Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
to me Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot net. Follow us on Twitter at
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which, after its annual December hiatus, is going to be back according on
the weekend of January twelfth to the fourteenth, and we are going to be
continuing for the next few months to play episodes of Dangerous Assignment and US Marshall.
But we have some exciting things planned for the year ahead, and you
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So now we're going to get into this week's Yours truly Johnny Doller Cereal.
As usual, we will be playing the first two episodes today, the
remainder on Friday, So if you're minded to listen to the complete serial together,
hit the pause button and then come back on Friday to listen to the
rest. So here from August sixth and August seventh, nineteen fifty six is
The Alder Matter, episodes one and two from Hollywood. It's time now for
Johnny Dollar Vig Kelly, Johnny Worldwide Mutual. How's your Spanish? See?
Senor mother told me there be days like this one egg and your beer.
I gotta be a linguist, yet you may have to be a lot more
than that to one scramble this one. Tell me about it? Oh,
price is still the same, though, Get on over here, will you?
Sure? But give me a little hint. I'd like to start worrying
early, all right, try this William Billy Alder, the promoter world's number
one salesman. I'll be again, down again, older, the same,
and at this point he's up up to his ears and ven'z o whale and
oil. We're carrying a quarter of a million life on him. Oooh,
I'd settle for the premiums VIC. How come you're worrying. You'd worry too
carrying coverage in size, especially with Alder behaving like he is, like like
changing his beneficiary five times in a month. What would you say? That
means? Means I'll be right over tonight and every weekday night. Bob Bailey
in the t Frandscribe Adventures of the Man with the Action Packed Expense Account America's
Fabulous Freelance Insurance Investigator as true Johnny Dollar from Special Investigator Johnny Dollar to the
home office Worldwide Mutual Insurance Company, Hartford, Connecticut. The following is an
accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Alder Matter expense account adeam one a
dollar thirty five the price of being taxi to Vic Kelly's office at Worldwide Mutual
for a normally easygoing fellow, Mister Kay had a bad case of How did
I ever get into this? Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars? That's a
big policy, big. You look like the claims already been file. Smile
a little dead, Yeah, sure, at least fill me in. How
much do you know about Billy Alder Oh? Just surface stuff? What the
headlines? It's a promoter, wildcatter, super salesman, fellow with a flare
for selling anything. Why that's what's rough. I can't give you too much
more than that he's been in a dozen different businesses, headed up a half
a dozen corporations, a couple of bankrupts. He's even a nasty court case.
He's been flat broken six months later, been a walking blue chip,
been up and down more times than a yo yo. Oh. It's a
nice life if you can take it. But feast or famine. He does
everything big, like the quarter of a million policy. Huh. I didn't
see him out of line three years ago. It still doesn't, not with
the kind of money he's dragging out of the ground in Venzuela and oil.
Hey. Uh, this changing of beneficiaries, when did it begin? A
little over a month ago? In succession, it's been his wife, his
daughter, a brother, back to the wife, and now it's his daughter
again. Sounds like a woman trying to make up her mind about a dress
price Tag's a little different. What does it sound like to you? Give
me a chance to get down there and look, would you, I mean
off the top of your head. Oh, sounds like he's worried, like
he shouldn't buy any long plan records. Look, Johnny, there's a clause
in the policy that lets us investigate our regularities. Go take a look,
just don't expect him to cooperate. He's a big operator type fella. I
don't know. I never met him, but I like him already. His
style, any man who uses his slogan like we lose a little on each
deal, but think of the volume. Well, he's for me. I
gotta keep him alive. Expense account at him two three hundred and twenty nine
dollars and eighty eight cents. Airfare and incidentals to Caracas went his way level.
It was about noon Sunday when the big plane lays in over the Caribbean
shoreline, pointed its nose for the Magida Airport in Caracas, blow and spread.
What's laughing they call man's handiwork his progress. A few short years ago
it had been nothing but lush green jungle. Then came men shouting the magic
word oil, and the jungle was now disappearing as fast as they could.
Throw up the dereks and sink the drills. Progress. A taxi to the
hotel Peria on a good lunch adds up to white him three four bucks even.
