Subject: [removed] Digest V2001 #236
From: "OldRadio Mailing Lists" <[removed]@[removed];
Date: 7/24/2001 9:03 AM
To: <[removed]@[removed];

------------------------------


                      The Old-Time Radio Digest!
                        Volume 2001 : Issue 236
                   A Part of the [removed]!
                           ISSN: 1533-9289


                           Today's Topics:

  Re: Fred Allen Remembered             [ "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed]; ]
  Re: Jan Miner, John Dehner & ?        [ "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed]; ]
  Re: Mississississippi (sic ) River    [ Ron Barta <rlbarta@[removed]; ]
  Names of Jack Benny Characters        [ Kubelski@[removed] ]
  Mid 50's logs                         [ JayHick@[removed] ]
  Re: The Three Governor's Affair       [ Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed] ]
  Two O'Clock Eastern War Time          [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
  RE: MISSING MAGIC ISLAND EPISODES     [ "Ian Grieve" <ian@[removed] ]
  Jack McCarthy                         [ Udmacon@[removed] ]
  Re: Harry Bartell's Movies            [ "Jan Bach" <janbach@[removed]; ]
  Heroes, Superheroes, and Someone Who  [ "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@ ]
  Superman vs Atom Man                  [ Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed]; ]
  Jay Novello Unmasked                  [ "Mike Kerezman" <philipmarlowe@eart ]
  Watching Mr. Bartell on TV            [ jwburchell@[removed] ]
  Jack Benny Check?                     [ Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed]; ]
  writers on Johnny Dollar              [ "Ryan Osentowski" <rosentowski@neb. ]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 17:16:57 -0400
From: "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Fred Allen Remembered
Message-Id: <v03130302b782437c6ec8@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Sean Dougherty wrote:
This is sort of off-topic, but for those of us worried about the >legacy of
Fred Allen, an article in the New York Times today opens it with a Fred
Allen quote "Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Television."  Implicit in
this is that the people reading the article would know who Fred Allen was.
All is not lost.

On the other hand: an article in the Washington Post last week began with
the same [removed] and it was attributed to Aaron Spelling!!!

Michael J. Hayde

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 17:16:59 -0400
From: "Michael Hayde" <mmeajv@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Re: Jan Miner, John Dehner & ?
Message-Id: <v03130303b782438470a5@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Harry Machin, Jr. wrote:
sometime during the years 1951-53, I was having
lunch in a Hollywood restaurant and saw John Dehner, Larry Dobkin and
another man walk [removed]  I have often wondered if
that third man might have been Harry Bartell, whose face is unknown to me.
I read, in this digest, that he appeared on TVs "Gunsmoke."  I wonder if
anyone knows some specific episode, or some specific movie, that Mr.
Bartell was in.

Goodness, one can barely tune in "Dragnet" *without* seeing Mr. Bartell!
(Okay, that's not true, but he IS in a lot of them!)  He plays Father Rojas
in both the 1953 & 1967 versions of "The Dragnet Christmas Story" about the
stolen baby Jesus statue.  The 1953 version can be viewed online at
[removed].  He's also in the 1954 "Dragnet" feature.  Or you
can check his TV and Film credits at [removed]; just enter "Harry
Bartell" into its search engine.  Or (shameless plug here) you can pick up a
copy of "My Name's Friday" at the bookstore and turn to pages 75 and 87 to
see photos of Mr. Bartell (full-face and profile, respectively) from the
1950's.

Michael J. Hayde

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 17:17:42 -0400
From: Ron Barta <rlbarta@[removed];
To: OTR Mailing List <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Mississississippi  (sic ) River
Message-Id: <v03130304b782438d72dc@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Harold Zeigler wrote:
The one exception on the boundries (East and
West) at the Mississippi River was and is [removed] radio in St. Louis which
is the oldest station in [removed]

Here in Omaha, we have radio stations that start with W and K. [removed] WOWT
and KFAB. Is the KW West/East rule no longer valid?

Ron Barta.

