Your's Truly Johnny Dollar - "The Earl Chadwick Matter" (05-23-50)

The Earl Chadwick Matter (Aired May 23, 1950)

Johnny often used his time when filling out his expense accounts to give the audience background information or to express his thoughts about the current case.No fewer than eight actors played Johnny Dollar. Dick Powell, of Rogue’s Gallery fame, cut the original audition tape, but chose to do Richard Diamond, Private Detective instead. Gerald Mohr, of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe fame, auditioned in 1955, prior to Bob Bailey getting the title role. Through the first three actors to play Johnny Dollar (Charles Russell, Edmond O'Brien, and John Lund), there was little to distinguish the series from many other radio detective series. Dollar was just another hard-boiled detective in a medium that was overloaded with the stereotype. Charles Russell, the first to play the role, would throw silver dollars to bellboys and waiters. Luckily, this trite gimmick did not survive long.

THIS EPISODE:

May 23, 1950. CBS network. "The Earl Chadwick Matter". Sustaining. Johnny flies to Bermuda to find out if a dead man really is. Possibly recorded May 11, 1950. Edmond O'Brien, Lillian Buyeff, Tudor Owen, Virginia Gregg, Walter Burke, John Dehner, Ben Wright, Ted Osborne. 33:20. Episode Notes From The Radio Gold Index.