Latest / Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas / Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Parley Barron Matter (EP1387)

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Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Parley Barron Matter (EP1387) · Great Detectives of Old Time Radio Volume 2|Mystery Audio Dramas

0:28
Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
0:33
is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, send it
0:37
to me Box thirteen at Greatdetectives dot net, follow us on Twitter at Radio
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Detectives, and become one of our friends on Facebook, Facebook dot com slash
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Radio Detectives. Before we do get started, I want to encourage you to
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be sure as you make your travel plans to remember Johnny Doollar air dot com.
1:00
Johnny Dollar air dot com is a price line affiliate, so you can
1:03
name your own price on hotels, rental cars, airline tickets and even more,
1:10
or choose from several great published faars. Plus, in addition to that,
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a portion of your purchase price will go to support the Great Detectors of
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Old Time Radio at no additional cost to you. So when you're making your
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travel plans, remember Johnnydollarair dot com. Well, now it's time for today's
1:30
episode of Yours truly, Johnny Dollar, and once again, and probably for
1:34
the last time for a while, we'll bring you an episode of Johnny Dollar
1:38
that hasn't been in circulation till recently. So from June the twenty third of
1:45
nineteen fifty seven. Here now is the Parley Baron Matter from Hollywood. It's
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time now for Johnny Dollar. Earl Forman Johnny in Sarasota, that's right,
2:01
Florida. Where else? Well, hi, earl, how are things in
2:06
the land of Infernal sunshine? Infernal's got pretty hot down there these days,
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isn't it. Yeah? But without a case to work on, what possible
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excuse would I have? Maybe I have one for you. Oh yeah,
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and maybe it's murder, Earl. I'll be down on the next plane.
2:30
Bob Bailey and the Exciting Adventures of the Man with the action packed expens of
2:36
cod America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator ohs truly Johnny Dollar expense accounts of it and
2:55
by special Investigator Johnny Dollar to try to State Life and Casualty Company Branch Office,
3:00
Sarasota, Florida. Following is an account of expenses incurred during my investigation
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of the Parley Baron Matter. Expense cont out of one one hundred and thirty
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one fifty transportation and incidentals to Sarasota, Florida. Knowing ear Old Poorman and
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I didn't bother checking into a hotel, but instead took a cab to his
3:20
office in the Conroy Building. Tall, lanky, easy going, he welcomed
3:23
me like a long lost brother. Oh Johnny, you're looking great, and
3:28
I'm glad you're here because you can clear up this case in a hurry,
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and then you and I can get out in the gulf and do some real
3:32
serious fish. Oh well, that's okay by me. Here our last trift
3:36
out here. You remember, they weren't biting so good. But oh Johnny,
3:38
so help me now that. Oh I see you've got your bags with
3:42
you. Oh yeah, good, because you're going to stay with us out
3:45
the house. Now. I'm not going to take any argument. I told
3:47
that old batle ax, I'm married too to hang out at Extra Dowel for
3:51
you hours. Oh she's great, just great. I never did understand how
3:54
I was lucky enough to grab that Dame Gollie. Oh well, no,
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I think maybe she kind of cares for you too. Were women show funny
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taste sometimes? Hey, maybe they will also go fishing with it, Mike.
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Yeah, anything over ten pounds it pull her right out of the boat.
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But now what, she's been getting pretty good with the Roden reed.
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Look, when you're this fishing talk is just making my mouth water. First,
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I we better discuss, I know, once I get started on fishing.
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Right now, let's get down to cases, all right, If ewans
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I sick, okay, I'm just trying to stall off having to it.
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You know where Lido Key is, well Lido, yeah, mile or so
4:32
off shore, just beyond Saint Armine's Key where we live. Oh, yes,
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sure. Well a client of mine is a man I've known for years.
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He retired, bought himself a piece of property there, built a nice
4:42
little home on it. His name is Partly Baron. So well I've handled
4:46
all his insurance for him, including a straight life at fifty thousand benefishary.
4:50
His wife Flora Baron, And what's happened to him? Well, Friday morning,
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now it's the day before yesterday. He left the house just to do
5:00
some errands. Yeah, well, he hadn't got back home by about five
5:04
pm, and his wife started calling around trying to find out where he was,
5:06
and nobody seemed to know. So finally she put in a call to
5:11
the police. Who was your man there, Sergeant Harry Brackett, Oh,
5:14
I remember him? Go on. Well, then around seven pm they found
5:18
Baron's car found it parked down by one of the fishing docks. But no
5:23
sign of him, not a sign, not then or since? Are he
5:26
going out fishing? Police questioned everybody, the boat owners, all the boat
5:29
delivered, everybody. Old will Bright runs the dock where the car was parked.