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 17:21:37 -0400
From: Kubelski@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Names of Jack Benny Characters
Message-Id: <v03130309b78245cffa9e@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

The only main character on the Jack Benny program who was named for the show
was Eddie Anderson's Rochester Van Jones, who was introduced after a guest
shot playing a porter on a train.  Legend has it that Benny loved his comic
timing so much he demanded Anderson be written into the show as a regular
character, and it's a pretty plausible legend.  I guess they wanted to make
his name sound like a butler's.

Dennis (Eugene Patrick McNulty) Day was just a stage name that he used
professionally, it wasn't a creation of Benny's writers.  Ditto Mary (Sadie
Marks) Livingston, who performed with Jack in vaudeville and had that persona
before joining the cast.

Especially ditto Jack "Benjamin Kubelskey" Benny, who performed under his
real name until similarly named vaudeville performers started complaining.  I
believe the main reason "Jack Benny" came into being was a performer name
Kubelsk, whom one Benny biographer ascribed the quote "Even it was your real
name, it wouldn't matter."

The more memorable Ben Bernie was responsible for Jack abandoning "Ben K.
Benny" as a stage name.

This was a common practice in vaudeville, as there was no such thing as an
audition tape before they had tape.  The only thing you had to sell your act
was notices and theater bills and lesser performers would often try to
appropriate the names of more famous and successful vaudevillians in an
attempt to get extra bookings.

Various other characters had character names on the show like Artie
Auerbach's Mr. Kitzel and Joseph Kearns' IRS agent, Mr. Wright ("how do you
do?"), but the main players used their professional names.  Frank Nelsons'
characters were all named Nelson even though they were frequently different
people.  Mel Blanc's characters were frequently not people at all and
therefore not named, but he was referred to as Mel Blanc when Jack was
adressing him specifically in the script (I remember one exchange about how
Jack "couldn't use him this week because he charged too much" - Blanc's only
bit on the show that week).

I don't know if Phil Harris or Don Wilson performed under their birth names,
but it's more common for announcers and bandleaders to keep their birth names
professionally than actors, so it's quite possible.  That brings up a
question I've had for a while, does anyone know if Bob Crosby was really Bing
Crosby's brother, or was that just a put-on?

Point of trivia - I believe that on most Jack Benny programs the main cast is
introduced by name at the beginning and Eddie Anderson is usually named as
"Rochester," but there are some shows in which he is named as Eddie Anderson,
according to my memory only.  Players like Blanc, Andy Devine and Nelson,
despite their near-ubiquity in certain seasons, were not named at the
beginning.  Not sure why that would be.

I really love this program (in case you hadn't guessed).

Sean Dougherty
Kubelski@[removed]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 17:23:43 -0400
From: JayHick@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Mid 50's logs
Message-Id: <v0313030ab782464f18bd@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Received this inquiry.

Could you please advise me as to where I might find printed material listing
the various radio network programs offered to radio stations during the mid
50's.

The last place I ever saw such listings was in 'White's Radio Log', which I
haven't seen on the newsstands in years. THANK YOU.

J. J.   <jjandrew@[removed];

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 19:06:55 -0400
From: Elizabeth McLeod <lizmcl@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: The Three Governor's Affair
Message-Id: <v03130303b7825e72c645@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

A. Joseph Ross wonders,

In another broadcast, some business is going on at Jack's house when the
phone rings.  Jack answers it.  Hearing just Jack's side of the
conversation, it's clear that someone is asking him to do something, Jack
is flattered, thanks them for asking, but turns them down.  When he gets
off the phone, he says, "They want me to run for governor of Georgia."  I
have no idea what was going on in Georgia at that time, which must have
gotten national attention, to give rise to that line.

This is a reference to one of the most bizarre incidents in American
political history -- the so-called "Three Governors Affair" of 1946-47,
in which three men all claimed to be Governor of Georgia at the same
time, and the state was thrown into comic-opera political turmoil.

