Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Ingenuous Jeweler Matter (EP4669)

Summary

The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio: "Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Ingenuous Jeweler Matter" (EP4669) – Detailed Summary

Podcast Title: The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio
Host: Adam Graham
Episode Title: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Ingenuous Jeweler Matter
Release Date: April 4, 2025

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I. Introduction

In this episode of The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio, host Adam Graham delves into the thrilling adventures of Johnny Dollar, America's renowned freelance insurance investigator. Titled "The Ingenuous Jeweler Matter," this episode presents a compelling mystery involving the theft of the prestigious Beaufort jewelry collection. Through incisive storytelling and rich character interactions, listeners are transported to the mid-20th century, experiencing the intrigue and suspense characteristic of old-time radio dramas.

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II. Plot Summary

Act One: The Case Unfolds

The episode kicks off with Johnny Dollar receiving an urgent call from Harry Branson of the Philadelphia Mutual Liability and Casualty Insurance Company. Branson pleads, "If you can clear up this matter, I shall be eternally grateful. $985,000" (00:49). Johnny, ever the professional, agrees to take on the case, intrigued by the mention of a murder linked to the theft of the Beaufort collection.

Upon arriving at Branson's office, Johnny engages in a terse conversation about the stolen jewels and the associated attempted murder. Branson reveals that the collection, originally belonging to the Duke de Beaufort and lost to the Germans during World War I, was insured for nearly a million dollars. However, the situation is complicated by the attempted murder of J. Harold Whipsit, the jeweler who owned the collection, and his secretary, Ms. Peri Winkle (04:13).

Act Two: Investigation Deepens

Johnny teams up with Lieutenant Bart Stanley, a familiar face from a previous case (07:08). Together, they inspect the scene of the crime at Whipsit's office on Chestnut Street. Lieutenant Stanley explains the sequence of events: a masked intruder demanded the Beaufort collection, threatened Whipsit with a gun, and attempted to restrain him using an unusual rubber doorstop device (08:30).

Johnny scrutinizes the doorstop mechanism, deducing that the assailant must have meticulously planned the crime, hinting at insider knowledge. "He simply jammed the door stop onto the edge of the door from the outside." (09:42) This led to the conclusion that someone familiar with the office's layout and security measures was involved, raising suspicions about Whipsit's innocence.

Act Three: The Confrontation

In a dramatic turn, Johnny returns to Whipsit's office with newfound evidence—a piece of platinum wire discovered beneath the doorstop (16:00). He confronts Whipsit, unraveling the elaborate scheme to defraud the insurance company by stealing and melting down the jewels to claim the insurance money.

Whipsit, realizing he's been caught, attempts to defend himself, but Johnny's unwavering logic and the irrefutable evidence leave no room for denial. The episode culminates in Whipsit's arrest, bringing closure to the case and highlighting Johnny Dollar's keen investigative skills (17:55).

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III. Key Insights and Discussions

Plot Mechanics and Intricacies

The episode showcases Johnny Dollar's methodical approach to solving complex cases. The ingenious use of a rubber doorstop as part of the criminal's plan adds a layer of technical sophistication, reflecting the era's fascination with clever gadgets and schemes. However, as the host later critiques, the plausibility of the doorstop mechanism raises questions about the realism of the plot:

"The gimmick for this episode wasn't bad, but I think everyone was far too blown away by the cleverness of the jeweler scheme..." (21:25)

Character Development

Johnny Dollar is portrayed as a meticulous and resourceful investigator, contrasting with the morally ambiguous characters he encounters. Harry Branson represents the corporate side, desperate to recover the insured assets, while J. Harold Whipsit embodies the desperate, flawed individual resorting to deceit.

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IV. Host Commentary and Analysis

Listener Engagement and Critical Reflection

Adam Graham provides insightful commentary post-drama, addressing listener feedback and dissecting elements of the episode. A notable discussion revolves around the portrayal of Johnny Dollar's compensation:

"Mechanic6682 writes... Johnny Dollar's my favorite old time radio show... but never tell us how much he makes" (22:15).

Graham explores the challenge of aligning the fictional compensation with realistic figures, acknowledging the disparity between Johnny's high-stakes cases and real-world insurance investigations.