5:32
He was closed up, sign on the door saying he had gone up
5:35
to Gainesville. Well, could Baron have had any reason to disappear? Oh?
5:40
No, well not that anyone knows. Of what kind of a person
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is his wife? No, she's very sweet, Joy, she's a bit
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of a bore. Oh, they doted on each other, all right?
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How about enemies? Parley Baron? Never sweet old guy. I sure hope
5:58
you can find him, that he's still alive. I'm afraid I doubt it.
6:03
Well, so far you've given me no reason to believe he's dead.
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It's just a feeling, I guess, and I don't like it. Well,
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what else can you tell me, Earl? Nothing? Really? Then
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maybe i'd better talk to missus Baron and to the police. Yeah, yeah,
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oh, here you take my car. Oh thanks, it's the new
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air conditioned cat out in back of the building. What do you do?
6:23
Oh, Michael picked me up. We'll see you at the hospital dinner.
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Well, that may depend on what I find out in the meantime. Whenever
6:29
you're ready, there's food and there's a bed waiting for you. And I
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hope you well. I just hope you find Parley Baron. Pretty good friend
6:39
of yours, isn't Oh yeah, Johnny, he was. Earl seems so
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sure that Baron was dead. I was pretty down in the mouth about it.
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But I wondered, did he know something about the old man that he
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hadn't told me? I didn't see, my Earl. He gave the Baron's
7:00
address on Lido Key, and I drove out there. Laura Baron was a
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fragile, gray haired, little old lady, wearing steel rimmed spectacles and with
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well with almost a sanctimonious air about her. She sat primly, properly straight
7:13
in her chair as we talked, a Bible in her hand. Then,
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mister Earl Pullman has told you as much as any of us knows. Mister
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Doner, I see, but even the smallest bit of information may hold the
7:24
key to finding your husband. Only prayer can help us now, mister Dollar,
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or help him if he's gone to the great beyond. How well,
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tell me how is he dressed on Friday morning when you last saw him as
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you see him in the picture there on the table, in old gray pants
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and a rather tattered sportshirt and that old straw hat. That shirt is blue.
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Yes, he was so happy the day that picture was taken. He
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just finished making an addition to our dock with his own two hands. He
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was so proud. Now, yes, I'm sorry. He'd hope to get
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his own little boat too, for fishing. He loved to fish. So
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yes, well tell me, please, do you know of anyone who might
8:03
have wanted to harm your husband? Oh? Dear, no, no,
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mister dollar. And you'd had no argument or disagreement with him before he left
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here that morning. We had had no disagreement even about little things in forty
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one years of blessed marriage, not even about his work. I see what
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did he do before he returned? Missus? Way, I had hoped you
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wouldn't ask that, because I've always felt that the Good Lord wouldn't approve of
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his work. I'm a very religious woman, mister Dolla. And as I
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say, in forty one years, we never questioned one another's thoughts or actions
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but what was your husband's work? I won't say that it was sinful,
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because he wasn't a sinful man. Parley was a good man, and many
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times he made it plain that his work helped to save lives too, and
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I accepted it because he felt he was doing right. Or you still haven't
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told me, missus Barron, always deep in my heart, mister yes,
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have you thought that perhaps it may have been the intercession of divine providence that
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has taken Parley from us? H No, but you must consider it,
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mustn't you? Because the workings of the power that guides our destinies, our
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birth and our miss they are sometimes too mysterious for us mortals fully to comprehend,
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much less question. And so if my beloved Parley has been taken from
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us for some divine purpose, or for something he might have done unknowing that
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was not in accord with the Supreme, Miss Baron, I'm sorry, but
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I would like to know what your husband's work was. I know, and
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perhaps it was my humble mission on earth, the cross I had to bear
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to guide him away from it. To chemicals. He was a chemist,
9:52
mister Dollar. Explosives. Explosives, yes, heaven, please forgive me for
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not having led him into some other where did work Tampa deframe chemical corporation,
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explosive things to kill in defiance of the almighties purpose that we love one another?
