Detectives on the Air

Originally Aired: February 2, 1954 Johnny Dollar #200, "The Paul Gorrell Matter," Johnny Dollar arrives in Phoenix to investigate a brutal payroll robbery that left two guards dead and $100,000 missing. George Post, Plymouth Insurance's chief adjuster, reveals a shocking secret: the police don't know that one of the robbers, a man named Palavic, contacted him before being murdered. Palavic identif...

Originally Aired: January 26, 1954 Johnny Dollar #199, "The Beauregard Matter," Johnny Dollar is called to Rockport, Illinois by Dave Brace of Plymouth Mutual to investigate the theft of a $30,000 sapphire necklace stolen from socialite Ellen Beauregard. The case takes an intriguing turn when the suspected thief, Benny Stark, contacts the insurance company wanting to make a deal. Before Johnny can...

Originally Aired: January 12, 1954 Johnny Dollar #197, "The Celia Woodstock Matter," Johnny Dollar travels to a windswept house near Long Island Sound to investigate the disappearance of Celia Woodstock, the young wife of Captain Lyle Woodstock. The 55-year-old captain initially claims he's worried about his 27-year-old wife's safety, but Dollar soon discovers the situation is more complex than pr...

Originally Aired: January 5, 1954 Johnny Dollar #196, "The Fairway Matter," finds insurance investigator Johnny Dollar called to the scene of a devastating airline disaster. Sam Harris from Columbia Risk Insurance pulls Johnny into the case when a Fairway Airlines plane explodes shortly after takeoff, killing thirteen passengers and crew plus a family of four on the ground when the wreckage crashe...

Originally Aired: December 29, 1953 Johnny Dollar #195, "The Ben Bryson Matter," Johnny receives an urgent summons from Ed Murphy at Eastern Mutual Insurance Company, who delivers shocking news: Ben Bryson, Johnny's good friend and the company's chief adjuster on the West Coast, didn't just die in a tragic car accident off a cliff last month. Investigation reveals that Ben embezzled nearly $80,000...

Originally Aired: December 15, 1953 Johnny Dollar #193, "The Milk And Honey Matter," Johnny Dollar travels to Beirut, Lebanon to investigate a suspicious yacht sinking worth $90,000. Brett Cunningham's yacht, the Happy Time, allegedly went down in calm weather and a smooth sea after striking a derelict, sinking in just three minutes. Dollar finds the impossibly tall and carefree Cunningham at the...

Originally Aired: December 8, 1953 Johnny Dollar #192, "The Barton Baker Matter," Johnny Dollar heads to Newport, California, to investigate the shooting death of Frank Meadows, who ran a boat chartering service with his partner Dave Geller. When Johnny arrives, Lieutenant Sullivan explains that Meadows was shot three times in what appears to be a gunfight, and the prime suspect is Geller, who has...

Originally Aired: December 1, 1953 Johnny Dollar #191, "The Monopoly Matter," insurance investigator Johnny Dollar rushes to the outskirts of Waterbury at the request of Mr. Brandt to examine a suspicious fire at a recreation club. Arriving while firefighters are still battling the blaze, Dollar teams up with Fire Captain McGready to sift through the smoking ruins. The evidence quickly points to a...

Originally Aired: November 24, 1953 Johnny Dollar #190, "The Independent Diamond Traders Matter," Johnny Dollar travels to New York to investigate a disturbing trend for Atlas Indemnity: nearly two-thirds of the small, independent diamond traders along the city's famous Diamond Row have gone bankrupt and cancelled their insurance policies after decades in business. His assignment leads him to E. G...

Originally Aired: November 17, 1953 Johnny Dollar #189, "The Nathan Gayles Matter," Johnny Dollar investigates the murder of Nathan Gayles, a New York police lieutenant shot in his own garage. Sergeant Bill Kemper believes the killer is a hood named Bancroft, whom Gayles had been pursuing relentlessly. On the day of the murder, Gayles told Kemper he was meeting with a stoolie named Virgil Cummins...

Originally Aired: November 10, 1953 Johnny Dollar #188, "The Bobby Foster Matter," Johnny is called to investigate an insurance claim in Riggs City, Florida, where a young boy has suffered a devastating medical emergency. Five-year-old Bobby Foster lies in a coma at the local hospital, facing permanent paralysis as the result of a botched injection that caused an air bubble to enter his bloodstrea...

Originally Aired: November 3, 1953 Johnny Dollar #187, "The Gino Gambona Matter," Johnny Dollar is hired by an insurance company to investigate the murder of Barney Rico, a former racketeer who went straight seven years ago and built a successful chain of barbershops. Rico's death is particularly suspicious because he was the man whose testimony sent mob boss Gino Gambona back to Sicily. Lieutenan...

