1001 RADIO DAYS

 Remember to check out 1001 Radio Crime Solvers for MORE Johnny Dollar right now! Show Notes — The Lamarr Matter Johnny Dollar's "action-packed expense account" takes a personal turn in this five‑part 1956 serial when a simple vacation encounter pulls him into one of the most emotionally tangled cases of his career. While trying to relax, Johnny meets a striking young woman whose charm quickly disarms him. But when her wealthy father dies under suspicious circumstances, Johnny is assigned to investigate the very family he's just become entangled with. The case centers on the Lamarr estate—money, motives, and a web of relationships that don't line up the way they should. As Johnny digs deeper, he uncovers conflicting stories, hidden resentments, and a trail of financial irregularities that point toward foul play. The daughter's grief, the family's evasiveness, and the insurance company's mounting concerns all push Johnny into a tight corner where professional duty clashes with personal feelings. Across the serial, Johnny's emotional involvement becomes a liability as well as a clue. Each episode tightens the noose: suspicious behavior from those closest to the victim, a pattern of deception surrounding the estate, and a growing sense that the truth is being carefully buried. The tension builds toward a final revelation that forces Johnny to confront both the killer's identity and his own misjudgments. This serial is classic Bob Bailey—sharp, human, and layered with the kind of emotional stakes that made the 1955–56 run the high-water mark of the series.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summary: "The Clinton Matter" Johnny Dollar is sent to investigate a claim involving the Clinton Insurance Company, where a routine inquiry quickly turns into a dangerous tangle of fraud, intimidation, and small‑town secrets. What begins as a simple question about a suspicious policy payout soon reveals a deeper scheme involving forged documents, hidden relationships, and a beneficiary who may know far more than they're admitting. As Johnny digs in, he finds himself navigating a community where nearly everyone has something to hide. A key witness disappears, a second turns up dead, and the pressure mounts as Dollar realizes the fraud is only the surface of a much larger criminal operation. His investigation forces him into a tight corner—one where a single wrong assumption could cost him his life. The case builds toward a tense confrontation in which Johnny exposes the mastermind behind the scheme and uncovers the real motive driving the Clinton claim. By the end, the truth is far darker—and far more personal—than the paperwork ever suggested. ⭐ Why This Episode Works •     It's a classic Bob Bailey slow‑burn, where the emotional stakes rise alongside the danger. •     The plot blends insurance fraud, murder, and small‑town corruption, giving Johnny plenty of room to show his grit and intuition. •     The serialized format lets the mystery unfold layer by layer, with each episode tightening the noose around the culprit.  SUPPORT OUR SHOW BY BECOMING A PATRON! www.patreon.com/1001storiesnetwork. Its time I started asking for support! Thank you. Its a few dollars a month OR a one time. (Any amount is appreciated). YOUR REVIEWS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS AT APPLE/ITUNES AND ALL ANDROID HOSTS ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED! LINKS BELOW...  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

⭐ Summary: "The Plantagent Matter" Johnny Dollar is sent to Vicksburg, Virginia to investigate what begins as a routine insurance inquiry—but the moment he arrives, the case explodes into a full‑blown murder investigation. A man connected to the Plantagent policy has been killed, and Johnny finds himself literally holding the murder weapon, instantly placing him at the center of the crime. As he digs deeper, Johnny uncovers a tangle of motives involving money, jealousy, and long‑buried grudges. Everyone connected to the Plantagent claim seems to be hiding something, and the small‑town atmosphere only tightens the tension. Johnny's trademark mix of sharp intuition and emotional involvement drives the investigation forward as he sorts through false leads, evasive witnesses, and a killer who is far more calculating than first believed. The serialized format lets the story unfold with slow‑burn suspense—each episode peeling back another layer until Johnny finally exposes the truth behind the murder, the insurance angle, and the real reason someone wanted the Plantagent matter buried for good. ⭐ Why This Episode Resonates •     It's a classic Bob Bailey run—smart, gritty, and human. •     The plot blends small‑town secrets with a tight, escalating mystery. •     Johnny's personal involvement raises the stakes and gives the story emotional weight.  