DRAGNET TRIPLE PLAY: THE BIG TAR, BIG MANNEKIN, BIG HANDSOME BANDIT
Release Date: 11/14/2025
THE PICTURE POSTCARD MATTER YOURS TRULY, JOHNNY DOLLAR
1001 RADIO DAYS
Each story of the Bailey years started with a phone call from an insurance executive, calling on Johnny to investigate an unusual claim. Each story required Johnny to travel to some distant locale, usually within the United States but sometimes abroad, where he was almost always threatened with personal danger in the course of his investigations. Johnny's file on each case was usually referenced as a "matter," as in "The Silver Blue Matter" or "The Forbes Matter". Later episodes were more fanciful, with tit
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THE BATON SINISTER and THE FATTED CALF PHILIP MARLOWE PRIVATE DETECTIVE
1001 RADIO DAYS
Elements of mystery have always been represented in literature, but the detective story didn't arrive on the scene until the mid 1800's. Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue, published in 1841, was the first. The Murder's main character, C. Auguste Dupin, was a brilliant detective who relied on superior deductive powers to solve the crime. He and his unnamed narrator companion solved this and two other mysteries.
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DRAGNET THE MOTHER-IN-LAW MURDERS and SPRING STREET GANG
1001 RADIO DAYS
Dragnet, the brainchild of Jack Webb, may very well be the most well-remembered, and the best, radio police drama series. From September, 1949 through February 1957, Dragnet's 30 minute shows, broadcast on NBC, brought to radio true police stories in a low-key, documentary style.
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THE AMY BRADSHAW MATTER A JOHNNY DOLLAR MYSTERY
1001 RADIO DAYS
Johnny Dollar Insurance Investigator was one of the most popular detective shows on radio- and for good reason- a lively script, great voice acting, and top quality production. One of our favorite series at 1001!
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HOW I PLAYED SANTA CLAUS YOURS TRULY JOHNNY DOLLAR
1001 RADIO DAYS
Our favorite insurance detective catches a jewelry store thief and chases bullets in the progress...
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THE LONELY HEARTS MATTER YOURS TRULY JOHNNY DOLLAR
1001 RADIO DAYS
Bob Bailey, generally thought of as the most popular of the Johnny Dollars, brought a new interpretation to the character – tough, but not hard-boiled; streetwise, but not overly cynical, Bailey's Dollar was smart and gritty when he had to be. But Bailey's Johnny Dollar was also human. His character would get emotionally involved in a number of his cases. He had a streak of impatience, and would occasionally not fully listen to a witness and rush off on a tangent before realizing his mistake.
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THE MARKHAM MATTER YOURS TRULY, JOHNNY DOLLAR W BOB BAILEY
1001 RADIO DAYS
I stumbled across this great series just recently and it's already one of my favorites in the detective genre. The main character, Johnny Dollar, is an insurance fraud investigator who gets assigned all kinds of jobs across the US. The writing, sound effects, acting- are all top notch. I think you will enjoy this as well- Please share with friends and Apple users please review us and mention this show if you like it. Each "Act" is actually two episodes. Enjoy!
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THE SILENT QUEEN JOHNNY DOLLAR INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR
1001 RADIO DAYS
As originally conceived, Johnny Dollar was a smart, tough, wisecracking detective who tossed silver-dollar tips to waiters and bellhops. While a;ways a friend of the police, Johnny Dollar wasn;t always a stickler for the law. CBS Radio revived Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar in October 1955 with a new leading man, a new director, and a new format. The program changed from a 30-minute, one-episode-per-week program to a 15-minute, five-nights-a-week serial[2] (Monday through Friday, 8-8:15pm EST) produced and dire
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THE SHEPHARD MATTER JOHNNY DOLLAR INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR
1001 RADIO DAYS
As originally conceived, Johnny Dollar was a smart, tough, wisecracking detective who tossed silver-dollar tips to waiters and bellhops. While a;ways a friend of the police, Johnny Dollar wasn;t always a stickler for the law. CBS Radio revived Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar in October 1955 with a new leading man, a new director, and a new format. The program changed from a 30-minute, one-episode-per-week program to a 15-minute, five-nights-a-week serial[2] (Monday through Friday, 8-8:15pm EST) produced and dire
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THE DUKE RED MATTER YOURS TRULY JOHNNY DOLLAR
1001 RADIO DAYS
Johnny goes to California to investigate a $65,000 claim on a racehorse who was injured and had to be destroyed. 5 PARTS Original Radio Broadcast Dates: January 23 and 24, 1956 Originated from Hollywood Stars: Bob Bailey as Johnny Dollar.Barbara Fuller, Barbara Eiler, Herb Butterfield, John Stephenson, Parley Baer, Will Wright, Bob Bruce, Forrest Lewis
info_outlineDragnet, the brainchild of Jack Webb, may very well be the most well-remembered, and the best, radio police drama series. From September, 1949 through February 1957, Dragnet's 30 minute shows, broadcast on NBC, brought to radio true police stories in a low-key, documentary style.
The origins of Dragnet can be traced to a semi-documentary film, "He Walked by Night" from 1948, in which Webb had a small role. Both employed the same Los Angeles Police Department technical adviser, used actual police cases and presented the case in "just the facts" manner that became a hallmark of Dragnet. It is interesting to note that Webb employed that format in other radio series, some pre-dating the film mentioned above.
Dragnet was a long running radio and television police procedural drama, about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners. The show takes its name from an actual police term, a dragnet, meaning a system of coordinated measures for apprehending criminals or suspects.
Dragnet was perhaps the most famous and influential police procedural drama in American media history. The series gave millions of Americans a feel for the boredom and drudgery, as well as the danger and heroism, of real life police work. Dragnet earned praise for improving the public opinion of police officers.
Actor and producer Jack Webb's aims in Dragnet were for realism and unpretentious acting. He achieved both goals and Dragnet remains a key influence on subsequent police dramas in many media. The shows cultural impact is demonstrated by the fact that even after five decades, elements of Dragnet are known to those who have never heard nor seen the program. The ominous four note introduction to the brass and tympani theme music, titled Danger Ahead, is instantly recognizable as well as the shows opening narration:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent."
The original Dragnet starring Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday ran on radio from June 3rd, 1949 to February 26th, 1957; and on television from December 16th, 1951 to August 23rd, 1959, and from January 12th, 1967 to April 16th, 1970. All of these versions ran on NBC. There were two Dragnet feature films, a straight adaptation starring Jack Webb in 1954, and a comedy spoof in 1987. There were also television revivals, without Webb, in 1989 and 2003.