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How long ago was this? He retired in nineteen fifty one, and
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since then here in Sarasota, and to keep himself occupied, Oh, this
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lovely home of ours, and his fishing, though he never caught anything.
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I never caught anything, mister Dalla. Do you suppose that that was some
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retribution for the work he had done so long for some era in his living
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or thinking? Well, well, who knows? Of course, yes,
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who knows. But we should consider it, shouldn't we. Where did he
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do his fishing? He never told me, but he left her almost every
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day to try his skill, and always he came home empty handed. Well,
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thanks, miss Baron, I'm sorry to have had to ask you so
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many questions. It's all right, mister dolland my faith will sustain me through
11:07
this audio, I'm sure it will. Thanks again. Here you must take
11:11
some of these pamphlets with them. Oh, any aid piety of the mind
11:18
is good for all of us. Yes, well, thanks, The inspired
11:20
word may help us all. Oh sure? Sure, thanks, thanks very
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much. I like to think that on the whole, I well, maybe
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I'm not too religious in the sense of going to church regularly and that sort
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of thing, but at least I try to live a decent sort of life
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and observe the Golden rule and stick to some ideals. But in an atmosphere
11:45
like that, and I couldn't help wondering if her husband didn't have good reason
11:50
for wanting to get away for a while. In any event, I'd got
11:52
nowhere on the case, so I phoned Sergeant Harry Brackett's it. I'm two
11:56
ten cents, but the desk at headquarters said he wouldn't be back until about
11:58
six, And since I really had nothing to go on until I could see
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him, I dropped in on early. Again, you're kidding, and we'll
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take the boat, run out into the golf and get some fish for dinner.
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It's the best time. So who was I to refuse? And within
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the hour we were fighting the time through the pants between leado and long boat
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keys on our way along into the Gulf, and Johnny, I'd find I
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always have my best luck along about this time of day, just before sundime,
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I still got to be back there working. Why Sergeant Brackett will be
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back at headquarters until six o'clock. You told me yourself. Now what can
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you do until you talk to and find out what leads he may have?
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Oh, man, you are a funny one. You call me long distance
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to get down in a hurry, then insist I go fishing instead of working.
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I'll want you and a fishing is the answer to more problems anything else
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in the world. You got worries, go fishing. You'll forget him?
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Got a nagging wife. Oh I'll have my key. You say, well,
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she's different, cute little shrimp, but you know what I mean.
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A rider he wants ide is he goes fishing? A businessman, a detective?
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Uh, I go ahead and say it an insurance? Say sure,
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I'll bet them more than once. When you've been stumped in a case,
13:00
why if you would just relax your mind by going out somewhere and wedding a
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line. I wish you were that easy, And so far as this matter
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is concerned, I haven't even got started on it. Well, relax anyway.
13:09
Who knows. Maybe the answer to what's happened to poor old Parley Baron
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will will just come to you. Yes, for sure, sure instead of
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you, chase man. Yeah, I'm ahead just to the right there where
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Oh yeah, somebody's old beat up straw hat, and a little further something
13:28
that tied will carry that skimmer right smack into the and if a fellow had
13:33
lost him knows further over to the right, what is that floating there?
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I don't know. Well, it looks like, oh, good lord,
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Johnny, it's a body. Joy, we'll drift over to us. It's
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a body, all right. And that straw hat looks exactly like one I
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saw in a picture this afternoon. Here, I got it. Can you
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reach him? I mean, yeah, yeah, good boy? All right,
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now let's see. Oh is it yeah? Are you sure? Oh?
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Yeah, yeah, Johnny, it's poor old Parley Baron BacT two of
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yours, truly, Johnny Dollar in a moment. Everyone loves kids, and
14:37
every kid loves candy. American servicemen have heard the tearful cries for candy in
14:43
most parts of the world, in Europe and the Far East during World War
14:48
II and after, and there's never seemed to be enough candy to go around.
14:54
Or more than a dozen years ago, during the Berlin Airlift, an
14:58
Air Force lieutenant from the Uni States discovered he had no candy to offer some
15:03
German children. However, he promised to drop them some candy the next day
15:07
as he came in for a landing. Improvising a parachute out of his handkerchief,
15:13
Lieutenant Gail Halverson dropped the candy bars the next day as he had promised.