Bob Bailey, generally thought of as the most popular of the Johnny Dollars, brought a new interpretation to the character – tough, but not hard-boiled; streetwise, but not overly cynical, Bailey's Dollar was smart and gritty when he had to be. But Bailey's Johnny Dollar was also human. His character would get emotionally involved in a number of his cases. He had a streak of impatience, and would occasionally not fully listen to a witness and rush off on a tangent before realizing his mistake. The weekday serialized episodes are generally acknowledged as some of the finest radio detective shows ever produced. There were fifty six multi-part shows in all: fifty four five-part shows, one six-part show, and one nine-part show. The serialized episodes continued until November 2, 1956 when the series again reverted to a once a week, thirty minute format. Bob Bailey continued in the lead, until "The Empty Threat Matter" of November 27, 1960, when the Hollywood run ended.  Get all of our shows at one website: www.bestof1001stories.com  SUPPORT OUR SHOW BY BECOMING A PATRON! www.patreon.com/1001storiesnetwork. Its time I started asking for support! Thank you. Its a few dollars a month OR a one time. (Any amount is appreciated). YOUR REVIEWS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS AT APPLE/ITUNES AND ALL ANDROID HOSTS ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED! LINKS BELOW...  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ME⭐ Summary: "The Cui Bono Matter" Insurance investigator Johnny Dollar is assigned to look into the suspicious death of Dan Parker, a respected county attorney from Green Pass, Virginia. Although Parker's stepdaughter Luann Parker admits she fired the shots that killed him, the town insists it was a tragic accident—she claims she mistook him Bob Bailey, generally thought of as the most popular of the Johnny Dollars, brought a new interpretation to the character – tough, but not hard-boiled; streetwise, but not overly cynical, Bailey's Dollar was smart and gritty when he had to be. But Bailey's Johnny Dollar was also human. His character would get emotionally involved in a number of his cases. He had a streak of impatience, and would occasionally not fully listen to a witness and rush off on a tangent before realizing his mistake.  Get all of our shows at one website: WWW.BESTOF1001STORIES.COM  SUPPORT OUR SHOW BY BECOMING A PATRON! www.patreon.com/1001storiesnetwork. Its time I started asking for support! Thank you. Its a few dollars a month OR a one time. (Any amount is appreciated). YOUR REVIEWS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS AT APPLE/ITUNES AND ALL ANDROID HOSTS ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED! LINKS BELOW...  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bob Bailey, generally thought of as the most popular of the Johnny Dollars, brought a new interpretation to the character – tough, but not hard-boiled; streetwise, but not overly cynical, Bailey's Dollar was smart and gritty when he had to be. But Bailey's Johnny Dollar was also human. His character would get emotionally involved in a number of his cases. He had a streak of impatience, and would occasionally not fully listen to a witness and rush off on a tangent before realizing his mistake.   The weekday serialized episodes are generally acknowledged as some of the finest radio detective shows ever produced. There were fifty six multi-part shows in all: fifty four five-part shows, one six-part show, and one nine-part show. The serialized episodes continued until November 2, 1956 when the series again reverted to a once a week, thirty minute format. Bob Bailey continued in the lead, until "The Empty Threat Matter" of November 27, 1960, when the Hollywood run ended  Get all of our shows at one website: WWW.BESTOF1001STORIES.COM  CALLING ALL FANS.. REVIEWS NEEDED FOR NEW SHOWS! REVIEWS NEEDED FOR NEW SHOWS!  SUPPORT OUR SHOW BY BECOMING A PATRON! www.patreon.com/1001storiesnetwork. Its time I started asking for support! Thank you. Its a few dollars a month OR a one time. (Any amount is appreciated). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bob Bailey, generally thought of as the most popular of the Johnny Dollars, brought a new interpretation to the character – tough, but not hard-boiled; streetwise, but not overly cynical, Bailey's Dollar was smart and gritty when he had to be. But Bailey's Johnny Dollar was also human. His character would get emotionally involved in a number of his cases. He had a streak of impatience, and would occasionally not fully listen to a witness and rush off on a tangent before realizing his mistake.   The weekday serialized episodes are generally acknowledged as some of the finest radio detective shows ever produced. There were fifty six multi-part shows in all: fifty four five-part shows, one six-part show, and one nine-part show. The serialized episodes continued until November 2, 1956 when the series again reverted to a once a week, thirty minute format. Bob Bailey continued in the lead, until "The Empty Threat Matter" of November 27, 1960, when the Hollywood run ended.  Get all of our shows at one website: WWW.BESTOF1001STORIES.COM  CALLING ALL FANS.. REVIEWS NEEDED FOR NEW SHOWS! REVIEWS NEEDED FOR NEW SHOWS!  SUPPORT OUR SHOW BY BECOMING A PATRON! www.patreon.com/1001storiesnetwork. Its time I started asking for support! Thank you. Its a few dollars a month OR a one time. (Any amount is appreciated).