Balancing Analysis with Enjoyment

Graham emphasizes the importance of balancing deep analysis with the sheer enjoyment of the narrative:

"I think that talking about and analyzing and thinking about different aspects of the episode can be part of the enjoyment of it..." (23:45).

He strives to engage listeners in meaningful conversations without detracting from the entertainment value, acknowledging that over-analysis can sometimes hinder enjoyment.

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V. Listener Feedback and Community Interaction

YouTube and Apple Podcasts Comments

Listeners actively engage with the podcast, offering both praise and constructive criticism. For instance, Mechanic6682 highlights a plot issue:

"So a guy gets blackmailed into making his partner beneficiary of a $500,000 life insurance policy and then goes hunting with him. How dumb do the writers have to make these guys?" (21:30).

Graham responds by elaborating on the complexities of translating realistic scenarios into the streamlined narratives of radio dramas, while also appreciating the listeners' attention to detail.

Another listener from Apple Podcasts, JDC 1591 from Canada, praises the podcast:

"Adam Graham has given us one of the finest podcast around. Thank you sir for your dedication..." (25:00).

Graham acknowledges these positive remarks, reinforcing the podcast's commitment to quality storytelling and listener satisfaction.

Listener Survey Responses

Additional feedback includes personal anecdotes about how the podcast fits into listeners' lives, such as helping them sleep or providing entertainment in their craft rooms. These insights underscore the podcast's impact on its audience's daily routines.

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VI. Conclusion

"Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Ingenuous Jeweler Matter" offers a captivating blend of mystery, character depth, and intricate plotting that exemplifies the allure of old-time radio detective dramas. Through Johnny Dollar's relentless pursuit of truth and justice, listeners are treated to a masterclass in investigative storytelling.

Host Adam Graham's thoughtful commentary and engagement with listener feedback enhance the overall experience, fostering a community of enthusiasts who appreciate both the nostalgia and the nuanced storytelling of classic radio detectives.

Whether you're a longtime fan or new to Johnny Dollar's adventures, this episode provides a compelling glimpse into the golden age of radio mysteries, promising excitement and intellectual engagement in equal measure.

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Notable Quotes:

• Harry Branson (00:49): "If you can clear up this matter, I shall be eternally grateful. $985,000."
• Johnny Dollar (09:42): "He simply jammed the door stop onto the edge of the door from the outside. Sure."
• Adam Graham (21:25): "The gimmick for this episode wasn't bad, but I think everyone was far too blown away by the cleverness of the jeweler scheme."
• Mechanic6682 (21:30): "How dumb do the writers have to make these guys?"
• JDC 1591 (25:00): "Adam Graham has given us one of the finest podcast around..."

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Transcript

[Adam Graham]

Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we're going to bring you this week's episode of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. But first, I do want to encourage you, if you're enjoying the podcast, to follow us using your favorite podcast software. And also with spring here, and some are not too far behind, it's a great time to pick up your great detectives of Old Time Radio. We have four different designs and multiple styles, as well as various color choices, all available@t shirt.great detectives.net that's t shirt.great detectives.net but now, from January 5, 1958, here now is the ingenious jeweler matter.

[Johnny Dollar]

And Johnny Duller.

[Harry Branson]

This is Harry Branson. John.

[Johnny Dollar]

Hi, Harry.

[Harry Branson]

Philadelphia Mutual Liability and Casualty Insurance Company.

[Johnny Dollar]

I said hi, how are you?

[Harry Branson]

Oh. Oh, yes. Well, I'm fine, thank you. But that's beside the point, John. This thing has me terribly upset.

[Johnny Dollar]

Comes today. You aren't upset over something, Harry. It'll be a miracle. What's it all about?

[Harry Branson]

Can you come down here to Philadelphia right away?

[Johnny Dollar]

Don't see why not. But now, what seems to be.

[Harry Branson]

If you can clear up this matter, I shall be eternally grateful. $985,000.

[Johnny Dollar]

Wow. For what, Harry?

[Harry Branson]

Of course, anyone, any criminal that is, could be suspect in the theft of what but the murder. It doesn't make sense. Or does it? What do you think, John?

[Johnny Dollar]

What do I think? Look, Harry, you haven't yet given me.

[Harry Branson]

What possible reason could there have been for firing the shot?

[Johnny Dollar]

How about the butler?

[Harry Branson]

The butler?

[Adam Graham]

Of course.

[Harry Branson]

I never thought of that. I. John, what butler?