I was ready for business. Knocking around in this game, you learn
a lot of ways to save steps on another country deal for instance, the
local police chief is one person you can't ignore. He can save you more
than steps blood. Sometimes he turned out to be thirty five ish, bright,
relaxed. They might have changed the jungle, but nothing was going to
order ha fay Valaska's style. He took his time, even after I told
him why I was here. I'm sorry about the ceiling fans senior dollar,
Oh what's wrong with it? It's working? See, but this old fashioned,
not like the how you say air condition in Estadasu needles, no problem.
Uncomfortable with all the money from the oil, you think they may modern
these offices. No is air conditioned in the home, in the car,
but not in the office at least this one. Hmm, it's fine.
I don't get to it. He I get the feeling you're steering away from
discussing Billy older, of course, and there must be a reason, because
I do not want to give you the bomb cow oh bomb stair. What
I mean is there is nothing to put the finger on to look at them.
Is a nice family with lots of money living in a big, expensive
house. But you spend a couple hours there, you know it's not that
way. It's nothing you can see, but all underneath you ever see an
oil welfire, Juanito, all the burning and burning under the ground. Then
when it's enough force, whose everything explode to the sky. It's exactly what
you expect. When will happen to these people someday. Still, it's hard
to figure exactly why that is all? Yeah, well, thanks, I
appreciate what you've given me. Now, what's the best way to get to
the house? You go there? Uh, that's where the job is.
It's easy enough to get to. I tell you how you might if ask
a question, I may shoot in your own office. You got a fan
or air condition? When I left him, he was even weighing the idea
of spending his own money for an air condition. I went right on spending
company money. For instance, had him four thirty nine dollars and fifty five
cents deposit in first days rental on a un drive automobile. A twenty minute
drive over the auto Pista that's a six lane mountain top freeway, less traffic
jams, brought me to La Gierre, a clean, scrub looking suburb on
the edge of the Caribbean. The older house wasn't hard to find, huge
and impressive it sat all by itself in a high promontory jutting out into the
sea. I suddenly found that I'd become Jay Dollar intruder, because in the
doorway of the house, a very luscious young lady was being enthusiastically and expertly
kissed by a handsome young man. My cough must have been pretty frightening,
because the boy took off around the house like a quarter horse. Not so
the girl. She glared angrily as she came toward me. I hope you
were satisfied. Well embarrassed, it's a better word. I'm sorry about my
time. I'll bet you are well. Look, now that you've got something
to tell my father, we'll go ahead and tell him if you only saw
you to tell him something else that he can hire as many detectives as he
likes. It still won't keep me from seeing Paul. It looks like he'll
need track shoes to see him. Now, very funny, assuming that was
Paul. Look I don't assuming. Oh Now, look, lady, you
never gave me a chance to explain. Not too hard to figure why he
Well who you think I am? But I'm not. My name is Johnny
Dollar, and you're right about only one thing. I do want to see
your father, but not for the reason you think. Okay, but I
I'm sorry, mister Dollar got we friends now, I'm Peggy older. Yeah,
I figured as much. Would you like to come in and wait?
Mister dor Wait, my father isn't home at the moment. He shouldn't be
over an hour though. Fine, you won't say anything about what you saw
about Paul. I mean, lady, the world is full of trouble.
Why should I add to her. Billy Alder's selling methods may have been wild,
high pressure stuff, but there was taste in his home. And when
Peggy Alder put a drink into my hand and led me out to a patio,
I was ready to get a drill and go oil hunting myself patio.
It was a small, exclusive, man made mountaintop six hundred feet down to
the Caribbean on three sides. If you were going to have troubles, this
was the place to ponder the Peggy Owlder still didn't trust me completely. Inexpertly,
she tried to dig out my reason for being, gave up after a
while, then excused herself when her father showed up an hour later. I'm
glad you're here, dollarm what's wrong? Oh? Just surprised. Guess I
expected to be tossed out. Why kind of delegate asking a man why he
changes beneficiaries like some men changed suits. I read the policy your company is
allowed to ask. We appreciate you you're feeling that way, but it says
nothing about my having to answer. No, that's right, and it doesn't.
But it's hard not to draw conclusions such as, you're afraid somebody is,
shall we say, gunning for you, but you don't know who.
Am I right? Is that what your company thinks to Well, they don't
think anything, but they like to know you enjoy your trip down, mister
dollar. Well, I take it I've worn out my welcome. Sorry,
no, no, no, sit down. I told you I was glad
you're here. Then you shouldn't mind a couple of questions. I'll tell you
nothing, mister dollar, I admit nothing. Is that clear? Listen,
look here, your company is a good deal to lose by my death.
