The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio

Episode Summary: Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar – The Johnson Payroll Matter (Ep4895)

Host: Adam Graham
Original Airdate of Radio Drama: September 21, 1958
Podcast Release Date: January 23, 2026

Overview of the Episode

In this episode of “Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar,” freelance insurance investigator Johnny Dollar is sent to California on what’s promised as a “simple job”—to track down $100,000 stolen in the Johnson Payroll Robbery. What seems like a straightforward pickup quickly spirals into danger, double-crosses, and murder as Johnny follows a trail from Los Angeles down to a small coastal town. Classic hardboiled tension ensues as Johnny sifts through suspects, navigates shady informants, and evades both lawbreakers and their violence, all while keeping his trademark dry wit.

The Johnson Payroll Matter is a quintessential Johnny Dollar adventure—rife with twists and a satisfying conclusion that turns on the smallest of details. Adam Graham introduces and closes the episode, providing insight into the story’s place in the OTR detective canon.

Key Discussion Points & Story Breakdown

1. The Setup: An "All Expenses Paid" California Case

• Johnny is approached by Pat McCracken at Universal Adjustment Bureau (02:24–03:50)
  • Pat persuades Johnny to accept a job that’s sold as a “vacation”—just pick up money and bring it back.
  • The case: The Johnson Payroll was robbed in New York; $100,000 missing and insured.
  • One robber died and revealed a plan for the loot to be split up in another city, possibly California.

Notable exchange:

“Last time you invited me on a vacation, I got hit over the head, almost run down by a truck, and kicked around by a guy seven feet tall.”
— Johnny Dollar to Pat McCracken (02:40)

2. The Mysterious Contact and Sudden Death

• Johnny checks in at the Hotel Nester, LA, and receives instructions from an anonymous informant. (05:30–08:30)
  • He’s told to drive to Corrado Beach and meet at a pier.
  • On the pier, Johnny finds his contact dead, knifed in the ribs.
  • The local police can’t identify the body, leaving Johnny’s only lead dead.

Notable moment:

“He isn’t sleeping... That’s right. He’s dead.”
— Johnny & bait shack attendant (08:25)

3. Barroom Encounters & A Mysterious Woman

• Johnny, stuck for leads, sees the woman from his LA taxi at a Corrado Beach bar. (11:25–13:30)
  • Awkward confrontation—she denies knowing him.
  • After being thrown out by the bartender, Johnny finds a motel room key in his coat—realizes she may have slipped it there during their earlier encounter.

4. Dangerous Discoveries and the Double-Cross

• Johnny investigates the motel room, but is ambushed by Slattery—a tough suspect in the payroll job. (14:00–17:10)
  • Slattery thinks Johnny’s part of a rival crew and tries to beat the money’s location out of him.
  • Johnny denies involvement, but Slattery is unconvinced.

Notable quote:

“So now you’re gonna tell me where it is. ... You the one takes the convincing, Dollar, so I start convincing.”
— Slattery to Johnny (16:40)

5. Piecing it Together—With Help from the Woman

• Johnny escapes Slattery and tracks down "Myra Grant,” revealed to be Blake’s girlfriend. (19:50–22:30)
  • She says Blake—the true mastermind—had her slip the key to Johnny to mislead Slattery.
  • Myra claims ignorance of the crime and agrees to help Johnny.

Notable moment:

“I didn’t know Blake was a criminal. Honestly, I didn’t.”
— Myra Grant (21:50)

6. The Fishy Clue and Final Showdown

• A key slip: a local bartender reveals there haven’t been fish in the area for months—contradicting the fake bait shack worker’s earlier story. (23:05–24:00)
  • Johnny realizes the supposed bait shack worker is Blake using it as a hideout.
  • At the shack, Blake is armed, but Slattery arrives, guns are drawn, and Blake is shot.

Clever reveal:

“...He hadn’t told me that phony story about the fish biting near the pier. Teaches me a lesson, Pat. I’m not going to tell any more fish stories. They can kill you.”
— Johnny Dollar (26:56)

Memorable Quotes by Timestamp

• “What you need is a nice vacation—all expenses paid. ... Just pick up something and bring it back. That’s all.”
  — Pat McCracken (02:33)

• “I can’t think of a better way to arrive in a strange city than with a beautiful girl in your arms.”
  — Johnny Dollar, on the taxi mix-up (06:38)

• “He isn’t sleeping... That’s right. He’s dead.”
  — Johnny and bait shack attendant (08:25)

• “I think you know where that dough is, and I want it, now.”
  — Slattery (16:50)

• “There’s been no fishing around here for months.”
  — Bartender, disproving Blake’s disguise (23:09)

• “Teaches me a lesson, Pat. I’m not going to tell any more fish stories. They can kill you.”
  — Johnny Dollar (26:56)

Episode Timeline

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:24 | Pat McCracken introduces case to Johnny: the Johnson Payroll Robbery | | 05:30 | Johnny checks in at LA Hotel Nester; gets map to Corrado Beach pier | | 08:25 | Discovers informant dead on pier | | 11:25 | Encounters mysterious woman at bar; realizes key planted in his coat | | 14:00 | Ambushed at motel by Slattery | | 16:40 | Slattery tries to beat information out of Johnny | | 19:50 | Johnny seeks woman’s help; she confesses what Blake made her do | | 23:05 | Bartender’s clue: the "fish story" is a lie; Johnny heads to the bait shack | | 25:00 | Blake appears, is confronted by Slattery; final shootout | | 26:56 | Johnny wraps up with wry reflection about "fish stories" |

Host Commentary & Reflection

Adam Graham, after the episode, muses on its script origins:

"Our criminal is undone in the end by trying to make small talk while not knowing what he was talking about. And his end not only has a moral for fishermen, but really for all of us." (27:50)

He notes enjoyment in the old-fashioned plot twist and thanks a Patreon supporter before wrapping up.

Episode Highlights

• Classic Johnny Dollar quips balance hardboiled danger and humor.
• A seemingly simple errand spirals into murder and double crosses.
• Johnny pieces together the case using both wit and subtle clues—including a "fish story" he cleverly exposes.
• Satisfying resolution with both criminals caught, money recovered, and Johnny’s wry lesson learned.

For Those New to Johnny Dollar

This episode typifies the blend of detective shrewdness, atmosphere, and punchy dialogue that "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar" is known for. While an insurance investigator, Johnny’s methods and troubles rival any private eye—and his expense account is as legendary as his wit.

Listen for: Tight plotting, clever misdirection, and a resolution that turns on an offhand lie.

Next Week:
A mystery solved by a pair of spectacles in “The Gruesome Spectacle Matter.” Join host Adam Graham for more classic detection.

Find more at: www.greatdetectives.net