Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar

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Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was a radio drama about a freelance insurance investigator that aired from February 11, 1949 to September 30, 1962 on CBS. There were 811 episodes in the 12-year run, and over 720 still exist today.

Charles Russell was the first to star as Johnny Dollar, the smart and tough detective, who would toss silver dollars as tips to bellhops. With the first three actors to play Johnny Dollar there was little to distinguish it from other detective series' at the time (Richard Diamond, Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade); however, after a year-long break (Aug 54 to Aug 55), the show changed from a 30-minute, one-episode-per-week affair to a bigger 15-minute, five-nights-a-week series. Image:Jdollar.jpg This also introduced the most successful Johnny Dollar in Bob Bailey, who had just come off another large detective series in Let George Do It. With a new lead and now 75 minutes of air time (minus commercials), there was more time to develop good storylines and more interesting characters.

The episodes usually started with a phone call from an insurance agent, calling on Johnny to investigate an unusual claim. The story is recounted as Johnny lists each line item from his "action-packed expense account".

The episodes generally finished with Johnny tallying up his account and travelling back to Hartford, Connecticut, where he was based.

The final episodes of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar and Suspense, airing on CBS, are often used to mark the end of the Golden Age of Radio. The last episode of Johnny Dollar ended at 6:40 pm Eastern Time on September 30, 1962.

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