The basic story of the situation was that old-line Democrat Eugene
Talmadge, who had won the election for Governor in 1946 on a platform
built around reinstatement of the Georgia Democratic Party's whites-only
primary election (a particularly sleazy tactic for ensuring the continued
disenfranchisement of black voters), died of stomach cancer a month
before Inauguration Day, and there was no clear protocol in place for
determining who should replace him. Assuming that if a Governor-elect
should die before the inauguration, the office would go to the candidate
who received the second highest number of votes in the General Election,
Democratic party agents -- knowing that Talmadge was ill -- had
engineered a write-in campaign on behalf of his son Herman Talmadge, who
ended up finishing second to his father in the November balloting. Thus,
when the senior Talmadge died his son was prepared to step forward as his
replacement.

However, the outgoing Governor, Ellis Arnall -- a racially-progressive
liberal who despised the Talmadges --  insisted that under his
interpretation of the state constitution, he was entitled to continue for
another term as Governor, but that as a compromise with the Democrats, he
would not do so, offering instead to turn the job over to his Lieutenant
Governoer, M. E. Thompson.

All this came to a head in January. On January 15th, the
Democratic-controlled state assembly approved Talmadge as Governor, and
administered the oath of office. He immediately proceeded to the
Governor's Office, and two of his henchmen broke down the locked door.
Arnall spat at Talmadge and refused to leave. The next day, Talmadge
returned with a .38 revolver in his belt and forced Arnall to vacate the
premises. Arnall then proceeded to set up a "Government In Exile,"
establishing his headquarters at the information kiosk in the rotunda of
the State Capitol, while Talmadge's henchmen tried to drive him
completely out of the building by throwing cherry bombs at him. In the
meantime, state troopers loyal to Talmadge set up a barricade at the
Governor's Mansion, with armed men -- referred to by Arnall as "storm
troopers" -- posted on the veranda to ensure that Arnall would not be
allowed inside.

On the 18th, Arnall formally resigned as Governor in favor of M. E.
Thompson -- but no one was sure by this point who was really in charge,
and the state was quickly becoming a national laughingstock. After 63
days of extraordinarily bitter debate -- in which Talmadge painted Arnall
and Thompson as front men for "civil-rights carpetbaggers" -- the General
Assembly ruled in favor of Thompson, pending a special election to be
held in 1948. Backed by the full force of the Georgia Democratic Party,
Talmadge won the election, and parlayed his victory into a career which
eventually took him to the U. S. Senate, where he held office until 1981.

Last year, I transferred a collection of recordings of news coverage of
the Three Governors Affair made by station WSB in Atlanta for the First
Generation Radio Archives -- they offer a riveting play-by-play account
of this incredible story, complete with speeches by all of the principal
participants. It must be heard to be believed.

Elizabeth

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 19:07:07 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Two O'Clock Eastern War Time
Message-Id: <v03130302b7825dfdaadc@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Charlie wrote:
[ADMINISTRIVIA: I don't believe Mr. Dunning owns a computer, let alone
spends time on-line. Folks with contrary information, please give!  --cfs3]

Actually, he does have access to the computer and web, though I am not sure
how often. I wrote a review of his book which was published in the SPERDVAC
Radiogram and MWOTR's Radio Recall when it first came out and subsequently
received an email from Mr. Dunning thanking me for the review. So I know he
does have some access, though, as I said, I am not sure how often.

Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 21:28:12 -0400
From: "Ian Grieve" <ian@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  RE: MISSING MAGIC ISLAND EPISODES
Message-Id: <v03130314b7827f748aa0@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Jack Harris wrote:

Ian I still can't figure out about the missing two episodes. There should
be 130 as that would make sense for a run. However I have listened to them
closely (I thought) and can't figure out what is missing. Like any good
serial they always tell you what happened last time and it always is what
happened last time. One dealer claimed he had all 130 but no one seems to
know what two are missing. I am going to listen to the two you say are
missing. (the few episodes before and after and see if they are. It would
be nice to know. I would be more than happy to buy the missing two.