15:18
This idea caught on among other Air Force men in the airlift, and
15:24
that's how Operation Little Victuals began. The idea spread far and wide, and
15:30
soon military personnel, civilians, business firms began to aid the goodwill program by
15:37
supplying candy and handkerchiefs time after time. As the sleek cargo planes of the
15:43
United States Air Force swooped low over the landing field, a shower of little
15:46
bundles of suits dotted the skies. Their tiny parachutes carried them safely to the
15:52
ground, and the hungry German children gathered up these bundles of mercy which the
15:58
Communists try to keep from them. The men of the United States Air Force
16:03
did a great job satisfying a lot of appetites, but they did more by
16:08
a wonderful sense of understanding. They nourished the cause of freedom, the right
16:14
of all men and children everywhere, no act two of yours, truly,
16:19
Johnny Dollar and the Parley Baron matter. Two days exposure to the elements and
16:34
the creatures of the sea had made almost unrecognizable the body that Earl Porman and
16:38
I found floating in the Gulf of Mexico off Sarasota, Florida. But Earl
16:42
was certain it was the remains of old Parley Baron, who had disappeared two
16:45
days before. The men on Judiett police had quot Us confirmed the identification and
16:49
placed the body in the morgue to await the autopsy surgeon. Want a haunch,
16:53
I asked Earl to drive me over to will Bright's boat dock, where
16:56
a Baron's carb and left part because I could just finished chilling the police over
17:00
the telephone. I wasn't here when poor old Baron come for his boat on
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Friday. Oh what a shame, such a nice old man. Why were
17:07
you, mister Bryan. I was up to Gainesville picking up some fishing tackle
17:10
from a whole shale. Well, then mister Baron must have got a boat
17:11
from someone else that morning. Oh no, no, no shirt no,
17:14
no, sir, why not, mister Bryan. Oh, he never took
17:18
out a boat from anybody else but me his own boat. At least,
17:21
it was the one I kept set aside for him, and that's what kind
17:23
of pleasured me. Mister Dollars. Well, you see, when I come
17:27
back to your Saturday night, his boat was right here at the top,
17:30
but it weren't tied up in that usual spot we're always tied up. Somebody
17:34
had moted and it weren't my help. Repeat, Oh, Johnny, that
17:37
means he may have taken it out, but whoever did and then returned it?
17:41
Possibly mister Bright, which one is his boat? Right here? I'll
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show you. I always give him the same one, never let nobody else
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use it. That's why he kept his fishing tackle just laying in it,
17:52
always ready to use. Here. Yeah, I see, I've heard he
17:56
wasn't a very good fisherman. No, no, he never brought in the
17:59
thing. Of course. Maybe he was a soft heart that he put back
18:02
everything he caught, or maybe his daily excursions were just to get away from
18:06
his wife. Mister Bright. Now don't you see nothing against her? Mystery?
18:08
Maybe she is a little touched on religion? So she tries a different
18:11
kind every couple of months. But she's a fine woman, just like he
18:15
was a fine man. And everybody knows it. Yeah, the whole town.
18:21
Excuse me, what are you looking for, Johnny ear I just noticed
18:26
something about this tackle lying in the boat. Mm hmm, Well come on,
18:34
thanks a lot, mister Brighton. I can tell you what I think
18:37
might have happened maybe later. Thanks. Well, what did you What did
18:42
you find there, John Earl? Did partly Baron ever go fishing with you?
18:45
You were good friends? No, No, he always wanted to go
18:48
out along. Yeah, but not to fish. Huh. That tackle box
18:52
hasn't been moved in months. The paint is still dark under it, and
18:55
that real I can hardly turn it. Well, then what, I don't
18:57
know what? But Baron was using that boat every day for something besides fishing.
19:03
Any ideas? You know him pretty well, have you, No,
19:07
let's get over to the headquarters. Earl felt you ought to go back to
19:14
his office where his wife, Mike had promised to pick him up. So
19:15
I borrowed his car again and went over to the headquarters along Sergeant Harry Brackett.
19:19
Was a sign that the case had returned. It was on the phone
19:22
when I walked in on him. He gets back to town, missus Dana,
19:25
So please have him call me immediately William, Yes, ma'am, thank
19:30
you, yes, so woket Johnny, Hi, Harry Johnny. I'm sure
19:34
glad you here. I got a real mixed up case on my Parlie Baron.
19:38
Well you know about it. That's why I came to Sarasota. Earl
19:41
Portman called me. It found out anything, not the much of you.