We just want to be sure nobody's thinking of it as a commercial venture.
And stay here, mister Dollar, here in this house, keep me alive.
Behind the calm control demeanor. Bill Alder was loaded with fear, the
worst kind of fear, the grinding, implacable kind of terror that for some
reason has to be hidden. Two hours later, my bags had been sent
for, and I was comfortably settling the guests from only slightly larger in the
Pennsylvania station. By the dinner time that night, the only other people I'd
seen in the house with the servants, Alder, his daughter, and I
sat down to eat along. I must apologized for missus Alder's absence, mister
Dollar. She went to the bull fights. Today. She's staying in town
for dinner with the others. The others. We have several guests staying with
us, charming people. Mister Dolla, wait till you meet. I think
we can do without that kind of talk. Piggy, are you defending them
father, guests? Don't you mean Leech's parasit. I'll at least they'd have
the manners, not the start a thing like this in front of mister Dolla.
You may be excused anytime you like, bless. Incidentally, thank you
for disobeying my orders to keep Paul Kincaid away from this house. You told
him after you promised, mister told me nothing. You seem to forget that
servants have eyes and ears. I'm sorry, didn't mean to embarrass you,
mister Dollar. I's sorry. Kids can't do anything with him these days.
Headstrong, no sense of values. Not Paul Kincaid, an oil field foreman.
Can you see him fitting in his Peggy's husband in the billy, all
their enterprises quite a step up if he can make it. Believe me,
he never will. After dinner, Haller and I headed for that fabulous patio.
I hoped he would open up, but he kept the talk general,
charming, witty but simply conversation. Truth me, I wasn't too unhappy because
the setting was one of those once in a lifetime things. I couldn't take
my eyes away from the lights far below, the glittering shorelines stretching from Caraniero
all the way to Puerto Cabello. That's when it happened. The bullets smashed
into the wooden canopy support, just inches from Older's head, so close that
the splinters flew buried themselves in his cheek. Mister Oler, you are right,
I think, so stay here. I raced back through the house,
headed for the flan Frinstans France as I could outside I tried to stare through
the darkness into the only direction from which that shot could have come, the
rolling jungle slope of the promontory. Sure it looked deserted, but I knew
it wasn't. Someone had to be out there with five more bullets in his
gun and murder in his heart. Johnny Dollar, this is correct, police,
I have heard if Alaskas were turning your car. I had to send
your dollar heavy grade. Good morning. I mean it is huh here,
it is here? It ain't queer? Is there the older house in a
guiata. I'm staying here at all his requests. Ah, you are a
fast mover. Sorry, but felicitations are a little out of place. Someone
came with an inches of killing older last night. I've got the bullet.
How's your ballistics set up at your disposal? Just bring it in, thanks,
I will. Maybe it's got something to say. I hope you're right,
But yeah, don't you think is a nice bullet you should be worrying
about? From Special Investigator Johnny Dollar, location in Caracas, Venezuela to the
home office Worldwide Mutual Insurance Company, Hertford, Connecticut, assignment the Older Matter
expense account continued expense account of five five dollars even tip to one, not
just comand servant in the big older house. For a good reason. He
hadn't liked the idea of my prowling the slope alone last night looking for someone
with a gun. He'd insisted on joining me. True, he hadn't found
anything, but he'd been there five bucks as much to pay for a friend,
and I had a feeling I could use one. I ate breakfast alone.
Aldo had already gone to his office and the rest of the house was
asleep. Nature's breakfast trade rattle when he saw the money for why, oh,
call it appreciation. You didn't have to follow me out there last night.
You could have been hurt, Senor. You don't know. The slope
is a long drop to the bottom and lumpy. I didn't expect money.
I did not do it for that. I know that. Go ahead second,
Uh something? I tell you something, Senor. When you go running
out there last night, I was sure you would find nobody. Oh why
would yourself for yourself too much? How you call it bushes to think they
could be standing right next to you and you wouldn't know. Then, why
did you come streaking out after me. I told you he's a long way
down one wrong step, and in the States, that's an old joke.
The punchline has watched that first step. It's abute. I got in the
car I'd rented the previous day and headed toward Caracas. I passed the driving
time pleasantly by counting oil wells. From that, I graduated to trying to
figure how much money they made with each given stroke of the huge pumps.
