Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar

1 9 4 9 – 1 9 6 2 (USA)

No fewer than six actors played the character of Johnny Dollar – the private eye “with the action-packed expense account” who tracked down people’s missing relatives and solved murders and other crimes – on this weekly CBS radio series.

Charles Russell was the first Johnny Dollar. He was followed by Edmond O’Brien, John Lund, Bob Bailey (the best-known Johnny), Bob Readick, and Mandel Kramer.

Each story was recounted in flashback, and the action would be interrupted frequently by Johnny listing a line item from his expense account, which served as an effective scene transition. The series always ended with Dollar itemising his expenses and signing off his report to his client with “Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.”

The series changed in 1955 from a 30-minute, one-episode-per-week show to a 15-minute, five-nights-a-week serial. In late 1956, CBS Radio retooled the show, which reverted to a weekly half-hour drama airing on Sunday afternoons.

Later episodes also introduced Betty Lewis (Virginia Gregg) as a steady girlfriend for Johnny,

Announcers included Charles Lyon, Roy Rowen, and Art Hannes. Sponsors for the series included Wrigley’s chewing gum, 7-Up, No-Doz, Sinclair oil, Marlboro and Philip Morris Commanders, Kent and Newport cigarettes, and Mentholatum Deep Heating cream.

Three unsuccessful attempts were made to transfer the success of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar to television. Charles Russell starred in a 1949 pilot, Bob Bailey starred in a 1958 pilot entitled The Adventures of Johnny Dollar, and William Bryant starred in a 1962 pilot entitled Johnny Dollar.