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bob Bailey, generally thought of as the most popular of the Johnny Dollars, brought a new interpretation to the character – tough, but not hard-boiled; streetwise, but not overly cynical, Bailey's Dollar was smart and gritty when he had to be. But Bailey's Johnny Dollar was also human. His character would get emotionally involved in a number of his cases. He had a streak of impatience, and would occasionally not fully listen to a witness and rush off on a tangent before realizing his mistake.   The weekday serialized episodes are generally acknowledged as some of the finest radio detective shows ever produced. There were fifty six multi-part shows in all: fifty four five-part shows, one six-part show, and one nine-part show. The serialized episodes continued until November 2, 1956 when the series again reverted to a once a week, thirty minute format. Bob Bailey continued in the lead, until "The Empty Threat Matter" of November 27, 1960, when the Hollywood run ended.  Get all of our shows at one website: WWW.BESTOF1001STORIES.COM   CALLING ALL FANS.. REVIEWS NEEDED FOR NEW SHOWS! REVIEWS NEEDED FOR NEW SHOWS!   SUPPORT OUR SHOW BY BECOMING A PATRON! www.patreon.com/1001storiesnetwork. Its time I started asking for support! Thank you. Its a few dollars a month OR a one time. (Any amount is appreciated). YOUR REVIEWS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS AT APPLE/ITUNES AND ALL ANDROID HOSTS ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED! LINKS BELOW...  

meBob Bailey, generally thought of as the most popular of the Johnny Dollars, brought a new interpretation to the character – tough, but not hard-boiled; streetwise, but not overly cynical, Bailey's Dollar was smart and gritty when he had to be. But Bailey's Johnny Dollar was also human. His character would get emotionally involved in a number of his cases. He had a streak of impatience, and would occasionally not fully listen to a witness and rush off on a tangent before realizing his mistake.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For over twelve years, from 1949 through 1962 (including a one year hiatus in 1954-1955), this series recounted the cases "the man with the action-packed expense account, America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Johnny Dollar". Johnny was an accomplished 'padder' of his expense account. The name of the show derives from the fact that he closed each show by totaling his expense account, and signing it "End of report... Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar". There were some unusual devices used in the show that help set it apart from other shows. There was no partner, assistant, or secretary for Johnny. The character closest to a continuing role was that of Pat McCracken of the Universal Adjustment Bureau, who assigned Johnny many of his cases. Another atypical aspect gave the show additional credibility – frequently, characters on the show would mention that they had heard about Johnny's cases on the radio. Johnny often used his time when filling out his expense accounts to give the audience background information or to express his thoughts about the current case.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On October 3, 1955, after a hiatus of over a year, the show came back with a vengeance. A new production team, including director/writer Jack Johnstone, a new star, Bob Bailey, from the radio series Let George Do It, and a new format would set the series apart from its competitors. Johnny's cases were now a continuing serial, five days a week, for fifteen minutes each evening. With 75 minutes of airtime, minus commercials and openings and closings, there was sufficient time to develop good storylines and interesting characters. During this time, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar attracted some of the best writers in Hollywood, including Jack Johnstone, E. Jack Neuman (using the pen name John Dawson), Robert Ryf, and Les Crutchfield. Bob Bailey also wrote a script while he was playing Johnny Dollar. He used the pen name Robert Bainter (Bainter was his middle name) as the scriptwriter for "The Carmen Kringle Matter", which was aired on Saturday, December 21, 1957 on the West Coast, and on the following day for the rest of the country. Bob Bailey, generally thought of as the most popular of the Johnny Dollars, brought a new interpretation to the character – tough, but not hard-boiled; streetwise, but not overly cynical, Bailey's Dollar was smart and gritty when he had to be. But Bailey's Johnny Dollar was also human. His character would get emotionally involved in a number of his cases. He had a streak of impatience, and would occasionally not fully listen to a witness and rush off on a tangent before realizing his mistake. The weekday serialized episodes are generally acknowledged as some of the finest radio detective shows ever produced. There were fifty six multi-part shows in all: fifty four five-part shows, one six-part show, and one nine-part show. The serialized episodes continued until November 2, 1956 when the series again reverted to a once a week, thirty minute format. Bob Bailey continued in the lead, until "The Empty Threat Matter" of November 27, 1960, when the Hollywood run ended. