OTR Detective Christmas, Day 12: Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

The CBS series Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (1949-1962) remains one of the most popular of all radio detective shows - it's probably my father's favourite, so it's fortunate for him that there are hundreds of episodes to listen to!

As I began this year's Christmas series with a look at one of OTR's earliest detective/crime programs (Calling All Cars), let's finish with one of the last - a Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar Christmas episode from December 20, 1959. Titled, "The Red Mystery Matter," our fabulous freelance insurance investigator is told to find a missing fishing guide. But as this is a Yuletide program, it's not business as usual - in fact, it's a conspiracy to give Johnny a special Christmas present.

OTR Detective Christmas, Day 11: Nick Carter, Master Detective

After yesterday's Shadow, let's check in on another pulp hero from Street and Smith magazines - Nick Carter, Master Detective! This is a series I haven't blogged about before but it lasted for a good many years on Mutual (1943-1950). In "Nick Carter's Christmas Adventure," (December 25, 1943) Nick Carter - again, much like the Shadow - meets a wealthy old man with a hard heart who needs to make peace with his past in order to make it a happy Christmas.

The final Christmas radio program is tomorrow!

OTR Detective Christmas, Day 10: The Shadow

Even the Shadow appeared in a few Christmas adventures over the years - in fact, Orson Welles and Agnes Moorehead starred in a Christmas adventure during the first year of Welles' tenure, which was usually more grim than his successors.

In "Cold Death" (December 19, 1937) we have a very familiar tale; Daniel Carver is the cold-hearted businessman who runs the company town Carverville. The Shadow identifies him as being just like Scrooge - so uses the methodology of A Christmas Carol in order to force a change of heart upon the man!

Another Christmas radio program tomorrow!

OTR Detective Christmas, Day 9: This Is Your FBI

Here's another series I've never posted about: This Is Your FBI! It was one of several post-World War II radio shows that drew from the FBI to fabricate crime dramas (ie, the FBI in Peace and War). This Is Your FBI had a lengthy run from 1945-1953, starting on the Blue network and sticking with them as the network became ABC.

Our featured Christmas program is "The Innocent Santa Claus" from December 21, 1951. It concerns a washed-up actor who lands a part playing Santa Claus - then finds himself accused of a crime.

Another Christmas radio program tomorrow!

OTR Detective Christmas, Day 8: Let George Do It

Let George Do It was a long-running Mutual detective series than ran 1946-1954, with Bob Bailey as the lead character George Valentine for most of its run (this was Bailey's big role prior to his tenure on Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar). Accompanied by his girlfriend Brooksie (the versatile Virginia Gregg), George placed a newspaper ad inviting people to hire him ("Personal notice: Danger's my stock in trade. If the job's too tough for you to handle, you've got a job for me: George Valentine. Write, full details!").

The Let George Do It episode of Christmas Day, 1950 is called "Santa Claus in Glass" and opens with a gentle send-up of a typical detective scene as the supposed "victim" is George and Brooksie's Christmas duck! The drama also closes with a fine Christmas greeting from Bob Bailey.

Another Christmas radio program tomorrow!

OTR Detective Christmas, Day 7: Candy Matson

Candy Matson is a fun radio detective series that aired on NBC around 1949-1951. The series was both recorded at and set within the city of San Francisco. The program had a lot of hardboiled content yet also a very wry, sarcastic sense of humour. I hope to feature one of my Radio Recaps on this series in the new year.

In the December 10, 1949 episode "Jack Frost," a department store's Jack Frost goes missing. It isn't a tradition I'm familiar with, but it seems some department stores used a Jack Frost figure instead of Santa Claus himself. Anyway, Candy looks for the missing Jack Frost and finds him dead, then recruits her friend Rembrandt to assume the role of Jack Frost while she hunts the killer.

Another Christmas radio program tomorrow!

OTR Detective Christmas, Day 6: The Lone Wolf

The Lone Wolf, alias Michael Lanyard, was a lot like Boston Blackie - not only a thief who turned hero but also debuted in prose then moved on to movies and radio (also television!). He was created by Louis Joseph Vance.

The Lone Wolf's radio series lasted from June 29, 1948 to January 1, 1949 on Mutual -- and the only surviving episode appears to be the final episode, which just happens to be a Christmas-themed program! The title is "The Golden Santa" and concerns the Lone Wolf (portrayed by Walter Coy) being hired by a woman who claims to have lost a golden statue of Santa Claus.

Another Christmas radio program tomorrow!