Nice kind of occupation, sure specifically designed for a purpose to keep me from
worrying about the business at hand, namely, why super salesman Billy alder And
sured for a quarter of a million dollars should change his beneficiaries five times in
a single month. Further, who'd taken that pot shot at him last night?
Answers? I went back to counting oil wells. In Caracas, I
headed for police headquarters, and the headman have fave Esquez. He turned the
bullet over to his lab, but they were short handed. By lunchtime,
I still had no report, so I took a lascaz to lunch. For
a man who is living in a house like Billy Alders, you do not
look happy. Amego that bullet traveled an inch more to the left. Billy
Alder wouldn't need a house. It's a good point. You look too serious
for a nice lunch. I fished that. Hey them at those piscos.
You you have a drink? The piscos ameo. No, welln't help.
They do not solve the case for you, but they make you happier about
being worried. Maybe we'd better order doubles. Confusing the older house, What
do you think keep them alive? Older says, But that's the only word
you can get out of me. You feared the thing I mentioned yesterday,
the tension, the strangeness. The only ones I've met are Older and his
daughter. You haven't met missus Older any of the others. Why they got
home late after the shooting way after? Interesting? Oh sure it could have
been any of them out on that slope. I do not worry about you,
amygo, you will do fine. Well. I well, here's something
else interesting, Old that doesn't want me to question any of them about that
shot. Uh you noticed there was no complaint to your office about the murder.
Try. I know this because Alda wanted it that way, Like I
say, interesting, Ah, I grass this waiter. You sip that I
may go see if it does not help, it's good, Oh, very
nice, it will be nicer. Just give you time. You you still
have the city a billy older on your mind. Eh, yeah, have
another sip. Heye see, there's something else in my mind. I mean,
you got to learn to relax. Johnny, you mentioned missus Alder a
few minutes ago. Seemed surprised I hadn't met her. What do you say
thinking of just that you living at the house. Oh it's more than that.
I mean you are a match. Come on, come on now,
level with me. I'm far enough out in left field as it is.
Write it off as professional courtesy. Huh, you are a pretty nice looking
fellow. Mio. Don't snow me. I am simply trying to answer your
question, Jenny, missus all, how shall we say it? It does
not make her angry to be seen in the company of a handsome man.
I see what's mister Older's reaction. The eldest must be people are breathing.
If they have a quarrel, it is not in public. Thanks, but
at the risk of seeming ungrateful, you could have mentioned that yesterday. It's
a pretty good department in carrac As. Police, Amigo, you know why
because I teach them always one thing at a time. Com Brandy, mucho,
amigo. Come on, we eat, then we get back to the
lab. They have not finished the fire. Everybody expense con had him six
fourteen dollars eighty five cents. Valaska has drank enough Pisco sours to float the
Normandy back at the police lamp. I wished I'd kept pace with him,
because all they could tell from the bullet was that it had come from a
luger, and Valaska's pointed out there must be a couple of thousand lucas and
caracas. I had a bank for the older house at Algiera. Unless the
members of that happy household slept all day, somebody should be alive and stirring.
And they were people I wanted to meet badly, but I almost didn't
make it. As I approached the main gate, I noticed another car parked
along the side of the road about fifty feet from it. Suddenly it roared
into life, shot forward, screamed to a start, cut me off,
almost piling me into the entrance pillars. You dined for what's the matter with
you? Plenny? You know who I am. Dollar, I know this.
If you ever try a stunt like that again, I'll ran those pearly
teeth right down your throat. Tough guy, there's an easy way of finding
out. We'll get to that in a minute. I asked you if you
knew who I am? Sure, Paul Kincaid, the lad who was smooching
with Billy Alder's daughter yesterday? You taking bows? You just couldn't wait to
tell all about it? Could you? Your girl's been telling your lives,
Kincaid, I just happened to be there. If you don't want to be
seen on nick and doorways just a minute. Speaking of people in wrong places,
I thought you were a forman in the oil fields. I don't see
any dereks on the older property. I took the day off so I could
come over and see you. Well, you're getting a good look. Yeah,
and I still think all to hired you to keep Peggy away from it.
