Podcast Summary:

The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio

Episode: Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The King's Necklace Matter (Encore) (EP4885)

Host: Adam Graham
Date: January 9, 2026
Original Air Date of Drama: March 17, 1953
Featured Actor: John Lund as Johnny Dollar

Episode Overview

In this classic episode, Adam Graham presents the suspenseful radio drama "The King's Necklace Matter" from Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. The episode revolves around an intricate insurance investigation on a private island, following an attempted theft of a quarter-million-dollar necklace. What begins as a straightforward checkup soon spirals into accusations, a death, and a clever twist exposing the true culprit among a cast of greedy and secretive characters. Adam Graham champions the episode’s clever plotting, realism, and its surprising but logical denouement.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. Opening and Assignment (03:20–05:26)

• Johnny Dollar arrives in Miami, briefed by insurance manager Marty Fenton about King Rawlings, a retired financial tycoon who claims there was an attempted break-in targeting his insured necklace.

• Fenton is suspicious, noting rumors about Rawlings' financial troubles:

  "We got a letter from him day before yesterday. Claims somebody attempted to break into his safe. Thinks they were after the necklace." – Marty Fenton (04:33)

• Johnny is sent preemptively due to possible insurance fraud, with the policy about to expire.

2. Arrival at Los Banos Island & Introduction to Key Characters (05:49–12:27)

• Johnny describes Rawlings’ island as a tropical paradise, yet with an uneasy, self-involved group of inhabitants.

• Nita Valdez, a beautiful and candid resident, warns Johnny about Rawlings:

  "Everyone here is too occupied with himself to bother... everyone on this island has been accused of attempting the theft, including you." – Nita Valdez (07:03)

• Timothy B. Harley, Rawlings’ nervous secretary, seems evasive when asked about the necklace.

• King Rawlings himself is abrasive and accusatory, quick to suspect both Harley and Nita:

  "They love money and hate me." – King Rawlings (11:47)

• Upon inspection, Johnny discovers the missing necklace has been replaced with a cheap fake:

  "I'm no expert on precious stones, but ten will get you twenty if these aren't paste." – Johnny Dollar (12:09)

3. Motives, Misdirection & Growing Suspicion (13:05–15:23)

• Johnny learns from Nita about Rawlings' manipulative tendencies and his penchant for collecting "people" as much as treasures.
• Nita suggestively pins the blame on Rawlings himself, hinting that his fortune might not be as secure as believed.

4. The Death of King Rawlings & Locked Room Mystery (16:14–18:47)

• King Rawlings is found dead under mysterious circumstances; police arrive and an autopsy is planned.

• Motive speculation:

  • Nita and Harley are considered suspects, but the will (held by Havana lawyer Senor Chavez) reportedly names only charities as beneficiaries.

• Harley’s suspicious behavior: He's caught packing to leave and found with $10,000 in crisp bills, leading Johnny to further question his motives.

5. Attempt on Johnny’s Life & The Confession (20:49–28:21)

• Johnny survives an attempt on his life while pondering the case.

• Harley disappears, and a boat is missing—Johnny suspects Harley tried to escape with the real necklace.

• In Havana, Senor Chavez confirms Rawlings’ fortune is intact and the will excludes Harley and Nita.

• Captain Fuentes reports Harley’s body washed up on the island, implying he died in escape—he also had the safe’s combination.

• Final twist and confrontation: In a brilliant deduction, Johnny unmasks Marty Fenton, the insurance manager, as the mastermind who orchestrated the theft by using Harley as the inside man:

  "Rawlings swore that only he knew the combination of that safe. He was wrong. One other man knew it. The one who supervised its installation." – Johnny Dollar (27:33)

• Fenton confesses, but surrenders without drama:

  "What's the use?... Besides, I never could outshoot you." – Marty Fenton (28:19)

6. Reflections & Commentary (31:43–33:45)

• Adam Graham admires the script's clever use of misdirection:

  "This is probably one of my favorite stories of the Lund era. It is just so cleverly written with the death of the policyholder actually being this whole red herring and the revelation it was the insurance agent really surprised me." – Adam Graham (31:43)

• He highlights the episode’s grounded ending, where the villain surrenders, a notable deviation from more melodramatic tropes of the era.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Nita Valdez, on island life and Rawlings:

  "He specializes in aspiring artists with little or no talent... Keeps them dangling... then he cuts them off." (14:13)

• Johnny Dollar, deducing the manipulation:

  "How tough would it be to face reality with a quarter of a million dollars?" (14:44)

• Marty Fenton, on the nature of happiness:

  "You know, somehow I don't think Rawlings was a very happy man. With all his dough holed up on that island. Nothing but hate around him now." (26:33)

• Final confession, the 'Columbo moment':

  "Rawlings swore that only he knew the combination of that safe. He was wrong. One other man knew it. The one who supervised its installation." – Johnny Dollar (27:33)

Key Timestamps

• 03:20: Johnny Dollar receives assignment, meets with Marty Fenton
• 06:36: Johnny meets Nita Valdez on Los Banos
• 09:34: Johnny is escorted to Rawlings’ castle, meets Harley
• 11:10: Rawlings suspects both Harley and Nita
• 12:09: Johnny discovers necklace is a fake
• 16:14: Rawlings is found dead; police investigation begins
• 18:47: Johnny finds Harley with large cash, confronts him
• 21:58: Attempt on Johnny’s life; Harley disappears
• 25:12: Autopsy: Rawlings died naturally; Harley’s body found
• 27:03: Johnny reveals Marty Fenton as culprit
• 31:43: Adam Graham’s post-episode commentary and analysis

Final Thoughts and Tone

This episode showcases classic radio detective drama at its best: a self-contained whodunit with colorful suspects, plentiful red herrings, and a clever, fair-play twist. The interplay is sharp, with a sense of moral ambiguity and the loneliness of greed underpinning the story. Adam Graham’s postscript is enthusiastic, insightful, and appreciative of the episode’s tight craftsmanship and avoidance of clichés.

Listeners are left both entertained and challenged to piece together the clues—making this "Johnny Dollar" installment a standout of the era.