G'Day Jack,

Basically when looking for all the episodes of a series I always check out
Jerry H's logs.  I noticed that there were 130 eps listed, but the most I
could find were 128.  I checked 4 different log sites and some contain
descriptions as well as the show title.  I noticed that ep130 had the same
description as ep128 in my collection.  That started me thinking and I
posted a request for information here.  Several people contacted me off-line
and could tell me that there were definately 130 eps in the series.  That
led me to believe that there were two missing episodes and that a naming
problem also existed for the episodes, otherwise they wouldn't finish at the
same spot.  So I made up two lists, one for the 128 and one for the 130
episodes.  I then started comparing episodes and also listened again from
the beginning.  Yes, at the beginning of most episodes they give a rundown
of the story so far, but it is not always accurate enough to pinpoint the
previous episode.  Some of the episodes could be classed under several
titles, particularly around the spot that I believe the error has occurred.
I found what I believe to be the two missing ones using this method and
Jerry H has offered his assistance to help me by supplying me with the two
that I think are the culprits.  I have warned him that I may be wrong and
may have to make several attempts before I am satisfied that I have
identified them correctly.  I don't think he will need to send me all 130.
:)

What caused this to happen?  Well my theory and it is just a theory, is that
somewhere along the line, when somebody has put up to 5 episodes together
for some reason into a single .mp3 file, these can be found all over ftp
sites and in the usual places, they have made a mistake and this has simply
carried forward.  The collection I have made are all individual episodes and
will hopefully be complete when the two missing episodes are added and then
the subsequent episodes are renamed to reflect the true 130 series.  I will
let you all know when that happens.

I have a request.  Could everybody stop asking Hal Stone, questions.  He is
not a young man anymore and we need to allow him to finish his book.  I
suppose Charlie could always ban him, but then Charlie will lose the
opportunity to win free drinks.  I thought the request had better come from
me as I live further away than most of you and he is less likely to 'rock'
my roof, plus we don't have Maceys :)

Ian Grieve

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 00:37:11 -0400
From: Udmacon@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Jack McCarthy
Message-Id: <v03130301b782a7b66c80@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

 "Ironically, Jack McCarthy was my favorite actor to play the
[removed]"

Is this the same JACK MC CARTHY who broadcast for WPIX-TV New York City's St.
Patrick's Day Parade for many, many decades?

Bill Knowlton, "BLUEGRASS RAMBLE," WCNY-FM: Syracuse, Utica, Watertown NY
(since Jan. 1973). Sundays, 9 pm est: [removed]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 00:37:39 -0400
From: "Jan Bach" <janbach@[removed];
To: <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Re: Harry Bartell's Movies
Message-Id: <v03130302b782a7c8709c@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hello again --
In the OTR Digest v1 #235, Harry Machin Jr. asked:

I wonder if anyone
knows some specific episode, or some
specific movie, that Mr. Bartell was in.
Perhaps Mr. Bartell could help me out
here.

Harry Bartell was in at least twelve movies, including the early fifties'
Monkey Business, playing a fellow scientist alongside Cary Grant.
Once again my source is [removed], the best website for movies, their
actors, their directors, etc. Take a look there, Harry!

Jan Bach

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 00:37:56 -0400
From: "Stephen A Kallis, Jr." <skallisjr@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Heroes, Superheroes, and Someone Who was a
 Little of Each
Message-Id: <v03130303b782a7cf7252@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

John Mayer, speaking of the definition of what constitutes a superhero,
notes,

I guess, the Lone Ranger would qualify as a Superhero - shooting a gun
out of the moving hand of an outlaw riding a horse, while mounted himself
on Silver, borders on being a superpower, and he wore that mask.

Well, cowboy clothes and masks were not unheard of in those days.  Nor
were remarkable marksmen.  So, while The Lone Ranger might be considered
an extraordinary hero, that's still a cut below superhero.

Again, thank God there were few superheroes on radio, even in
children's programming. I prefer to think not, but, conceivably, if radio
adventure drama had survived, it would have deteriorated as comic books
have.