Now you keep out of my head? Dollar, What are you staring
for? Well, now, everybody's full of wild ideas today, I just
had one that maybe isn't so wild, Like maybe you just ed libbed a
reason for being here and the real one is to sneak out on the slope
and see if you can't find an empty loga shell. What there has to
be one out there, you know, you say, And I took that
shot at older. I don't know how bad do you want to marry into
the older money? Seven bunch coming slipped it through my own. It was
a jilly wallet. I said, that lasted too long. You get a
set of arms working in an oil field. He had them all right,
and those punches hurt. So I went to Choto. Even then it was
tough. I guess I better get in shape or take up accounting. A
look in the car mirror made one thing clear. I couldn't take a face
like that through the front door. When I reached the house, I skirted
it, managed to get to the service entrance without scaring the life out of
anyone. Here, my little gift to not you go Ma seam five began
to pay off. He hustled me up to my room by the backstairs,
and without waiting to be asked, he got busy with bandages and things.
You win, sing you would you believe it? If I said yes?
Only through politeness, I think, oh, oh bitter. That one was
pretty deep. God, I I was just thinking, if you really when?
I hate to see the loser. Thanks, but I know without seeing
him again, there is about the best I can do. Sor Okay,
thanks so nice? Another just tell me one thing. There's anything going on
downstairs? How do you mean that racket? We're here? Come out?
Racket? Oh you mean El Montante Montanti, the boll fighter, the finest
matador in the world. Sr Did you not know? He's the guest of
the house. He's staying here. See the senor in Senora Alder their big
official others. They love the corrida new style, isn't it? Finding balls
in the house? Montani? He just give how you see a demonstration of
the passes with the cape. You know it is beautiful? Why you're not
good? Done? In watching? You see? You will enjoy? It's
lovely. The fine bullfighter? Anybody ever asked the ball about that? After
Nacho's gentle ministrations and a quick change of clothes, I must confess I looked
slightly more like a human being. Again slightly. Anyhow, I wandered downstairs,
headed for the huge living room, and I was like walking into another
world, alive and pulsating to the music from a record player. Five or
six people stood around hypnotically beating time, their eyes glued to the great al
Mantante, a handsome Spaniard who skillfully worked a bullfighter's cape in the center of
the floor. Nacho hadn't exaggerated. Montante was beautiful to watch, but the
feeling wasn't unanimous. Billy Alder and his daughter Peggy were the only people in
the room I knew, and though they beat time with the others, they
both shared the same expression on their faces, intense dislike for the man with
the cape. As I shifted my attention to them, a woman tore reluctant
eyes away from the Matadora moved quietly toward me. She wasn't really beautiful,
but tremendously chic for one of a better word, and that made her seem
beautiful. I'm constant, mister Dowler. Welcome to our home. Oh thank
you, missus. Alder. I'm afraid i'd been negligitim it's a hostess.
Oh, we've just misconnections, that's all charmingly put. Do you mind if
I wait to introduce her to the others when Montante's finished, No, of
course not. Please go on back. Don't worry about me. I'm doing
fine, thank you. I watched her as she crossed the room, then
realized that someone else was doing exactly the same thing, her husband, Billy
Allday, Only the look on his face was the same glaring dislike with which
he'd favored the Cape Witing Matador. Interesting. Then, after long moment,
Constant Alder moved quietly out of the room, as though not wishing to disturb
the others. The performance was still going strong, and after about five minutes,
I moved out onto the patio stood looking down at the Lagierra Harbor because
it was on my mind. I stared down at the spot on the slope
from which the luger had been fired, and I saw that someone was there,
awkwardly searching the ground. A moment later, they straightened up moved a
few feet to continue the search. Even in the late afternoon sun, there
couldn't be any mistake in the search's identity. It was Constance Alder. Now
here's our star to tell you about tomorrow's episode of this week's story. Tomorrow.
Two sides of the same old yarn, and whichever side you choose,
you've got to call it wrong. Join us, Won't you Yours Truly Johnny
Dollar. Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, starring Bob Bailey, is transcribed in Hollywood.
Written by Tony Barrett. It is produced and directed by Jack Johnstone.