[Johnny Dollar]

Oh, I'll be down to see you, Harry. Goodbye.

[Harry Branson]

Wait, wait. You mean you know something about this case that the police and I don't know.

[Johnny Dollar]

I don't know anything about it yet. I'll be down to see you.

[Harry Branson]

But in that case.

[Johnny Dollar]

Bye, Harry.

[Harry Branson]

But in that case, John, if you don't know anything about it, what leads you to suspect the butler? And what butler? John, you have me all confused.

[Johnny Dollar]

Then that makes us even by. But John, so help me, if it weren't for the big fat expense account I can foist on Harry Branson. Well, here we go again. Bob Bailey in the exciting adventures of the man with the action packed expense account, America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator, yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Now act one of Yours truly, Johnny Dollar expense account submitted by special investigator Johnny Dollar to the Philadelphia Liability and Casualty Insurance Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following us, an account of expenses incurred during my investigation of the ingenuous jeweler matter expense account item one, $32.70. Train fare in incidental is Hartford, Connecticut, to Philadelphia. Cab to Harry Branson's office on Walnut Street. I found him sitting at his desk, his head in his hands. Oh.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Oh.

[Harry Branson]

Oh, John, I'm glad you've come.

[Johnny Dollar]

Yeah. Well, how's your good health, Harry?

[Harry Branson]

No, as a matter of fact, it's fine. Although I did have a touch of laryngitis last week. I could hardly speak about it. John, why do you always try to take my mind away from matters at hand? I simply ask particularly something as important as this.

[Johnny Dollar]

All right. As what?

[Harry Branson]

The B collection, of course.

[Johnny Dollar]

Beaufort. Oh, yeah. Seems to me I've heard about that. Jewelry.

[Harry Branson]

One of the most important small collections in the world. Why, when his Grace, the Duke de Beaufort lost them to the Germans back during the First World War.

[Johnny Dollar]

Yeah, I'm sure. But now, let's get to the point.

[Harry Branson]

They've been stolen, and we'd insured them for nearly a million dollars.

[Johnny Dollar]

Stolen from where?

[Harry Branson]

The jeweler who owned them. J. Harold Whipsit.

[Johnny Dollar]

Oh, hey, I've heard of him too. Isn't he the fellow who was tagged by the Customs Department a few years ago for trying to smuggle in a lot of stuff?

[Harry Branson]

Yes, yes, the same one. But his reputation since that incident has been quite all right. Completely unsullied. Oh, I must admit that I had some misgivings about issuing a policy to a man with his past record. But since he's in the clear again and considering the premiums involved and. John, I had a long discussion with a psychiatrist about the man, about what would motivate him.

[Johnny Dollar]

Harry, before you go rattling off on.

[Harry Branson]

Another tack, John, I resent that.

[Johnny Dollar]

Look, you said something about murder at the time of the theft. Oh.

[Harry Branson]

Oh, yes. So far, however, it's only attempted murder.

[Johnny Dollar]

You see, of this man Whipson.

[Harry Branson]

His secretary, Ms. Winkle.

[Johnny Dollar]

Winkle?

[Harry Branson]

Peri Winkle.

[Johnny Dollar]

Oh, no.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Wait.

[Johnny Dollar]

Is that some kind of a gang?

[Harry Branson]

It certainly is. Not at first. When they arrived, the police thought she was dead.

[Johnny Dollar]

Where did all this happen?

[Harry Branson]

At the Whipsit office. It's on Chestnut Street.

[Johnny Dollar]

When did it happen?

[Harry Branson]

Just last night.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Oh, dear.

[Harry Branson]

$985,000 and maybe a human life. Well, yes, of course.

[Johnny Dollar]

Now, tell me all you know about it, Harry.

[Harry Branson]

Well, the Beaufort collection contains several diamond and emerald brooches that date back to. Let me see.

[Johnny Dollar]

Forget the dates. What I want to know is.

[Harry Branson]

No. The fact that all the stones were rather small and of conventional cut means that once they're Remounted. No one could ever identify them.

[Johnny Dollar]

What's that got to do with the date of the collection?

[Harry Branson]

Well, as I started to say.

[Johnny Dollar]

Let's go over to the Wipsit's office.

[Harry Branson]

Very well. Now, as I started to say the date of the Duke de Beaufort's acquisition.