19:45
Only words here the autopsy report. What's in that? Harry DX Snowdon says
19:49
that Parley Baron was dead before he would put into the water out there and
19:52
to go, oh, no water in the lung. You see what I
19:56
mean? He probably means murder anybody this No, not Jed. Why not?
20:03
I don't know. Maybe because I just can't figure anybody in the world
20:06
would want to kill party Baron. Did you talk with will Bright down at
20:08
the boat dark just before you came in. You know, it sounds like
20:11
somebody went with Baron in his skiff that morning, killed him, jumped him
20:15
over the side, and then brought the boat back along, doesn't it.
20:17
Except for one thing? Pete Marin a little kid who plays around Bright's dock
20:22
all the time. He's sort of a self appointed kid taker when Bright isn't
20:25
there. What about him? Well, Peter saw mister Barron take off in
20:27
his skiff Friday morning alone, but he didn't see him come back. Pete
20:32
went home for lunch. When he got back to the Doc skiff was in
20:34
Uh huh? Then whoever did it met him out of the water somewhere,
20:38
maybe several people so that one of them could return the skiff be taking an
20:41
awful change, would it? What do you mean? Doc's in pretty isolated
20:45
spottle right, but the killer showing up in Baron's skiff without the old man
20:48
lung that's too much of a change. Oh else could it be returned?
20:52
Tired Little Pete says it. When he got back to Doctor skiff was there
20:56
right, but not as usually play? So Will Bright mentioned and tied up
21:00
there just sitting there. Oh then you met untired, No, I met
21:03
tied. When the tides rising, it floats everything from the pass between Ledo
21:07
and longboat Keys right up the Will's dock. You think the boat just floated
21:11
back by itself. You got a bad idea, Harry, Yeah, are
21:17
you sure it was Baron's body we picked up out there. After all,
21:19
the fish and what not disfigured it pretty badly. Honey. I've known him
21:22
for years and didn't Herrol Pullman recognize him immediately? Yeah, and the clothes
21:27
he was wearing his own straw hat. Well, if you checked on this
21:30
dental work things like that. Waiting now for doctor Dana. He was his
21:33
dentist to get back there. You know, that's a funny thing. Why
21:37
I called Dana the minute that body was brought in. Had to all teeth
21:40
about as solid identification as you can get. Oh, I thought you were
21:42
sure anyway. Well, I wanted to be doubly sure anyhow, And Dana
21:45
didn't get it right away. I called him again. I got his wife
21:49
on the phone. According to her, he suddenly left for Tampa urgent call
21:53
or something. We're in Tampa. She didn't know, at least she wouldn't
21:56
say. But it seems kind of fishy to me. Well, it may
22:00
just be the one of his patients, Danier, that's right, the man
22:03
who got so much publicity about atomic radiation studies, effects on the teeth and
22:07
so on. That's what's matter, Jenny. When you're stumped on the case.
22:14
Is there a pullman? Go fishing? We did, We found a
22:15
body. Were getting that me. When I'm stumped, I play my hunches,
22:18
no matter how crazy they may seem. And the hunch I have right
22:22
now, man, is the craziest. I'll see you later. I learned
22:29
a long time ago in this business, when you got a hunch on the
22:30
line, you played for all it's worth. I had them three ten cents
22:34
for a phone call from a booth in the drug store just around the corner.
22:40
Hello, Hello, missus Danny. Yes, this is missus Dan.
22:44
My name is Lark and Missus dannaer from the Federal Bureau Bureau. That's right,
22:49
So you can see why it's important you say nothing to anyone about this
22:52
call. Can I be sure? I'm simply checking to make sure your husband
22:56
has followed instruction? Oh, I see, has he left for Tampa?
23:00
Why? Yes, the minute he got the phone call, did he tell
23:03
you who called? Well? No, but I did hear him mention the
23:07
name du Frame do Frank? Yes, only he didn't know. I hated.
23:12
Oh, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it. Just be sure you don't
23:15
mention it to anyone else. Goodbye. It'd him four three ninety at the
23:23
sight of the flying red horse and the way to Tampa. At least I
23:26
could do for the use of Earl's car was filled the gas tank on expensive
23:29
counter. Of course, the FBI gig had worked before, so I used
23:34
it again to blow my way through the gate of to fran Chemical Corporation and
23:37
to the office suite of Dufray himself. I wasn't all surprised to see activity
23:41
in the suite despite the late hour. Are yes, that's right, FBI.
23:48
Which is the door to mister Dufrain's office. Well, I'm afraid he
23:51
had some people with him, Syria. What did you say your name?
