Harold's Old Time Radio

"Let George Do It – Christmas Letter" (Originally Aired 1951-12-25)

Harold's Old Time Radio | Released: December 9, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of "Let George Do It," titled "Christmas Letter," revolves around private investigator George Valentine as he navigates a Christmas Eve request from a lonely GI stationed in Japan. The GI, Dan "Red" Ferris, asks George to act as his proxy and take a young woman, Lucy Rand, out for a festive evening in his place. What begins as an act of holiday kindness unfolds into a tangle of suspicion, romance, and a puzzling theft, all wrapped in the warmth and sentimentality characteristic of radio's Golden Age holiday fare.

Key Discussion Points and Plot Breakdown

Setting the Stage & The Christmas Request

(00:32–03:26)

• George Valentine and his assistant Brooksie (Claire Brooks) are decorating a Christmas tree. George receives and opens a letter from a GI in Japan, Dan "Red" Ferris.
• Red’s letter asks George to take his "girl" Lucy Rand out on Christmas Eve, as he can’t be there, and includes $20 for expenses.
  • Red’s letter (02:31):
    "Here's something I would like you to do for me on Christmas Eve... You'll be doing me a big favor if you'll be my proxy this Christmas Eve and write me all about it. Very truly yours, Dan 'Red' Ferris."
• Brooksie and George discuss the request, noting that Red might also be checking up on his girlfriend from afar, a common soldier’s anxiety.

A False Pudding – Introduction of "Shorty"/Shep Gilson

(03:55–05:41)

• George and Brooksie are stopped by a man selling Christmas pudding for $2, but it turns out to be a scam—the pudding is actually a brick. The man, desperate, says he wants to be jailed for a meal on Christmas.
  • Shorty (05:12):
    "I have no wife. I have nothing. And I don’t care if you call the cops and they put me in jail. At least I get a good meal there."

Meeting Lucy Rand

(05:59–09:18)

• At Lucy’s apartment, she explains she only ever wrote to Red out of kindness, not love, and already has a date (Walter Denning) for the evening.
• George and Brooksie hear a record sent from Red in Japan—a personal, sentimental greeting that reveals Red doesn’t even know what Lucy looks like, but finds solace in her letters.
  • Red’s record (07:35):
    "...so a fella gets to do a lot of thinking and hoping, remembering. When I do that, I keep thinking mostly of the things you wrote me in your letters."

Walter Denning: The New Suitor (And His Suspicious Character)

(10:28–13:44)

• George and Brooksie bump into Walter Denning at a bar. Denning flirts with Brooksie, boasts about Lucy, and projects the image of a devoted, in-love fiancé.
  • Denning (11:07):
    "A beautiful girl like you, Miss Brooks, should be able to wield a great power over the life of any man."
• Brooksie and George express doubts about Walter’s sincerity, suspecting him to be a womanizer and possibly after more than Lucy’s affection.

The Theft: Lucy’s Engagement Ring Disappears

(13:44–16:22)

• Back at Lucy’s, a police officer arrives with a warrant for George’s arrest: Lucy accused him of stealing her engagement ring.
• Lucy, clearly shaken, admits she’s conflicted about marrying Walter, especially after hearing from Red. The missing ring creates emotional and practical tension.

The Pursuit: Holiday Whodunit

(16:22–20:50)

• George follows leads, suspecting the pudding salesman (Shorty/Shep Gilson), while Brooksie checks pawnshops.
• The trail leads to a pawn shop and a dramatic chase through a Christmas tree lot, but Shorty denies having the ring and is soon apprehended.

The Reveal: The Real Thief Exposed

(22:03–25:55)

• In a private hallway conference, George confronts Denning, revealing that Denning stole back the ring himself—a phony diamond!
• Denning’s excessively gracious reaction to the missing ring was a cover for his guilt:
  • George (23:52):
    "...when I told you about the ring being stolen. No matter how much in love a guy is, he’d still react normally. Be shocked or angry...anything except the perfect gentleman with a noble speech. Unless there's a reason."
• Denning confesses, and Lucy realizes Walter was never truly hers, nor was the engagement authentic.
  • Brooksie (25:36):
    "Phony. That’s what it is, isn’t it? The ring, the talk of engagement..."
  • George (25:42):
    "Walter just got caught with his real intention showing, that’s all. Phony diamond, phony proposal, phony character."
• Shorty will get his wish—jail and a Christmas meal—as his crime was less severe than he feared.

Resolution: Hope, Kindness, and a "Real" Christmas

(26:35–28:16)

• Lucy records a heartfelt message for Red—realizing that true affection may grow over time and it's not the trappings of Christmas (rings or diamonds) that matter, but real connection and kindness.
  • Lucy (27:03):
    "Maybe this was kind of a sudden idea. It’s almost midnight, Christmas is almost here... Tomorrow, Red, I’m going to send you a long letter."
• George and Brooksie return to their Christmas tree, sharing mistletoe and Christmas wishes, closing the story with promises of hope and healing.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On holiday kindness in adversity:
  • Shorty (05:12): "I have no wife. I have nothing. And I don't care if you call the cops and they put me in jail. At least I get a good meal there. They give turkey and trimmings on Christmas."
• On the meaning of Christmas for the lonely:
  • Red’s record (07:35): "When you listen to Christmas music or see a guy in a funny red suit ringing a little bell in the street, I hope you’ll think of me."
• On deception and real intentions:
  • George (23:52): "No matter how much in love a guy is, he’d still react normally. Be shocked or angry... anything except the perfect gentleman with a noble speech. Unless there’s a reason."
  • Brooksie (25:36): "Phony. That’s what it is, isn’t it? The ring, the talk of engagement..."
  • George (25:42): "Phony diamond, phony proposal, phony character."
• On true Christmas gifts:
  • George (25:55): "Yeah, you ought to call it a swell Christmas present, miss."

Important Timestamps

• 02:31-03:26 — Red’s letter: the emotional core of the request.
• 05:12 — The pudding scam: "I have no wife. I have nothing."
• 07:35 — Red’s record: a soldier’s lonely Christmas wish.
• 13:33 — The accusation: Valentine is accused of theft.
• 16:04-16:22 — The confrontation with Walter Denning.
• 23:52-25:42 — George’s reasoning exposes Denning’s duplicity.
• 27:03 — Lucy’s message to Red, hints toward new beginnings.

Final Thoughts

This episode blends mystery, sentiment, and subtle social commentary on loneliness, hope, and sincerity. The Christmas backdrop brings forth themes of forgiveness and new beginnings, as phoniness is unmasked and genuine acts of kindness and connection are celebrated. George Valentine serves as both detective and holiday "Cupid," bringing closure to Lucy and perhaps igniting the spark of a new relationship between her and Red.

Closing wish:

"Merry Christmas, everybody." — George Valentine (28:16)