Be sure to join us tomorrow night at same time and station for the next
exciting episode of Yours Truly Johnny Dollar. Roy Rowan speaking, I wa welcome
back. A solid episode, mostly set up, but everything so far was
well played. I particularly liked the fight with Caate and Kate. It seems
like most old time radio detective fight seemed to end with a knockout one way
or another. I like Johnny unleashing his judo just to get away with a
what decision brought some variety to the whole fighting thing. All right, Well,
listener comments and feedback now and we turned to Howard who commented regarding the
long shot matter on YouTube, how many times has Johnny Dollar been hit in
the head by now? He has many cracks in his cranium and is probably
in protocol concussion. Well thanks for the comment, Howard. Now, I
did wonder if there was an answer to how many times he had been knocked
unconscious, and I figured that if anyone would have a precise account. John
Abbott would in the Who Is Johnny Dollar Matter? But actually in that book
he doesn't even give a range, but he does indicate it happens a lot,
perhaps even nearly every episode, and his observation is that the second occurrence
must have made Johnny's head look like phrenologists, not maare. With the numerous
bumps, gashes, goalies, and chasm inflicted by over twelve years worth of
abuse, one wonders why Johnny did not stammer and lumber around like a punch
drunk fighter. I guess another item for those who go with the Johnny Dollar
was a time lord explanation for the different actors who played him. But well,
it happened a lot to Johnny, it didn't happen a lot to any
of the on air Hard Boiled Private detectives, whether you were talking Philip Marlow,
Sam Spade, Richard Diamond, and of course you know you have Richard
Roade go over there hallucinating and speaking to a wee voice that has had every
dime he gets knocked out. It really is part of the suspension of disbelief
you have to have with these programs, you know, the old Superman movie
posters, you will believe a man can fly. Old time radio detective version
is you will believe that a man can take forty concussions a year and beat
just fine. And then we have a couple of listener emails, and this
one comes from Jay. Dear Adam, I've been listening to some old time
radio sci fi podcasts which are much less interesting than great detectives without your commentary,
and have been amazed by the connections. I love hearing the announcements about
the next program that evening, one Time Dragon, that and another Tales of
the Texas Rangers. At the moment, I'm listening to to Mention X program
from nineteen fifty about the dangers of AI called Logics and Virtual Assistance. Incredible,
best Jay, Well, thank you so much. Day Now I do
enjoy hearing connections myself. It's been fascinating on NBC programs to hear ads from
nineteen fifty one for the Blandings and that of course, is a series that
we played on the Amazing World of Radio this summer, and even when I
was doing the old Time Dragnet podcast, that was one of the things that
got me to check out both Barry Craig and Counterspy. Was hearing them mentioned
on Dragnet, although it was tough to find the Barry Craig episode and the
Counterspy episode that matched up with a Dragnet episode I was listening to. And
that's the only thing that's frustrating about connections is when it's connects to a series
or an episode that doesn't exist anymore. And we've heard ads for a few
of those programs on Dangerous Assignment, like the Bob Hope Daily Program and the
Eddie Canter Showbiz program from the mid fifties. But I enjoy those connections when
I do hear about them. Man, they connect to something I can listen
to. I had actually been in the planning stages for starting a science fiction
podcast, and I actually had penciled in that I wanted to launch it in
September last year. My plan was to play two episodes a week, a
combination of anthology series like Dimension X and X minus one and then space adventure
series like Flash Gordon and Space Patrol. Now I had to deal with the
disappointment that I could not figure out any way to get Jimmy Duranty's performance of
we're going UFO and license, so I could use that as theme music.
Then I started listening to episodes, and I realized, first of all,
that it was really not a good idea to try to launch one podcast right
after we'd launched full time radio snack Wagon. And then I kind of had
an epiphany about the Anthology program. And the situation with a lot of these
shows is that I'd listened to quite a few of them over the years.
An emphasis on the over the years part. I'd listen to some as part
of app extras port, just on an occasion every now and again, and
there were some really interesting stories. There was things like the un humanoid alien
who played baseball VERSI and Sam, and then there was this one with Jackson
Back called The Merchant of Venus. It's posited some interesting ideas but I think
made some faulty assumptions, but was still interesting to listen to it. And
then a really interesting one that Ned Weaver was in, And of course the
Green Hills of Earth episode with actual music was really entertaining. But these were
all just sort of random episodes that I grabbed. I started listening to the
start of X minus one and I just realized this is dark and the start
of that series is just undrelenting week after week, and I came to the
realization with these sci fi anthology programs, maybe it's just where I'm at in
my life. It's kind of like with the Whistler or even suspense, where
you know an episode every now and again is fine, but I don't want
to be listening to that every single week. Although I may use the more
adventure based sci fi series in the old time radio adventure series when we get
that launched. Still working out details on that one. Thanks for the email,
Jay, And then we have an email here from Joy Elizabeth, who
writes, Dear mister Graham, I've been a longtime listener, at least I
started when i was fifteen or sixteen years old, and I'm now twenty years
old. I absolutely love your podcast, as I love all history from the
World War two era, and you're very insightful. I was wondering, simply
because I don't want it to come to an end eventually, would you consider
redoing all of the shows. I'm just curious because, as I said,
I love the way your podcast is set up, and it is so unique
from all the other ones. That are out there, and I really appreciate
how you play all of the different actors, like all of the Johnny Dollers
and both Sam Spades, and don't just stick to one every time one actor
replaces another. I'm super dubious about the incoming one. However, I love
Stephen Dunn as Sam Spade, and I really enjoyed Edmund O'Brien and John Lound
as Johnny Dollar, even though I had thought Howard Duff and Bob Bailey couldn't
be replaced. In fact, I might be the odd one out. But
as much as I like Bob Bailey, I liked O'Brien's and LUN's portrayal better.