[Johnny Dollar]

Of these jewels you say this Periwinkle was badly hurt. How?

[Harry Branson]

She was shot by the robbery? As I started to say the date at which the Duke de Beaufort.

[Johnny Dollar]

Tell me this. Was Whipson himself shot or shot at?

[Harry Branson]

No, and I'm sure he'll tell you all about that when you see him at his office. He's certain to be in this morning. As I started to say. John.

[Johnny Dollar]

John. Going down, gentlemen? Yeah, thanks. Come on, Harry. Step in, please, Harry.

[Harry Branson]

As I started to say, John, John.

[Johnny Dollar]

Whether I want it or not during the nine block taxi ride up Chestnut Street I got the whole history of the Duke de Beaufort's jewels from the time of the French Revolution to the present. That camera, the way is Adam 2. A dollar, even. What I did want to know was more about J. Harold Whipson. After all, a man who had once attempted fraud against U.S. customs. Anyhow, we finally reached his office in the Prosser Building. Present was Police Lieutenant Bart Stanley with whom I'd worked a case two years ago.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Glad to see you, Johnny.

[Johnny Dollar]

Yeah, same here, Bart. What do you make of it so far, Blanco? Is Whipsit here?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

One of the boys took him down for some coffee. He needs it after what happened to him last night.

[Johnny Dollar]

The Beaufort jewels, huh? Yeah.

[Harry Branson]

Yes, I told Mr. Dollar all about them, lieutenant. How the robber took nothing else. How the jewels themselves came into being.

[Johnny Dollar]

Henry, we've got work to do here.

[Harry Branson]

Well, I.

[Johnny Dollar]

After all. Now, look, Bart, this man whoops it. His reputation in the back.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

I know exactly what you're gonna say. I might have thought the same thing. Johnny hadn't seen exactly what happened.

[Johnny Dollar]

Tell me, what did happen, Lieutenant, you look very tired.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Yes, Mr. Branson, I am.

[Harry Branson]

After all, having been up all night on this thing suppose I bring Mr.

[Johnny Dollar]

Dollar up to date?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Well, sure.

[Johnny Dollar]

Oh, no, you don't. I want to find out now. Not next week, John. Go ahead, Bart.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Well, Whipsit and his secretary, Perry Winkle. Isn't that a name?

[Johnny Dollar]

Yeah, sure is. Where is she, by the way?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Jefferson Hospital. Anyhow, they were here very late last night working on the books. Came a knock on the door. Whips had opened it. This man barged in with a gun and demanded the Beaufort collection.

[Johnny Dollar]

And?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Well, Whips had argued with him. Finally gave in when the guy threatened to shoot him, but Ms. Winkle made a dash for the door. The intruder let her have it, held the gun on Whipsit, tore out the telephone line, then locked him in and disappeared. And that's it.

[Johnny Dollar]

Wait a minute. How could he lock Whipsit in his own office? This lock opens from the inside with this, Johnny. What, this little rubber doorstop?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

That's right.

[Johnny Dollar]

But I don't see.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

I'll tell you how he did it and why. This little rubber wedge is absolute proof that Whipsit couldn't possibly have rigged this whole deal.

[Johnny Dollar]

Act two of yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. In a moment. Act two of yours truly, Johnny Dollar and the ingenuous jeweler Matter.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Look here, Johnny, this door.

[Johnny Dollar]

What about it, Bart?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

This is a real old building. All the office doors open outward into the corridors, see?

[Johnny Dollar]

So?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

All right. After the robber made Mr. Whipsit hand over the jewelry, he shot the secretary, Ms. Winkle. Then he yanked out the telephone, beat it and slammed the door on Whipsit.

[Johnny Dollar]

But you said locked him in, and I don't see how.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Look, with this little rubber wedge, door opens outward. Right.

[Harry Branson]

Don't you see, John?

[Johnny Dollar]

Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Sure. Of course I see, Bart.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Sure.

[Johnny Dollar]

He simply jammed the door stop onto the edge of the door from the outside. Sure.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

So the harder Whips had pushed against the door, the tighter it jammed. The telephone knocked out. All he could do was bang on the door and holler and holler out the window.

[Johnny Dollar]

That's what tipped you off.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

The policeman on the beat down on Chestnut street heard the shot and then the yelling. By a stroke of luck, I pulled up in a prowl car just about then.

