>From: "M Blumenthal" <
blumenidiot@21stcentury.net>
>I vaguely remember it I think his being an insurance
investigator was
>frame so that he could tell what had happened as he
went over his
>expenses.
It wasn't exactly a frame. He really WAS investigating cases
for insurance companies. The frame narrative showed how
Johnny would pad his expense account, an underplayed but
effective addition to his cynical nature. Dollar was based in
Hartford, Conn., but traveled frequently. The half hour
version of the show was so-so, but there was a five night per
week version in the middle of the series' run that had
excellent stories and direction by Jack Johnstone. Bob Bailey
played this version of Johnny, "America's fabulous freelance
insurance investigator ... the man with the action-packed
expense account." What I've always enjoyed most about the
five-night-per-week version (I'm a collector, and there are
lots of shows from this period in circulation) is its
emphasis on character. Johnny was a hard guy, cynical to a
fault, and Bailey's voice work was some of the most effective
on radio. The show was the last network show to leave the
air, ending in 1962 (the same day Suspense ended its long
run).
-dc
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