23:52
Never mind? Is this the door? Come in, mister Dollar, come
23:57
in. Oh, I'm on dufrayin. This is doctor Dana, and this
24:03
is mister maclachlin of the Federal Bureau. I have been expecting him. Oh,
24:07
have you sit down, Donna. I guess this is your show now
24:11
MacLachlan. My credentials, mister Dollan. First, I suppose I should prefer
24:18
charges against you for impersonating a member of the Bureau. Yeah, well,
24:22
I can hardly say that I blame you, though under the circumstances. Incidentally,
24:26
a man and Sarah Soola said, quite a time keeping track of you.
24:30
You mean there was a tail on me from the moment you arrived.
24:33
No kidding, We didn't dare take the chance that you might upset things for
24:37
us. After all, you have a reputation for being pretty sharp. We
24:41
should have anticipated that you might be called in on the case. But though
24:44
we plan things very carefully, we share, we say, overlooked you even
24:49
as we almost slipped up with doctor Dana here, who would identify that body?
24:53
Look, will you please tell me what this is all about? A
24:56
man named Porman called you in Hartford and asked that you come here investigate the
25:00
disappearance of his old friend and client, Parley Baron. Man, that's right
25:03
now? Where is he? What happened to Baron? You know we do,
25:07
and we were afraid you might find out and let the shall we say,
25:10
cat out of the bag. That is why we were all ready to
25:12
send for you to come here. But how as it turned out, she
25:15
came over yourself, mister mclie. Carley Baron, by the way, mister
25:18
Dollar is all right, alive, healthy and happy. Then that body we
25:22
picked up dressed in his clothes. During the last War, mister Baron,
25:26
as a research chemist, made vitally important contributions to our or shall we say
25:32
national security. He was too valuable a man to lose, even though his
25:36
wife objected to his work for religious reasons. Yeah, I gathered that from
25:41
talking to her, or perhaps you even thought she might somehow be implicated in
25:45
his disappearance. The thought certainly added my mind. Well, in any event,
25:48
so that he could continue to have a happy home and at the same
25:52
time carry on his tremendously important work, we arranged for the little deception that
25:56
has been going on for some years now, his so called daily that's right,
26:00
but each morning in a small hidden cove I needn't tell you where he
26:04
was picked up and brought here to Tampa to carry on his work. Well,
26:08
I'll be done. No one was the wiser, even our shall we
26:11
say competitor nations in atomic and missile research, who were bound to keep tabs
26:17
on such a man. They knew only that he was working for the Defrain
26:21
Chemical Corporation and didn't know that well, we must suppose so. International espionage
26:26
is pretty well organized these days. But now this disappearance before changes in plans
26:33
for nuclear developments had made it mandatory that he spent some time in well elsewhere,
26:41
or shall we say, somewhere in New Mexico something like that. So
26:45
to openly send him there would have indicated to our competitors what these new developments
26:48
could be that had to be avoided at any cost. Therefore, the plan
26:52
for his disappearance was carefully worked out and carried out. Then whose body was
26:57
it? We picked up some poor unidentified old derelict who was on his way
27:02
to Potter's Field? I see, I see, well, believe me.
27:07
If the bureau functions necessarily and everything it does, we try. But what
27:11
about missus Baron? Oh shere Baron. We of course made sure of that
27:15
in the beginning. And then when her dear husband does return, when his
27:21
work is finished, and of course that'll be too late for our friends across
27:25
the sea to catch up with us, and we've worked out a completely plausible
27:29
story to cover his absence. Oh, I'm sure you have now. Doctor
27:32
Dana here will return to Sarasoda in the morning. He will confirm identification of
27:34
the body that was fished from the sea with only a sufficient reservation to protect
27:40
his professional reputation when Parley Baron reappears. All right, I what an insurance
27:45
claim has filed on? Well, I'm sure missus Barron won't file for some
27:48
time unless urged too by your friend Porman. Oh, I can't prevent that
27:52
without telling him anything. That's fine. What's more with the pension that some
27:56
companies have for shall we say slow action on PLAYE want? Don't let them
28:02
hear you say that? Well, Baron, we'll be back before you need
28:04
to worry about it. Ah? Is that okay with you? Mister Donar?
