hour archive.
The Parakoff Policy (1949-02-18) — Charles Russell
An early Charles Russell case, this recording is a useful baseline for hearing Johnny before the later Bailey-era reinvention. The suspicious insurance claim, murder and coordinated fraud already show how naturally the premise moves from business investigation into crime, while the performance lets listeners compare the early weekly version with the show’s later serial and final-network forms.
Episode details →The Valentine Matter, Part 1
Part one of a Bob Bailey five-part case is the clearest way to experience the 1955 weekday format as it was designed. It should be heard as the opening chapter rather than as a complete story: the shorter running time introduces the assignment and leaves room for clues, travel and relationships to develop across the remaining parts.
Episode details →The Phantom Chase Matter, Episode 1 (1st of 9)
This opening chapter comes from the later, more ambitious Bailey serial period and begins a case that expands across multiple installments. It is useful for hearing how the show could sustain one investigation over a longer arc. GRH preserves the exact part identity, so listeners can continue through the sequence rather than treating this recording as a standalone resolution.
Episode details →The Tip-Off Matter (1962-09-30) — Mandel Kramer
The final cataloged broadcast provides a natural bookend to the collection. Mandel Kramer’s Johnny tries to protect an aging crook and recover stolen money before a more dangerous ex-con reaches them. Hearing it after an early Russell case and a Bailey serial makes the series’ long history audible rather than merely chronological on the page.
Episode details →Program History
A detective drama about freelance insurance investigator Johnny Dollar, whose expense-account narration carries him through fraud, theft, missing persons, and murder cases across several distinct starring eras.
CBS detective drama centered on freelance insurance investigator Johnny Dollar. GRH also preserves pre-series/role audition material, including Dick Powell (1948), John Lund daily-serial audition material (1952), and Gerald Mohr (1955).
The run breaks into several distinct periods: Charles Russell era (February 11, 1949 to January 14, 1950) on CBS Radio Network, Edmond O'Brien era (February 3, 1950 to September 3, 1952) on CBS Radio Network, John Lund era (November 28, 1952 to September 19, 1954) on CBS Radio Network, and Bob Bailey five-part serial era (October 3, 1955 to November 2, 1956) on CBS Radio Network.
Names that turn up again and again in the surviving run include Bob Bailey (performer), Jack Johnstone (director, producer, and writer), Virginia Gregg (performer), Roy Rowan (announcer and performer), Amerigo Moreno (music supervisor, music, and violin), Lawrence Dobkin (performer), and Forrest Lewis (performer).
Across its run, the surviving broadcasts are tied to CBS Radio Network, Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, and WROW.
The stories often return to Murder, Insurance claims, Theft and robbery, Maritime transport, Suicide, and Medical emergencies.
The show also sits in a wider radio history that includes network radio drama during the rise of television and CBS package-program strategy.
If you are following the same actors and creative circles, related programs worth opening next include Lux Radio Theatre, Escape, The Whistler, Broadway Is My Beat, and The Adventures of Philip Marlowe.
All Episodes & Recordings
Search this program or browse in its validated catalog order.
Milford Brooks III (Dick Powell Audition) (1948-12-07) — Dick Powell
An audition or sales-presentation recording associated with Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, identified in the archive as “Milford Brooks III (Dick Powell Audition).”
The Parakoff Policy (1949-02-18) — Charles Russell
Johnny Dollar investigates a suspicious life-insurance case tied to murder and an affair, eventually uncovering a coordinated fraud involving people who are not what they first seem.
The Slow Boat from China (1949-02-25) — Charles Russell
Sent to Singapore to straighten out a delayed tin shipment, Johnny finds the shipping problem connected to murder, counterfeit money and an organized criminal scheme.
The Robert Perry Case (1949-03-04) — Charles Russell
Johnny arrives to protect Robert Perry only to have Perry killed by a booby-trapped office device. The investigation leads through impersonation, troubled relationships and a cover-up surrounding the murder.
Murder Is a Merry-Go-Round (1949-03-11) — Charles Russell
A string of suspicious incidents at a traveling carnival draws Johnny into a murder case where old grievances and revenge hide behind the midway attractions.
