Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (1949-1962) aired“The Cautious Celibate Matter” on April 19, 1959. We’ve showcased but four earlier episodes of this highly regarded show, the first back in 2019 and the last in September of 2022. Guest host Pete Wood wrote the introduction to the May 2020 episode, from which I have taken the liberty of selectively editing for current purposes and for those not familiar with the show.

Johnny Dollar ran on CBS from February 18, 1949 until September 30, 1962. Three actors—Charles Russell, Edmond O’Brien, and John Lund—played Dollar as a not too original tough-talking private eye until the initial incarnation ended in September, 1954.

After a one year hiatus the show returned with a new star and a new format. Bob Bailey (1913-1983) played Dollar as a freelance insurance investigator, and radio veteran Jack Johnstone took over production and directing duties, as well as writing many of the episodes.

Bob Bailey was Dollar until November 1960 when the network fired him when he refused to relocate from Hollywood to New York. Bob Readick then portrayed Dollar from December, 1960 until June 1961 with Mandel Kramer taking over the role until the program’s last episode in September of 1962.

Bob Bailey was the heart and soul of the series. Of the 827 episodes, Bailey played Dollar for 484. Second place O’Brien, by contrast, only appeared in 103 episodes.

The show typically began with a phone call from some insurance executive who wanted Dollar to investigate some unusual claim. Dollar traveled all over the United States and sometimes out of the country. He told the story through flashbacks as he explained each item on his “action-packed expense account.”

Bob Bailey had a long radio career, beginning in the early thirties and ending with Johnny Dollar. He starred in programs too numerous to name, but his most successful role until Johnny Dollar was as private investigator George Valentine in Let George Do It from 1946 to 1954 on the Mutual Broadcasting System. Virginia Gregg, who portrayed Nancy Turner, played his secretary, Brooksie, for many episodes.

Virginia Gregg (1916-1986) appears in this episode.  She had roles in dozens of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar episodes and enjoyed a long career in radio, television, and films. She appeared on such radio programs as The Adventures of Sam Spade, Dragnet, Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, The Jack Benny Program, One Man’s Family,  The Zero HourandMutual Radio Theater. She often did double duty with roles in both the radio and television versions of programs. Gregg once said of her work as a character actress on television: “I work steadily, but I have no identity.” She added, “When casting people have a call for a woman who looks like the wrath of God, I’m notified.” On television, Gregg appeared in programs such as Hawaiian Eye, 77 Sunset Strip,  Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Perry Mason, The Rockford Files, Maverick, My Favorite Martian, and The Twilight Zone. Her forty five film roles included the voice of Mrs. Bates in Psycho, Psycho II, and Psycho III. Oh, yeah, and she also played double bass for the Pasadena Symphony. Virginia Gregg died of lung cancer on September 15, 1986.

As to “The Cautious Celibate,” I imagine the most accurate way to characterize this odd episode is to paraphrase Shakespeare’s famous line from Hamlet: To marry or not to marry, that is the question. The rub is that in this case love might just prove as dangerous as war, and Johnny finds himself smack dab in the middle of a situation that requires him to fly hither and yon across the country to save his life. Have fun with this one.

(The CD linked at top of page includes “The Cautious Celibate.”)

Play Time: 19:28

{Sunday evenings was Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar time on the radio. Even the neighborhood gang’s parents listened to this show, though only the gang would meet at the nearby newsstand the following day after school in search of their favorite pulp magazines. fantastic (1952-80) provided plenty of imaginative (many off kilter) stories, by some of the top pros in the field, witness some of the names on the intriguing cover below: Jack Williamson, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Gordon Dickson, Kate Wilhelm, and veteran Rog Phillips. The cover story, “The Abnormals,” illustrates Harlan Ellison’s novelette. fantastic was a monthly in 1959. (The Original) Science Fiction Stories (1955-60) while enjoying a relatively short run, published quite a few stories by many of the top names in the field, with Robert Silverberg and A. Bertram Chandler appearing quite a few times. Other names guaranteed to draw reader attention were, among others, Isaac Asimov, Gordon R. Dickson, Clifford Simak, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Kate Wilhelm, Fritz Leiber, Carol Emshwiller, Murray Leinster, and James Blish. It published 7 issues in 1959, the first 3 as monthlies with the last 4 as bi-monthlies. Super-Science Fiction (1956-59) had an even shorter run than The Original Science Fiction Stories, managing only 18 bi-monthly issues from December 1956 through October of 1960. Notwithstanding, it highlighted some of the brightest newcomers as well as the most popular SF authors of the day, including Harlan Ellison, James Gunn, E. E. Smith, Henry Slesar, Robert Bloch, Jack Vance, Tom Godwin, and no fewer than half a dozen times the prolific Robert Silverberg.}

[Left: fantastic, 4/59 – Center: Science Fiction Stories, 5/59 – Right: Super-Science Fiction, 4/59]