28:11
Shall we say okay? And once more? I tip my hat to
28:15
the FBI expense account total including plain fair and incidentals back to Hartford four hundred
28:26
and twenty one dollars fifty cents remarks For obvious reasons, I have used fictitious
28:32
names throughout this report, and of course delayed filing it until obtaining official clearance.
28:37
Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Now here's our star to tell you about
28:53
next week's story. Next week, A strange old character, the most beautiful
28:59
girl I've ever met, and money all over the place counterfeit. Join us,
29:03
won't you? Yours truly, Johnny Dollar, Yours Truly Johnny Dollars,
29:14
starring Bob Bailey, originates in Hollywood. It is produced and directed by Jack
29:18
Johnstone, who also wrote Tonight's story. Heard in our cast were Virginia Gregg,
29:22
Jeanette Nolan, will Write, Barney Phillips, Lawrence Dobkins, Stacy Harris,
29:26
and Harry Bartel. Musical supervision is by Amrico Marino. Be sure to
29:32
join us next week, same time and station for another exciting story of Yours
29:37
Truly, Johnny Dollar. This is Dan cobberly speaking. Johnny Dollar has come
30:11
to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces radio and television
30:15
servants. Welcome back. Well, a few things to comment here on,
31:33
of course. Obviously, Parley Bearon was a play on Harley bear the great
31:42
character actor who appeared in so many episodes of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar,
31:48
not to mention a host of other radio old time programs. Also, Sarasota
31:56
has a big place in the whole world world of Bob Bailey's Johnny Doller.
32:01
A total of ten episodes during the Bailey era were set in Sarasota, which
32:08
is actually even more than Lake Mohavey, which is generally considered a more iconic
32:15
Johnny Dollar a hangout. This was, of course, Johnny's second visit to
32:21
Sarasota, and once again we see Jack Johnstone's love of continuity at play.
32:28
And of course this is a Johnstone script, and I think I can say,
32:32
without being incredibly harsh, that Johnstone when it came to writing, really
32:40
did not do a whole lot when it came to being a mystery writer.
32:47
Usually the Jack Johnstone scripts would have something else going for him, either humor
32:57
or emotion, or just something that really catches our attention. And it's all
33:02
of these other things that catches our attention leading right up to the FBI led
33:09
solution. And even that's got a nice touch to it because you have Stacy
33:15
Harris playing an FBI agent, and that was Harris's most famous on air role,
33:22
that role in This is your FBI. Of course, I have to
33:25
admit I'm a little dubious about the FBI's plan here. Seriously, the best
33:31
plan you can think of is to fake the guy's death to get him to
33:37
New Mexico. And certainly that'll present some long term problems because your competitors,
33:43
if they had their eye on Parley bearon before are certainly going to have it
33:47
on there. Even more so the whole let's go ahead and fake his death
33:53
thing is probably one of those plans that should be saved for last resort.
34:00
At any rate, that's the story kind of interesting to the whole idea.
34:05
You know, last couple of weeks we had Johnny with an insurance agent who
34:09
loves baseball, now has got one who loves fishing. Kind of makes the
34:15
insurance industry seem like if I'm place to work. But at any rate,
34:20
we turn now to listener comments and feedback, and from we have an email
34:29
from Wally in Wancelot, New Hampshire in regards to Johnny Dahler. You recently
34:37
talked about lost episodes and finding lost episodes. So where does one find these
34:42
episodes? Where do they turne up? I'm assuming they were all originally recorded
34:45
and stored on tape and archives somewhere in the bowels of the studio, so
34:51
that's the source one way or another. Do the original still exist? I'm
34:54
assuming that what we listen to are copies of these and guessing perhaps copies of
34:59
cop these, etc. Done mostly or exclusively by listeners from broadcast even today
35:05
a few people have a real to real recorder. In the fifties, that
35:07
would be quite rare. So when you find these lost episodes, where do
35:13
you find them? Studios typically archives source materials carefully, but on count of
35:17
changes of locations, new facilities, they are lost misplaced. I'm wondering if
35:24
there are complete sets of Johnny Dollar original tape sitting in some dusty, forgotten
35:29
back warehouse in Hollywood. Maybe it's for you to do some detective work on
35:34
your own, such as a black box operation from Boyse Heat Hollywood. Is
35:38
there a Johnny Dollar episode the missing tapes matter in the future. Well,
35:44
thanks so much for the email, Wally, and I should clarify these are
35:49
episodes that were newly discovered, but not necessarily by me. I would like
35:53
to be able to be one of those people who hunts down these lost episodes
36:00
proactively, but these are the works of a lot of people, and where
36:06
lost episodes turn up the Let me just go ahead and go back a bit.