[Johnny Dollar]

I see.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

We came tearing up here and found out how somebody locked Whipset in his own office. Whoever did it, Johnny, must have cased the joint to know about the doors opening outward.

[Johnny Dollar]

Yeah. Makes any suspicion of Whipson himself.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Well, yeah, it makes it look a little silly. Anyhow, he was pretty much beside himself. More upset over the girl lying there with a slug in her than he was over losing the collection.

[Johnny Dollar]

Any idea what kind of a gun was used on her?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

The hospital sent the bullet over to the lab. It was a.38 special.

[Johnny Dollar]

And she was in pretty bad shape, huh?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Well, we thought at first she was dead, so the quips had.

[Johnny Dollar]

Could he give you a description of the. The assailant?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Yeah, but it's not much help. Could apply to half a million men in this big city.

[Johnny Dollar]

What about fingerprints? None.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Guy wore gloves.

[Johnny Dollar]

Has the girl been able to tell you anything at all?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

She was unconscious Johnny has been ever since. I'm afraid it's going to be curtains for her.

[Johnny Dollar]

Oh, too bad. She's over at Jefferson, you say?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Yeah, but there's no point in going over there.

[Johnny Dollar]

Even if she came to for only a couple of minutes, she might be able to give us something to go on.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

What could she tell us that Whipsit hasn't already told us? Well, we're back, lieutenant.

[Johnny Dollar]

You want Mr. Whipsit to stick around?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

No, I guess not. Conroy.

[Johnny Dollar]

I took him over to a place I know on Pine street and poured.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

A couple of stiff drinks in him. He needed them. And you, too, Conroy. Oh, now, Lieutenant. Mr. Whipsit, this is Johnny Dollar, insurance investigator.

[Johnny Dollar]

Oh, Mr. Dollar, how are you?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

You know Mr. Branson, I guess.

[Johnny Dollar]

Oh, yes. Oh, yes, indeed.

[Harry Branson]

And may I tell you, Mr. Whipsit, how dismayed I am by what's happened here?

[Johnny Dollar]

Thank you, Mr. Branson. It's been a terrible.

[Harry Branson]

It certainly has. £985.

[Johnny Dollar]

I was speaking of poor Miss Winkle, sir.

[Harry Branson]

Oh, yes, of course.

[Johnny Dollar]

Yes, yes, Mr. Whipsit. This girl, Miss Periwinkle, she was your secretary. She was more than that, Mr. Dollar. Well, I loved her. How is she, Lieutenant? Has there been any word from the hospital? Well, yes, Mr. Whipsett, there has. And it's proof that modern medicine is a very wonderful thing. What do you mean, sir?

[Harry Branson]

Yes, John, I.

[Johnny Dollar]

It may take time, of course. A long time. Yes. As a matter of fact, she hasn't even regained consciousness yet.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

I see.

[Johnny Dollar]

But it looks as though she'll fully recover. Oh, I see. Well, I. I hardly need tell you how I feel about that.

[Harry Branson]

How glad I am.

[Johnny Dollar]

I told that little white lie to see what, if any, reaction I'd get. And I had a strange feeling that his words, how glad I am were not quite true. Fortunately, neither Harry Branson nor the Lieutenant questioned my apparent knowledge of the condition of the girl. Even better, the Lieutenant rose to the occasion.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Well, as I see it, there's really nothing further we can do here. You look like you could use some sleep, Mr. Whipsit. And Conroy and I'd better get back to headquarters, see if the boys have run down anybody who fits that description you gave us.

[Johnny Dollar]

Yeah, good idea. Let's go, huh? And, Mr. Whipsit, you close up and go on home and get some rest. Yes, I will. Thank you. Thank you very, very much. You have no idea what a terrible shock this has been for me.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Of course, you'll keep yourself available if we need you further.

[Johnny Dollar]

Oh, of course, Lieutenant.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Okay, Johnny. What was that all about? Telling him, she'd recover.

[Harry Branson]

Yes, John, I almost interrupted.

[Johnny Dollar]

I was afraid you would. That's why I kept talking. Barn, I'm going over to the hospital.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Oh, now, look, John, if there's only.

[Johnny Dollar]

One chance in a million of that girl regaining consciousness, I want to be there when she does.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

You still suspect Whipsit?

[Johnny Dollar]

Did I say that?