Originally Aired: October 27, 1953 Johnny Dollar #186, "The Howard Arnold Matter," Johnny Dollar is hired by his old friend Hanley Conrad to protect Howard Arnold, a prominent attorney who has represented crime boss George Castro and his syndicate for years. Arnold has had a falling out with Castro and fears for his life, but he refuses to go to the police unless he's ready to expose the entire or...

Originally Aired: October 20, 1953 Johnny Dollar #185, "The Allen Saxton Matter," Johnny Dollar travels to New York to investigate a potential insurance claim on a supposedly priceless painting purchased by wealthy collector Allen Saxton for two hundred thousand dollars. The problem: several experts have declared the masterpiece a forgery, while Saxton insists he bought it from Rene Francois, one...

Originally Aired: October 13, 1953 Johnny Dollar #184, "The Phillip Morey Matter," Johnny is called to New York by Mr. Maynard to investigate a costly production shutdown at Maury Productions Incorporated. Television star Philip Morey has allegedly suffered a nervous breakdown, halting filming and leaving the cast and crew under contract while the insurance company foots the bill. When Johnny arri...

Originally Aired: October 6, 1953 Johnny Dollar #183, "The Alfred Chambers Matter," Johnny Dollar travels to Michigan's exclusive Les Chenaux Islands to investigate the shooting death of Alfred Chambers, a Pittsburgh steel executive found dead in his rented lakeside cabin. Captain George Lane of the Sault Ste. Marie Police briefs Johnny on the puzzling circumstances: Chambers was shot in the chest...

Originally Aired: September 29, 1953 Johnny Dollar #182, "The Amita Buddha Matter," Johnny Dollar flies to Los Angeles to investigate what initially appears to be a tragic house fire that claimed the life of William McEdwards. However, Beverly Hills Police Chief Anderson reveals a disturbing truth: McEdwards was murdered, stabbed and struck with a severe skull fracture before the fire was set to c...

Originally Aired: September 22, 1953 Johnny Dollar #181, "The William Post Matter," Johnny Dollar heads to New York City when his boss Ray Kemper informs him that an insured client, Mrs. Teresa Post, has been murdered. The wealthy banker's wife was found stabbed to death in her eighth-floor apartment by private detective Paul Sachs and her lawyer George Simon, who had both arrived for an evening a...

Originally Aired: September 8, 1953 Johnny Dollar #179, "The Lester Matson Matter," insurance investigator Johnny Dollar is assigned to investigate a suspicious fire that destroyed the Matson plastics factory in New York. Philip James briefs him on the $700,000 claim, and the police have already ruled out accident—evidence points to arson involving high octane fuel. Lieutenant Ridgway at New York...

Originally Aired: September 1, 1953 Johnny Dollar #178, "The Stanley Price Matter," Johnny Dollar takes on a perplexing case when the New York police confiscate $100,000 worth of rare gems hidden in a water pipe. The jewels may belong to one of his company's European clients who was robbed three months earlier, but they've been removed from their settings and recut, making positive identification...

Originally Aired: August 25, 1953 Johnny Dollar #177, "The Nelson Matter," Johnny travels to New York to investigate the death of Carl Nelson, a small-time hoodlum with a long criminal record who was shot to death. The beneficiary of Nelson's $10,000 insurance policy is a woman named Maud Gilkerson, and she's disappeared. Lieutenant Korchak of the 11th Precinct believes Maud knows something about...

Originally Aired: August 18, 1953 Johnny Dollar #176, "The Isabel James Matter The Kimball Matter," Johnny Dollar travels to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to investigate the murder of Isabel James, a woman insured by his company for ten thousand dollars. Upon arrival, he meets with Captain Clifford Kissig, who reveals a disturbing pattern: Isabel is the fourth victim in three weeks, all with their throats cut,...

Originally Aired: August 11, 1953 Johnny Dollar #175, "The Nancy Shaw Matter," Johnny Dollar receives an intriguing assignment from Philip Martin to investigate the theft of $100,000 in jewels from Nancy Shaw, a major movie star. Dollar flies to Los Angeles and meets with Sergeant James Dodd of the Santa Monica Police, who reveals this is the fourth robbery in a series with the same MO. The thief...

Originally Aired: August 4, 1953 Johnny Dollar #174, "The Voodoo Matter," insurance investigator Johnny Dollar travels to Haiti to look into a series of mysterious troubles plaguing farmer Claude Sheldon and his neighbors. Fires have destroyed cane fields, cattle have fallen sick, and farmers are dying under inexplicable circumstances. When Sheldon arrives at Johnny's hotel room to discuss the cas...

Originally Aired: July 28, 1953 Johnny Dollar #173, "The James Forbes Matter," Johnny Dollar receives an assignment from Roger Stern to investigate the death of wealthy textile magnate James Forbes, who apparently fell from a 110-foot cliff during his nightly walk. Lieutenant Parkhill of the Fifth Precinct is treating it as an accident—Forbes was a successful businessman in good health with no app...