36:12
Where what are we listening to? It's not always real to real,
36:16
particularly not with most of the episodes of Johnny dall Or we've been hearing.
36:22
Those are going to generally be a lot less quality. If you're listening to
36:28
a real to reel tape, the what we are listening to is most likely
36:34
from an original transcription disc, and those still do exist, particularly with some
36:42
of those that have come forward with the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service and
36:47
what often happened when you think about the golden age of radio, most of
36:52
this stuff was not intended for reuse. Programs were recorded on transcription disc but
36:59
it was expected that the transcription disc would be junked, and in most cases
37:06
it was, but some people, whether it was broadcasters, they went ahead
37:10
and they saved them. You do have some on air recordings and in terms
37:17
and so the actual transcription discs still do exist in pretty good number, certainly
37:25
not complete sets, but more than you would think exist. And there are
37:30
people who actually have machines that can play these transcription discs and that can copy
37:37
them over. As to where they come from, there are a variety of
37:42
sources. A few years back, there was a story in the news where
37:47
several thousand old Armed Forces Radio and Television Service real to real disc were found
37:55
at a warehouse in California. When you're talking about Johnny doll Or, one
38:02
of the great ways that this was uh that Johnny Dollar survived is through so
38:08
many of these a f RTS programs and the reason you know, they were
38:14
sent all around the world. Uh So there's plenty of hope that there are
38:20
discs that are out there. And of course, you know on air recordings
38:23
still work. You also see estate sales. There were a lot of people
38:30
who would collect these. You know, the studios would at individual stations would
38:37
store these tapes and they would actually you know, they would be throwing them
38:44
out and people would buy them or what have you. And that's where these
38:50
came from. You do have some of these on air recordings. You also
38:52
do have quite a few copies of copies. When you hear some digit generation
39:00
in the recording, that's often at work. But there are original recordings and
39:04
I think that's probably going to be the majority of what are going to come
39:08
out. There. Is there a whole set of Johnny Dollar somewhere? I
39:13
would like to think so that somewhere there is one. Particularly when you think
39:16
about the Armed Forces Radio and Television service, they head stations in all sorts
39:23
of parts of the world, and there were places where you just could not
39:28
watch television for whatever reason, and so they would send the transcription disc in
39:32
and people could listen to the program on the radio. And it's sad that
39:37
there's not a greater hunt going on, though there are people who are doing
39:42
everything that can, particularly old time radio researchers, to uncover lost episodes of
39:49
the golden age of radio, to preserve it, to digitize it and get
39:52
it out to folks. It's just not as commercially viable as some other programming.
39:59
There's actually a gentleman of some means who's been going across Africa the last
40:05
few years to reclaim any episodes of nineteen sixties British television, including Doctor Who.
40:14
And it would be wonderful to see a radio hunt of the same way
40:19
to old American radio military basis, but it just has not had quite that
40:28
interest. But we'll keep you posted and look for new episodes to emerge.
40:31
Now on to some further listener comments, and we have and then we have
40:37
a listener comment from Tera who says on Facebook, Okay, I'm just going
40:43
to say it. Occasionally Adam will reach into the range of don Knots.
40:47
You know, if don Knotts don't know he had a hint of a southern
40:53
twang. I bet he could do a heck of an invitation if he really
40:58
tried. Anybody else hear that well, Tara, thanks so much for the
41:02
comment. There are worse comparisons to don Knotz and I have this thing.
41:07
It's probably a bad verbal habit, but my voice will kind of just change
41:15
pitches I go without me actually thinking about it. So I'm not going to
41:20
tell you to nip the don Knotts comparisons in the bud. I did actually
41:28
try to, and I couldn't for the life of me. Probably my only
41:31
hope of actually bringing out my inner don k Notts is not to try to
41:36
do it. Well, that'll do it for today. We will be back
41:38
tomorrow with dragging that Join us back here next Saturday for or next Friday.
41:43
Excuse me for another episode of Yours Truly, Johnny Doller. In the meanwhile,
41:47
send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detactives dot now, follow us
41:52
on Twitter at Radio Detactives, and become one of our friends on Facebook,
41:55
Facebook dot com. Slash Radio Detectives from Boise Aldohol. This as your host,
42:00
Adam Grahamson and off