[Harry Branson]

Don't you see, John? The whole thing hinges on that little rubber doorstop. On the fact that he couldn't possibly have locked himself in with it.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Branson's right, Johnny.

[Johnny Dollar]

Okay, then I won't go over to the hospital. Ring for the elevator, Harry.

[Harry Branson]

Oh, sure, John. What will you do?

[Johnny Dollar]

Call him on the phone down in the lobby Instead? This is Dr. Kenworthy. This is Johnny Dollar, doctor, insurance investigator. I'm calling about Ms. Peri Winkle. Oh. Oh, yes. I was about to call the police. She's conscious now. She died, Mr. Dollar, less than five minutes ago. Act three of yours truly, Johnny Dollar, in a moment. Three of yours truly, Johnny Dollar and the ingenuous jeweler matter.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Well, what'd you find out from the hospital, Johnny?

[Johnny Dollar]

The girl is dead about five minutes ago. Oh, dear.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

And we've got a killer to track down. Now, I'd better get on over to headquarters.

[Harry Branson]

I'll phone poor Mr. Whips that he left the building while you were in the phone booth, John.

[Johnny Dollar]

Bart, have you got a key to his office upstairs?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Why, sure. Right here.

[Johnny Dollar]

Let me have it, will you?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Here. You want me to go up there with you?

[Johnny Dollar]

Why don't you go over to the hospital and see if Whipsit shows there?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

What do you expect to find up in his office, Johnny?

[Johnny Dollar]

I haven't the least idea why kid about it. I didn't have the least idea what I expected to find or even what I was looking for. When I walked into the jeweler's office up on the eighth floor, I picked up the rubber doorstop. The one thing that proved Whipsit couldn't possibly rig the whole deal. But I somehow felt that if only that little wedge of rubber could talk. Then I noticed a funny. A funny sort of burr on one side of it. Just a tiny little rough spot. But it showed me where somebody had pierced a tiny hole through it. Why, after a couple of minutes of rummaging around, I found it. A piece of fine, strong platinum wire about 2ft long. A wire that could be carefully slipped through the hole in that rubber doorstop. Well, Mr. Dollar? Well, what are you doing back here, Whipsit? If you don't mind my saying so, there was.

[Harry Branson]

There was something about Your attitude that.

[Johnny Dollar]

I didn't exactly care for. When you were here with the policeman and Mr. Branson. And when you left them downstairs in the lobby and took the elevator. Oh, I see you found it. Yeah, that's right. It was very smart of you, Hubson. Thank you. Put this rubber wedge on the floor just outside the door. With the wire on it leading under the door. Exactly. Then pull the door closed. Then pull the wedge into place with a wire. And the door can't possibly be open from in here. You've locked yourself in. The more you push in the door, the tighter the wedge holds it. That's right. And you don't forget to retrieve the wire by pulling on one end of it. I suppose those are the gloves you wore when you killed Ms. Winkle so you'd leave no prints. Oh, then she's dead. How fortunate for me. And that's the gun you used?

[Harry Branson]

Yes.

[Johnny Dollar]

I'm afraid she was rather averse to my breaking down the Beaufor collection, melting down the mountings and secreting the stones at my home. And, of course, claiming the insurance money. But after all, nearly a million dollars. Why are you telling me all this? Because, you see, this is also the gun that will kill you. After which I shall lock your body in this office using the doorstop. Again. It's a rather nice touch, don't you think?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Is it?

[Johnny Dollar]

Well, don't you see? It's now a sort of trademark of the completely unknown thief, the unknown killer of both the girl and you. Oh, now, wait a minute. Do you think if I found out how you did it, the police can't.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Did they?

[Johnny Dollar]

Even after their lab crew spent the whole night up here. I guess you got a point there. Yes. Turn around, Dollar. Turn around. Well, you see, I'm going to have to shove this gun into your back to muffle the sound. Well, look, Webster, unless you have a better idea.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Well, I have.

[Adam Graham]

Me.

[Johnny Dollar]

Oh, I suppose I might have known. This whole thing seem too easy. All right, Lieutenant.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

All right, Conroy, wrap him up. Right, Lieutenant.

[Johnny Dollar]

Hands out, Whipsit.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Johnny, I knew you had something up your sleeve when you came back up here.

[Johnny Dollar]

Just wouldn't let me work it out alone, would you, Bart?