The only one I didn't appreciate was the replacement Rocky Jordan. Well,
thank you for keeping these alive in the era of TV and forgiving so much
contexting your commentary. I absolutely love to be able to create the images in
my head instead of having them given to me. This is so important to
history. Sincerely, Joel Elizabeth. Well, thank you so much for the
question, Joel Elizabeth, and for your very kind email. I would say
that there are a few series that I would probably not replay. I think
that they were good enough that they deserve to be heard, but I don't
think think I would enjoy going through them again. But there aren't any really
huge series I would put in that particular category. It's definitely something that I'm
thinking about as we're fifteen seasons into this. I think when I started out
with the thousands of programs out there, the last thing really on my mind
was Okay, what are you going to do when you run out of episodes?
Did not occur to me that that could someday become a problem. I'm
definitely open to replaying series as the years go on. I personally would like
to at least finish twenty seasons, which at this point, as far as
I know, is going to require us revisiting some old series, but that's
still a few years off. I can definitely see some justifications beyond just keeping
the series going. As a listener emailed me a few weeks back, on
many of those early episodes, my commentary was very short, and there could
be a lot of reasons for that. I may not have had necessary resources
for really research and look into everything. Part of the challenge with many of
those early seasons was that not only was I holding down a full time job.
I was also doing a lot of other things on the side. But
I might be in a situation where I would get to one or two am
in the morning and get my commentary recorded in time to get to bad so
that I could get up at six point fifteen, And that's probably not the
formula for delivering your best quality. And the other thing is just the audio
quality. And here I'm talking about the underline recording for the original run of
Let George Do It. We were dealing exclusively. I think there might have
been like four or five files that were better quality, but almost exclusively with
thirty two kbps in codes, which they weren't horrible quality, but there's a
lot better quality for Let George Do It, as you would have heard on
the Thanksgiving special. It might be nice to go through the lineup in the
original broadcast order, now that the researchers have kind of figured that out a
little bit better, and to go through it in like one big chunk,
rather than you know, going back and forth to the series like three or
four times to get through all the episodes because it was still being researched and
compiled. So I'm open to redoing a lot of series. There's also some
things that I will look into, probably in terms of licensing some programs that
wouldn't necessarily be old time radio, but we'll have to see about that.
At this point, I'm not looking for an exit strategy for the podcast,
so we'll continue to work to find our way forward. I appreciate your emails
so much. It's always really encouraging to hear that younger people are listening to
the podcast and enjoying it. I appreciate everyone that listens, but there's just
something about hearing from someone who's fifteen or twenty and enjoys what we're doing.
All right, Well, now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the
day. Thank you to Peter, Patreon supporter since March of twenty twenty three,
currently supporting the program at the Master Detective level of fifteen dollars or more
per month. Thank you so much for your support, Peter, and that
will do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us
using your favorite podcast software. We'll be back on Friday with the conclusion of
this week's Yours Truly Johnny Dollar Serial, but join us back here tomorrow for
dangerous assignment and where a buzz in me. May I travel you very much?
Will I later do? But thank you? I am. We will
get up at the next gunner, will we you have Jack? I'd feel
better about it if you took your hand out of your coat. Fucking Saty.
No, can I get up? Look to the dad of the kid,
Sully. I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime,
do send your comments to Box thirteen at Great Detectives dot NEP, follow us
on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram, Instagram dot
com slash Great Detectives from boise Idahol. This is your host, Adam Graham
signing off.