Milford Brooks III Matter (1949-03-25) — Charles Russell
Johnny is called in because a wealthy insured man appears determined to trigger a huge suicide payout. What begins as an attempt to keep him alive opens into gambling trouble,…
The Stolen Portrait of The Duke of Massen (1949-04-01) — Charles Russell
A stolen portrait takes Johnny to postwar London, where the art case proves to be cover for diamond smuggling and escalates into murder and repeated attempts to stop his investigation.
The Case of the Hundred Thousand Dollar Legs (1949-04-15) — Charles Russell
Johnny is assigned to safeguard a movie star whose legs carry an enormous insurance policy, but blackmail and murder turn the unusual protection job into a deadly investigation.
The Case of Barton Drake (1949-04-22) — Charles Russell
Johnny searches for a man who has been missing long enough to be declared legally dead, only to uncover a disguise and double-cross designed to manipulate the insurance payout.
Who Took the Taxis for a Ride (1949-07-24) — Charles Russell
The disappearance of a fleet of taxi cabs leads Johnny into a much stranger hunt involving a coveted jewel, international criminals and a case deliberately echoing a famous hard-boiled mystery.
Murder Ain't Minor (The Case of Bonnie Goodwin) (1949-08-07) — Charles Russell
Hired outside his usual insurance work to locate a missing woman, Johnny finds that the search is tangled in false identity, a disputed beneficiary and a murder attempt.
Out of the Fire into the Frying Pan (The Prize Hog Bodyguard) (1949-08-21) — Charles Russell
Johnny's assignment to guard a prize hog at an Iowa fair becomes unexpectedly dangerous after valuable jewelry winds up inside the animal and thieves close in to recover it.
The Expiring Nickels and the Egyptian Jackpot (1949-09-04) — Charles Russell
A mission that carries Johnny toward the Middle East turns into a race to protect a vital witness and evidence, with murder and deception complicating the journey to Cairo.
The Search for Michelle Marsh (1949-09-25) — Charles Russell
Johnny's search for the missing Michelle Marsh takes him to Boston, where stolen money, personal entanglements and murder converge in a trap surrounding the disappearance.
The Fishing Boat Affair (1949-10-01) — Charles Russell
Looking into the suspicious loss of fishing boats off Southern California, Johnny goes beneath the surface of an insurance claim and discovers a smuggling operation with murder behind it.
The Racehorse Piledriver Matter (1949-10-08) — Charles Russell
At a Chicago racetrack, Johnny investigates danger surrounding the heavily insured racehorse Piledriver and uncovers a criminal plan that puts more than the horse at risk.
Dr Otto Schmedlich (1949-10-15) — Charles Russell
Johnny looks into accusations surrounding Dr. Otto Schmedlich and discovers that the doctor's treatment practice is part of a dangerous criminal scheme involving addictive medicine.
Witness, Witness, Who's Got the Witness (1949-10-22) — Charles Russell
A bail bondsman hires Johnny to locate two vanished witnesses before their disappearance costs him heavily. The hunt instead exposes deception and murder surrounding the missing men.
The Little Man Who Wasn't All There (1949-10-29) — Charles Russell
Johnny confronts a man who claims responsibility for a series of policyholder deaths, uncovering a revenge campaign in which supposedly accidental deaths are being deliberately engineered.
The Island of Tin-Yutan (The South Sea Adventure) (1949-11-05) — Charles Russell
Johnny travels to a remote South Seas island to investigate missing pearl divers and becomes caught between pearl thieves, armed killers and the island's unusual local royalty.
The Melanie Carter Matter (Who'd Like To Rock The Old Doll To Sleep) (1949-11-12) — Charles Russell
Johnny goes to Boston to protect an elderly woman who believes she is in danger, and the threat leads him into buried family history and a killer much closer to…
The Skull Canyon Mine (1949-11-26) — Charles Russell
Johnny heads to a remote Arizona gold mine to determine why its profits are disappearing, turning a financial investigation into a dangerous search for what is really happening at Skull…
Bodyguard to Anne Connelly (1949-12-03) — Charles Russell
Hired to protect Anne Connelly from a violent man believed to be coming after her, Johnny discovers that the apparent threat is entangled with deception, mistaken identity and an attempted…
The Circus Animal Show Matter (1949-12-10) — Charles Russell
Johnny is drawn into a case centered on a valuable black leopard at a circus, where theft schemes and a hunter's ambitions escalate into murder and a dangerous confrontation around…
Haiti Adventure Matter (1949-12-17) — Charles Russell
Johnny travels to Haiti to keep an insured man from becoming the next victim of an apparent voodoo curse, only to find a calculated murder method behind the supernatural fear.