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

All right, what was it? What did you find out that tipped you off?

[Johnny Dollar]

Oh, you'll never know for me, huh? After all, I might want to use it to stump you sometime.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Oh, now, look, Johnny.

[Johnny Dollar]

Okay, that's whips it here. He just loves to explain things at great length, too. At least it was long enough for you boys to get up here.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

I know something he's not going to explain his way out of. Let's go Whips it.

[Johnny Dollar]

Harry. I think I'll have to figure out some way to pad my expense account even more than usual in cases like this. I mean, where a.38 slug nearly ends up in me. After all, fun is fun, a job's a job. But some of these laddies carry things too far. Come to think of it, I'll have to run down to New York again to appear against Whipson. So, expense account total, including that and transportation back to Hartford and all the incidentals I could possibly think of. $181 even yours truly, Johnny$Johnny Dol Traveller has come to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.

[Adam Graham]

Welcome back. I like to be optimistic and think that parents love their children, but then you hear about people like Periwinkle. The gimmick for this episode wasn't bad, but I think everyone was far too blown away by the cleverness of the jeweler scheme. Even if he hadn't used the piece of wire in the doorstop, the person who did it could have been hired by the jeweler. And that is actually much more likely because the doorstop gag is a weird thing for a robber to do. Anyway. Having killed Ms. Winkle, why would the robber employ a device to keep the jeweler alive and able to identify him? It would have made more sense for the jeweler to come up with some reason for being there before or after Ms. Winkle's shift, and then have the alleged robber use the doorstop gag in order to avoid a homicide charge. As it was, it was obvious that the jeweler was lying even without the title. Also, one of the biggest coincidence saves by the police, and a fairly implausible one. Well, now we turn to listener comments and feedback and we have a comment regarding the hapless Hunter Matter on YouTube. Mechanic6682 writes, so a guy gets blackmailed into making his partner beneficiary of a $500,000 life insurance policy and then goes hunting with him. How dumb do the writers have to make these guys? Or do they think their audience are idiots? That's a fair point. He then also writes, Johnny Dollar's my favorite old time radio show. That being said, I hate that they give us a breakdown of his expenses but never tell us how much he makes. I would think if he saved the company a half million, he should make $50,000. Well, I appreciate the comment. And as he found out later after making that comment he's hardly the first person to ask about this. And he's right that the curiosity is triggered by hearing the expense account but rarely getting an idea of what sort of fee gets charged. If we didn't hear the expense account, not many people would care what Johnny would make. But throughout the years a lot of people have been curious just because of the focus on the expense account. There are three main reasons why there's no definitive answer on the show. The first is that this was written in the 1950s and it just didn't go that deep and kind of. The second reason for that and related is that it's very hard to actually know. The thing is that in the course of the year Johnny is working for different insurance companies on different types of cases using different types of policies which would tend to have different scales of compensation. Now you study the writers of yours truly Johnny$, or you look at Jack Johnstone and you won't find a man among them who was qualified figure something like that. I've made my own attempts in the past. He highlighted another episode I recorded back in 2012 where in response to this I questioned. I went on to Bureau of Labor Statistics and found the average wage for insurance investigators. And they had like average and then they had the high wage which for 2006 which was $79,000. To me that didn't sound like a bad living at the time. But Mechanic 6682 pointed out that that'd be a bit over 124,000 in today's money. And with as often as Johnny risk his life and as often as Johnny saves the insurance company massive sums of money, that's probably not enough. And I think that's a fair comment. But it just illustrates the difficulty of calculating that because despite my best attempts, you can't compare what Johnny Dollar does to real life insurance investigators. Security and investigation is a bit of a variable field anyway. But there has never been a real insurance investigator whose work has been any like Johnny Dollars. How many insurance investigators in real life get fat fees to go and investigate relatively minor claims for high value eccentric clients? It would be odd if it happened once or twice in most investigators careers. It happens probably four times a year to Johnny. Most of his cases are high value mysteries with big stakes and likely his services come at a premium to the companies that hire them. I suspect the average investigator, even the ones with higher earnings, probably has a lot more routine. And I guess the third point is that it would be awkward to talk about the Johnny earning a realistic amount of money. Keeping in mind also that we've mentioned already that his adventures are being broadcast on the