Well, with the exception of Batman and Robin on the Superman show, OTR
superheroes (and there were only a few) didn't have "crossovers."  And,
for that matter, unlike the comic-book superheroes, the OTR variety
didn't exercise their powers that much.  One of the few superheroes, The
Shadow, went invisible only once or twice; during most of each show he
was Lamont Cranston.  As mentioned before, Chandu didn't shun a fistfight
if he had to confront the baddies; he didn't flatten them with magical
zaps.

Of all the heroes in radioland, the one that came closest to
superherohood was Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy.  Although
ostensibly human, Jack was as infallible as an Oracle.  He never had
fear, and hardly even evidenced excitement.  There was hardly anything he
wasn't expert at, and his side always won, usually due to his actions.
Nobody was like him.  The Lone Ranger could lose his temper; Jack
Armstrong never did.  Nowhere in the pages of history was there another
like him!

Stephen A. Kalis, Jr.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 00:37:54 -0400
From: Jim Widner <jwidner@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Superman vs Atom Man
Message-Id: <v03130304b782a7de75be@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

There is a book that will be published in September, 2001 called:

The Superman Radio Scripts Volume I:
Superman vs. The Atom Man
Compiled and edited by DC Comics
Published by Watson-Guptill
0-8230-8423-X
$[removed]$[removed] cn (paper)
US and Canada Dist.

The book will include the scripts plus artwork from Joe Shuster.

Here is the blurb I picked up:
Volume I contains the classic 1945 broadcast "Superman vs. the Atom Man,"
which pitted the Man of Steel against his deadliest foe, a radioactive Nazi
agent within whose veins flowed deadly kryptonite. The book also contains
16 sidebars offering readers inside stories about the characters, actors,
and even the impact the radio shows had on American listeners. Readers will
also find incredible classic art by the legendary Joe Shuster, who
co-created Superman and drew the early issues of the Superman comic book
series.

I know nothing else about the book except that it will be available in
bookstores. Obviously, the Volume 1 implies more to come.

Jim Widner
jwidner@[removed]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 00:37:52 -0400
From: "Mike Kerezman" <philipmarlowe@[removed];
To: "OTR DIGEST" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  Jay Novello Unmasked
Message-Id: <v03130305b782a7ed795b@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I just saw Jay Novello tonight on an episode of "THE GUNS OF WILL SONNET".
He played a Spanish Priest in Mexico masterfully delivering the spanish
dialect. After hearing for Years as Cairo Police Captain Sabaya on ROCKY
JORDAN finally seeing him was not as Imagined. He kinda short, and very thin
unlike the gruff, heavy set man I had imagined from listening to Radio.

Mike Kerezman
Macomb, Oklahoma

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 08:36:19 -0400
From: jwburchell@[removed]
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Watching Mr. Bartell on TV
Message-Id: <v03130302b7831c3ed81b@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

In the 7/23/01 issue of the Digest, Harry Machin, Jr. wondered where he
might catch a glimpse of Mr. Bartell's work on film.  I don't mean to steal
Mr. Bartell's thunder by answering for him, but I really enjoy watching his
work  every time TV-Land has a Dragnet Fandemonium Weekend.  They usually
have a couple of episodes featuring him. If you check the Internet Movie
Database at [removed] you can see that in addition to being one of the best
and most prolific radio actors, Mr. Bartell was also quite busy in TV and
Movies.  If you go to [removed] and register (free at
[removed]) there are several Dragnet episodes in the
Classic TV section.  Mr. Bartell has a substantial role as Sgt Tony Chavez
in the episode called "The Big Boys."  Leonard Nimoy has a bit part as a
bad-guy.  You can watch it in Streaming Video using Real Player.  BTW, Mr.
Bartell, not only is your acting great, but so is your Spanish.  Thanks for
a lot of great entertainment!

Jim Burchell

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 08:57:17 -0400
From: Dan Hughes <danhughes@[removed];
To: [removed]@[removed]
Subject:  Jack Benny Check?
Message-Id: <v03130303b7832126ffa5@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

In 1961, State Farm presented to its top agents a check from Jack Benny
for 39 cents.  These checks were mounted on a wooden block.  Does anyone
know if Jack's signature on these checks is real, or just a stamping?