The Department Store Swindle Matter (How I Played Santa Claus And Almost Got Left Holding The Bag) (1949-12-24) — Charles Russell
During the Christmas shopping rush, Johnny investigates a department-store swindle built around phony sales, and the seemingly small fraud develops into a murder case with a Santa disguise in the…
Death Takes a Working Day (The Loyal B Martin Matter) (1950-02-03) — Edmond O'Brien
Johnny investigates the killing of a wealthy insured man and a murder method whose strange ballistic evidence makes the crime look nearly impossible.
The S.S. Malay Trader Ship (1950-02-10) — Edmond O'Brien
Johnny signs on undercover aboard a cargo ship to investigate suspected insurance fraud and finds the voyage connected to murder and a larger criminal scheme.
The Gravedigger's Spades (Mr & Mrs Arbuthnel Trump) (1950-02-17) — Edmond O'Brien
A bizarre insurance claim sends Johnny to North Dakota, where two policyholders appear determined to die so someone can collect the proceeds.
The Archeologist (The Disappearance of Bruce Lambert) (1950-02-24) — Edmond O'Brien
The disappearance of an archaeologist leads Johnny into a case involving stolen antiquities, narcotics trafficking and murder.
Bodyguard to the Late Robert W Perry (1950-03-03) — Edmond O'Brien
Johnny arrives to protect an insured man only to find him killed by a booby-trapped office buzzer, turning the bodyguard assignment into a murder investigation.
Alec Jefferson, The Youthful Millionaire (Rebel Wildcatters) (1950-03-07) — Edmond O'Brien
A missing young millionaire and a questionable oil venture draw Johnny into a case of hidden marriages, deception and murder.
The Eighty-Five Little Minks (1950-03-14) — Edmond O'Brien
Johnny investigates the theft of an extremely valuable mink collection after the robbery also leaves a murder to solve.
The Man Who Wrote Himself to Death (Stuart Palmer, Writer) (Unedited Drama Portions) (1950-03-21) — Edmond O'Brien
A struggling writer devises a deadly insurance scheme intended to leave his wife financially secure, forcing Johnny to uncover how the plan was arranged.
The Village Scene Matter (The Missing Masterpiece) (1950-03-28) — Edmond O'Brien
The theft of a valuable painting leads Johnny through fraud, jealousy and murder as he searches for the missing masterpiece.
The Story of the Big Red Schoolhouse (1950-04-04) — Edmond O'Brien
When a newly built school collapses, Johnny follows the insurance loss into evidence of corruption and murder.
The Dead First-Helpers (1950-04-11) — Edmond O'Brien
Johnny goes undercover at a steel mill after several supposed accidents kill workers just as layoffs threaten the plant.
The Story of the Ten-O-Eight (Unedited Drama Portions) (1950-04-18) — Edmond O'Brien
A boxcar hijacking proves to be camouflage for a jewelry robbery and murder, sending Johnny after the people behind the larger crime.
Pearl Carrasa (1950-04-25) — Edmond O'Brien
Johnny searches for the beneficiary of a murdered woman and uncovers family secrets that connect the inheritance to further crime.
The Able Tackitt Matter (Unedited Drama Portions) (1950-05-02) — Edmond O'Brien
Johnny travels to Borneo in search of the long-missing Abel Tackitt and finds danger surrounding the secrets of his disappearance.
Cast, Crew & Contributors
Every relationship below is backed by the current Golden Radio Hour smart index. Open a profile, or use the broadcast count to see the exact recordings connecting that person to this program.
Bob Bailey
Jack Johnstone
Virginia Gregg
Howard McNear
Parley Baer
John Lund
Edmond O'Brien
John Dehner
Mandel Kramer
Stacy Harris
Paul Dubov
William Conrad
Charles Russell
Bob Readick
Raymond Burr
Larry ThorMore Hard-Boiled Detectives Radio
Programs connected through the most specific listening path for this show.