radio, which means he's been paid for that too. And I think a detective wealthy could actually be a little bit awkward at that point. I read once that the idea for Johnny Dollar in part was to create a poor man's Philip Marlowe, though I've not read that very much since, and I'm not certain how accurate that was as a motivator. But it is true that Donny Dollar often borrowed ideas from more hard boiled detectives. And one of Raymond Chandler's ideas about what the hard boiled detective would look like is that he would be a common man and Chandler wrote he is a relatively poor man or he would not be a detective at all. And so there was that idea in mystery fiction, at least for certain types of detectives. If you weren't Nero Wolf, if you were a sort of two fisted hero, it was expected you were not going to be super well off. Now I do think that the standard of living for detectives rose a bit during the 1950s, but it was an awkward balance and probably not something you would call attention to unnecessarily. Of course, as time went on you would have other characters who had more obvious wealth from their work. You had people like Banachek in the early 1970s played by George Peppard, and he was someone who got a lot of wealth off of solving these very high price, complex, seemingly impossible to solve insurance mysteries. Then you had Frank Cannon who just had this amazing apartment. And the way things work with Cannon is either his cases were pro bono for some friend or poor person who needed it, or he was charging some rich client through the nose so that he could finance his lifestyle and also be able to do the pro bono cases he liked to do. So attitudes would involve on that. But I think in the late 1950s I would probably not be comfortable calling attention to how much money Johnny would obviously be making off the cases that he's taking. And then we have a new review from Apple Podcasts where JDC 1591 from Canada gives a five star review. Who writes Adam Graham has given us one of the finest podcast around. Thank you sir for your dedication to your podcast and the wonderful material that you continue to share with us. I can always rely on you for another great radio show. Just one thing. Is it really necessary to analyze some episodes to death? Can't an episode just be fun to listen to? Well, thank you so much. I do appreciate the question. And and really it's a fine Balance. Like on one hand, I actually think that talking about and analyzing and thinking about different aspects of the episode can be part of the enjoyment of it. Even if you are criticizing some aspect of the production, there's a social aspect to entertainment of sharing an experience, talking about it and saying, this is what I like, this is what I, I didn't like. And so I share a little bit of that depending on the episode. And I also work to engage with what people in the audience are thinking as well. That's one of the reasons why we started the podcast. And you'll find with so many programs, the people who have the nitpicks, who notice like the littlest issues tend to be some of the people who are most engaged and love and enjoy it the most. Now, is it possible to analyze to death or to go too far, like into deconstructing everything? Absolutely. And I think that there are a lot of things that can be over criticized and I try not to do that. But I will engage with comments that sometimes mention some things which I wouldn't have called out but somebody else noticed. And again, it's just trying to have that engaging conversation and if you find out it's going in a direction and you're like, ah, I don't particularly care for this line of conversation, then, you know, you can skip ahead or you can speed me up so that I sound like Alvin from the Chipmunks. And then once I'm done saying ooh, ee, ooh, ah or whatever then and get on to thanking Patreon Supporter of the Day and things like that, then, you know, slow it back down. And then we also have a couple of comments from our listener survey. Jeffrey writes, I can only sleep to Johnny Dollar. And another listener writes, I listen when I'm in the craft room. I really enjoy Johnny Dollar. Well, thank you so much. And now it's time to thank our Patreon Supporter of the Day. And I want to go ahead and actually, Patreon Supporters of the Day, I want to thank Paul, Gregory and Laurie, who all became Patreon supporters five years ago this month in April of 2020. Paul supporting the podcast at the Detective Sergeant level of $7.14 or more per month. And Gregory, Peter, James and Laurie supporting the podcast at the psalmist level of $4 or more per month. Thank you so much for your support. And that will do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite podcast software. We'll be back next Friday with another episode of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. But join us back here tomorrow for Dragnet, where?

[Harry Branson]

What did you want to talk to me about, officers? I haven't done anything wrong.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Well, we know that, son. We'd just like to find out how you've been getting along.

[Johnny Dollar]

I've been getting along all right. Two A's and four B's on my report card last month.

[Lieutenant Bart Stanley]

Where's your sister, Dick?

[Adam Graham]

I hope you'll be with us then. In the meantime, send your comments to Box 13. Great detectives.net follow us on Twitter at radiodetectives and check us out on Instagram. Instagram.com Great detectives from Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Graham. Son and all.