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Each story of the Bob Bailey years started with a phone call from an insurance executive, calling on Johnny to investigate an unusual claim. Each story required Johnny to travel to some distant locale, usually within the United States but sometimes abroad, where he was almost always threatened with personal danger in the course of his investigations. Johnny's file on each case was usually referenced as a "matter," as in "The Silver Blue Matter" or "The Forbes Matter". Later episodes were more fanciful, with titles like "The Wayward Trout Matter" and "The Price of Fame Matter" (the latter featuring a rare guest-star appearance by Vincent Price as himself). Johnny usually stuck to business, but would sometimes engage in romantic dalliances with women he encountered in his travels; later episodes gave Johnny a steady girlfriend, Betty Lewis.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Each story of the Bob Bailey years started with a phone call from an insurance executive, calling on Johnny to investigate an unusual claim. Each story required Johnny to travel to some distant locale, usually within the United States but sometimes abroad, where he was almost always threatened with personal danger in the course of his investigations. Johnny's file on each case was usually referenced as a "matter," as in "The Silver Blue Matter" or "The Forbes Matter". Later episodes were more fanciful, with titles like "The Wayward Trout Matter" and "The Price of Fame Matter" (the latter featuring a rare guest-star appearance by Vincent Price as himself). Johnny usually stuck to business, but would sometimes engage in romantic dalliances with women he encountered in his travels; later episodes gave Johnny a steady girlfriend, Betty Lewis.  Catch ALL of our shows at one place by going to WWW.BESTOF1001STORIES.COM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Each story of the Bob Bailey years started with a phone call from an insurance executive, calling on Johnny to investigate an unusual claim. Each story required Johnny to travel to some distant locale, usually within the United States but sometimes abroad, where he was almost always threatened with personal danger in the course of his investigations. Johnny's file on each case was usually referenced as a "matter," as in "The Silver Blue Matter" or "The Forbes Matter". Later episodes were more fanciful, with titles like "The Wayward Trout Matter" and "The Price of Fame Matter" (the latter featuring a rare guest-star appearance by Vincent Price as himself). Johnny usually stuck to business, but would sometimes engage in romantic dalliances with women he encountered in his travels; later episodes gave Johnny a steady girlfriend, Betty Lewis.  Catch ALL of our shows at one place by going to  www.bestof1001stories.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

THE LANSING FRAUD MATTER   In "The Lansing Fraud Matter" (1955), Johnny Dollar investigates a $50,000 life insurance policy for James Lansing, who died of malnutrition just two days after the policy was issued. Dollar discovers the deceased was a chronic alcoholic in poor health, proving that someone else took the medical exam to secure the policy for beneficiary Arlene Kennedy.    Each story of the Bob Bailey years started with a phone call from an insurance executive, calling on Johnny to investigate an unusual claim. Each story required Johnny to travel to some distant locale, usually within the United States but sometimes abroad, where he was almost always threatened with personal danger in the course of his investigations. Johnny's file on each case was usually referenced as a "matter," as in "The Silver Blue Matter" or "The Forbes Matter". Later episodes were more fanciful, with titles like "The Wayward Trout Matter" and "The Price of Fame Matter" (the latter featuring a rare guest-star appearance by Vincent Price as himself). Johnny usually stuck to business, but would sometimes engage in romantic dalliances with women he encountered in his travels; later episodes gave Johnny a steady girlfriend, Betty Lewis.  Catch ALL of our shows at one place by going to WWW.BESTOF1001STORIES.COM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ME  BROWSE ALL 1001 EPISODES HERE: WWW.BESTOF1001STORIES.COM  SUPPORT OUR SHOW BY BECOMING A PATRON!  www.patreon.com/1001storiesnetwork.  Its time I started asking for support! Thank you. Its a few dollars a month OR a one time. (Any amount is appreciated). YOUR REVIEWS  AND SUBSCRIPTIONS AT APPLE/ITUNES AND ALL ANDROID HOSTS ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar" (starring Bob Bailey) features intricate, fast-paced investigations. "The Confederate Coinage Matter" (1957) follows Johnny to the South to recover a rare, stolen $20,000 Civil War-era coin. "The Wayward Widow Matter" (1957) involves Johnny protecting an elderly widow transporting a mysterious item after her husband's death.    The assignment follows the highly suspicious death of her husband, adding a layer of danger to the task.    SUPPORT OUR SHOW BY BECOMING A PATRON!  www.patreon.com/1001storiesnetwork.  Its time I started asking for support! Thank you. Its a few dollars a month OR a one time. (Any amount is appreciated). YOUR REVIEWS  AND SUBSCRIPTIONS AT APPLE/ITUNES AND ALL ANDROID HOSTS ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED! LINKS BELOW... 