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2001 10:46:33 -0400
From: "Ryan Osentowski" <rosentowski@[removed];
To: "old time radio" <[removed]@[removed];
Subject:  writers on Johnny Dollar
Message-Id: <v0313030db7833985bb9b@[[removed]]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hi all:
This recent discussion of radio heroes and such got me to thinking about
something.  I recently discovered that Jack Johnstone, at one time, produced
and directed Superman.  This is, of course, the same Jack Johnstone that
produced The Six Shooter and the Bob Bailey Johnny Dollars.  Has anyone ever
noticed the difference in writing styles among the lead writers of the
five-part shows of Johnny Dollar?  The four main writers of the shows were,
Les Crutchfield, John Daweson (aka E. Jack Newman), Jack Johnstone and
Robert Rife.  Were I not such a big fan of the series, I probably would
never have analyzed the programs as I have.  It is apparent that Mr.
Johnstone, while creating a more complex radio detective with more depth,
didn't worry about character consistency between the writers.  John Daweson
penned the most scripts of the five-part Dollar serials and he all but
disappeared after the show reverted to its half-hour format.  He penned the
first five-part story, "The McCormick Matter," and he also wrote such others
as, "The Broderick Matter," "The Sheppard Matter," and "The Lansing Fraud."
Daweson's depiction of Johnny is a man who is very tenacious, determined,
and quite cynical about his work and people in general.  He is an almost
unstoppable force in his pursuit of the truth and one wonders if the man
ever smiles.  Yet, he seems to have a powerful need to right wrongs and stop
injustice.  Daweson always brings a strong moral undertone to his writing.
Also, his stories are never black-and-white good verses evil.  There is
always a great amount of human drama mixed in with the suspense.  Les
Crutchfield wrote many scripts as well, but his depiction of Dollar was less
tenacious than Daweson's, although he was still a champion of justice in the
insurance world.  It has often been said of Crutchfield, that he was a very
charming and likable person.  Much of this charm shines through Dollar's
character.  Crutchfield leaned more toward the mystery/who-dunit aspect of
the show, as evidenced in such tales as, "The Molly Kay Matter," "The Open
Town Matter," and "The Shady Lane Matter."  Even so, Crutchfield gave us
deeply-drawn characters blended in with the suspense, and Dollar's
introspective narrations between scenes show that Crutchfield is a real
writer at heart.  The Other main writer for the show was the
producer/director, Jack Johnstone.  Sometimes, when listening to the
Johnstone stories, one wonders if the man wasn't confusing Johnny with
Superman.  He penned such tales as, "The Ricardo Amerego Matter," "The Jolly
Roger Fraud," and "The Midas Touch Matter."  Johnstone had a much more light
and breezy style of writing and his character could do it all, whether it
was cracking a case, beating up the bad guys, landing a beautiful woman or
dodging a hale of bullets.  While Daweson's character was a self-appointed
cynic, Johnstone's Dollar was a person who ultimately believed in people.
Johnstone did bring a more human element to Dollar, however, because he
makes no bones about the fact that he *loves* money.  This is evidenced by
his own admissions and the comments his clients often make about his
well-padded expense accounts.  His Dollar was almost an exact duplicate of
Robert Rife's portrayal in such shows as, "The Alvin Summers Matter," and
"The Crystal Lake Matter."  The one consistency Johnstone stuck with, which
brought a more realistic tint to the show, was his semi-regular cast of
characters.  People like Pat McCracken, Harry Bransen and Buster Favor was
pop up more than once to send Johnny off on another case.  It is also
interesting to note that Johnstone began writing the vast majority of the
scripts when the show reverted to its half-hour format in late 1956.
Now, any of you are asking, "Ryan, do we care about such things?"  Possibly
not, but this is the only place I can write about such things and hope to
have some kind of audience.  My friends sure don't care.
RyanO

"Life is an unrelenting comedy.  Therein, lies the tragedy of it."
Dean Koontz

--------------------------------
End of [removed] Digest V2001 Issue #236
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