Yours Truly, Robert Bainter Bailey

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was one of the longest-running drama series on radio. Running from 1948 to 1962, it is regarded as one of the greatest in radio history. Dick Powell starred in the 1948 audition show but left the role for other projects, including his famous "Richard Diamond" radio series. The series went through several leads, among the more notable were Edmond O'Brien (1950-52) and John Lund (1952-54). Radio regular, Gerald Mohr, had the lead for the 1955 audition show, but Bob Bailey (above) settled into the title role for nearly 500 episodes, and his tenure is considered the best of the series. 

Bob Bailey (1913-1983) was exceptionally good, making Dollar more sensitive and thoughtful in addition to capturing realism with his voice inflections. Imperative without any visuals. He made the character his own and it separated him from the melodramatic radio detective, like the aforementioned Gerald Mohr. Tough and streetwise but not overly cynical, he was a 4-year Marine veteran, a police officer for a decade then changing careers to insurance investigation for the Universal Adjustment Bureau, Hartford, Connecticut. Dollar usually stuck to business, but the occasional romance would arise when getting too emotionally involved in the case. Episodes often included his girlfriend Betty Lewis, played suberbly by the sultry voice of the versatile Virginia Gregg. 

During the Bailey years, the announcer opened each episode with, "The man with the action-packed expense account, America’s fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Johnny Dollar." Each episode began with a phone call from an insurance executive asking him to work on an unusual claim. Upon hearing the assignment, Dollar could occasionally get a little irate with his superior. It might require him to journey across the US or sometimes overseas. Each case’s title was referred to as a "matter" as in, "The Forbes Matter." The show featured a stock company of supporting actors, including Harry Bartell, Vic Perrin, Mary Jane Croft, Lawrence Dobkin, Stacy Harris, Parley Baer, Howard McNear, Betty Lou Gerson, Barney Phillips, and others. 

Fishing was Dollar’s first recreational choice. On numerous episodes a client might use fishing as bait, convincing him to take on a job because of the excellent nearby fishing locations. He had a streak of impatience, and would occasionally not fully listen to a witness and rush off on a tangent before realizing his mistake. As the story progressed, Dollar would mention each expense item, and provide the audience with his remarks about the current case when filling out his expense account. There were no incidental expenses too small for Dollar to itemize, such as buying a 10-cent bottle of Aspirin with a sardonic comment, “I needed them." The series title is Dollar's salutation at the end of his written report, closing the case and episode.

Note: In 1960, CBS Radio shut down production on the west coast and moved its radio drama unit to New York. Bob Bailey, unwilling to relocate, gave up the role. The last Johnny Dollar, Mandel Kramer, remains a close second in popularity to Bailey.