Each story of the Bailey years started with a phone call from an insurance executive, calling on Johnny to investigate an unusual claim. Each story required Johnny to travel to some distant locale, usually within the United States but sometimes abroad, where he was almost always threatened with personal danger in the course of his investigations. Johnny's file on each case was usually referenced as a "matter," as in "The Silver Blue Matter" or "The Forbes Matter". Later episodes were more fanciful, with titles like "The Wayward Trout Matter" and "The Price of Fame Matter" (the latter featuring a rare guest-star appearance by Vincent Price as himself). Johnny usually stuck to business, but would sometimes engage in romantic dalliances with women he encountered in his travels; later episodes gave Johnny a steady girlfriend, Betty Lewis. Johnny's precious recreational time was usually spent fishing, and it was not uncommon for Johnny's clients to exploit this favorite pastime in convincing him to take on a job near good fishing locations. His past was rarely mentioned, but Dollar in one episode described himself as a four-year US Marine veteran who then worked as a police officer for a decade before changing careers to insurance investigation. Each story was recounted in flashback, as Johnny listed each line item from his expense account. The episodes generally finished with Johnny tallying up his account and traveling back to Hwartford, CT, where he was based. Most of the expense account related to transportation, lodging, and meals and served to transition between scenes, but no incidental expense was too small for Johnny to itemize, as in "Item nine, 10 cents. Aspirin. I needed them."  YOUR REVIEWS AT APPLE/ITUNES ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED!  Catch ALL of our shows at one place by going to WWW.BESTOF1001STORIES.COM   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Each story of the Bailey years started with a phone call from an insurance executive, calling on Johnny to investigate an unusual claim. Each story required Johnny to travel to some distant locale, usually within the United States but sometimes abroad, where he was almost always threatened with personal danger in the course of his investigations. Johnny's file on each case was usually referenced as a "matter," as in "The Silver Blue Matter" or "The Forbes Matter". Later episodes were more fanciful, with titles like "The Wayward Trout Matter" and "The Price of Fame Matter" (the latter featuring a rare guest-star appearance by Vincent Price as himself). Johnny usually stuck to business, but would sometimes engage in romantic dalliances with women he encountered in his travels; later episodes gave Johnny a steady girlfriend, Betty Lewis. Johnny's precious recreational time was usually spent fishing, and it was not uncommon for Johnny's clients to exploit this favorite pastime in convincing him to take on a job near good fishing locations. His past was rarely mentioned, but Dollar in one episode described himself as a four-year US Marine veteran who then worked as a police officer for a decade before changing careers to insurance investigation. Each story was recounted in flashback, as Johnny listed each line item from his expense account. The episodes generally finished with Johnny tallying up his account and traveling back to Hwartford, CT, where he was based. Most of the expense account related to transportation, lodging, and meals and served to transition between scenes, but no incidental expense was too small for Johnny to itemize, as in "Item nine, 10 cents. Aspirin. I needed them."  YOUR REVIEWS AT APPLE/ITUNES ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED!  Catch ALL of our shows at one place by going to WWW.BESTOF1001STORIES.COM  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The action takes place in Montana when a murder is made to look like and accident and Johnny Dollar is sent in to investigate.   YOUR REVIEWS  AND SUBSCRIPTIONS AT APPLE/ITUNES AND ALL ANDROID HOSTS ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED! LINKS BELOW...  Catch ALL of our shows at one place by going to www.bestof1001stories.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

meAs originally conceived, Johnny Dollar was a smart, tough, wisecracking detective who tossed silver-dollar tips to waiters and bellhops. CBS Radio revived Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar in October 1955 with a new leading man, a new director, and a new format. The program changed from a 30-minute, one-episode-per-week program to a 15-minute, five-nights-a-week serial[2] (Monday through Friday, 8-8:15pm EST) produced and directed by radio veteran Jack Johnstone. The new Johnny Dollar was Bob Bailey, who had just come off another network detective series, Let George Do It. With a new lead and 75 minutes of air time each week, it became possible to develop each storyline with more detail and with more characters. Almost all of the Johnny Dollar serials were presented by CBS Radio on a sustaining basis (unsponsored, with no commercials); only two of the 55 serials take time out for a sponsor's message. Bob Bailey was exceptionally good in this format, making Johnny more sensitive and thoughtful in addition to his other attributes. Vintage-radio enthusiasts often endorse Bailey as the best of the Johnny Dollars, and   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices