Yours Truly Johnny Dollar Radio

Johnny Dollar - Man who Wrote Himself to Death Rehl

https://www.solgoodmedia.com - Listen to hundreds of audiobooks, thousands of short stories, and ambient sounds all ad free! Relive the excitement of Yours Truly Johnny Dollar Radio, where each episode revisits the classic tales of Johnny Dollar, the iconic freelance insurance investigator. Discover how Johnny unravels mysteries and battles crimes primarily through sharp wit and keen perception. This series is a treasure trove for enthusiasts of vintage radio dramas and detective mysteries.

Duration:: 28m
Broadcast on:: 06 Jul 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

Click Smart coupons to save more than ever before at FamilyDollar. From cleaning products to snack and mealtime faves, we have Smart coupons savings for you. Download the new app to Click coupons and claim your savings today! Family Dollar helping you do more! Ready for an audio experience like no other? Dive into the world of infinite sounds with crystal clear high fidelity only on saw good media. Visit sawgoodmedia.com today and start exploring the boundless universe of sounds that will soothe, inspire, and revitalize your senses. Start listening today and experience uninterrupted serenity at sawgoodmedia.com. All for Edmund O'Brien as Johnny Dollar. Mr Dollar, this is Miss Raimi, legal department for Kanye casualty and lie. Oh, yeah, Miss Raimi, thanks for calling back. I just wanted to get something straight. If a murder is executed, does his policy pay off? That's an unusual question. As far as I know, yes, but we've never failed the situation. Well, put on your makeup. It's liable to happen any minute. Edmund O'Brien, in another transcribed adventure of the man with the action-packed expense account, America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator. Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. Expense account, submitted by special investigator Johnny Dollar to Britannia casualty and life's hotfoot Connecticut. The following is an accounting of expenditures during my investigation of Stuart Palmer, the man who wrote himself to death. Expense account, item 1, $123.42, heir and miscellaneous travel expenses from Hartford to Chicago and the Cook County Jail. Well, you can make up your own mind about him, Dollar. He's like all those pictures. He isn't guilty, he's crazy. Oh, are you looking? Oh, hi, Markowitz. This is Mr Dollar. Hi, Mr Dollar. It's an insurance dick. He wants to talk to Palmer. Call him out with you. Sure thing, Lieutenant. Hey, Palmer. The mother's here. I'll see you on your way out, darling. Yeah, thanks a lot, Lieutenant. Here's your boy, Mr Dollar. You don't have to talk to him through the bridge. Stuart Palmer? Yeah, my name is Dollar. Britannia casualty and life sent me out here. Understand you're in some difficulty. There's anything I can do to help you. You didn't come here to help me. You came to investigate my new policy. Now, Lord, I don't need your help or anybody else's. I paid my first premium. That's all you were the company need be concerned about. They're concerned about the fact that you're being held on suspicion of murder. That doesn't affect the policy. Have you retained counsel? That's none of your business. Thanks for the cooperation. Nice to meet friends in a strange city. You're going to have him, Markowitz. Thanks. Well, darling. Loveable, isn't he? Oh, he got on him. Oh, not much. Some why not was killed in the Clark Street pool room. Palmer was holding one of the queues. We pulled him in with about 14 others. When are you going to release him? We're not sure. He's been in before, you know. Tell me, what's the matter with him? Who knows? He's a writer. Crime stuff. Things are on the West Madison district. A lot of the time calls it research. Does he still have that Kenwood address? No, wait a second. Yeah, 57-15. Well, I hope his wife is jollyer than he is. Oh, Mr. Martin, I'm sorry, I thought you were somebody else. I am. My name is Dala. I'm an insurance investigator. I'm sorry. We have all the insurance we can use. I said investigate it. I want to talk to you about your husband. Oh, come in. Why do you do this to him? I'm fine. It's like he says. You're all after him. You don't like him because he's a genius. You don't understand him. You'll never understand. No, wait a minute. You can try all you want to. As Stewart says, when one human being does something better than another human being, that's when they attack him. Well, go ahead. Look, Mr. Palmer, I'm on your side. I'm not the police. Oh. Now, why don't you sit down and I'll explain the whole thing to you. Come on. That's better. Now, your husband took out a hundred thousand dollar life insurance policy last week. Well, there's certainly nothing wrong with that. Mrs. Palmer, please. This week, your husband is arrested on suspicion of murder. Now, see, you don't know anything about him and already you're accusing him of the most awful thing. I am not accusing him of anything, Mrs. Palmer. I'm just trying to help. I talked with your husband a little while ago. He wasn't very cooperative. I'd hoped you would be. Well, you put him in jail and then you expect him to be cooperative. Mm. Does he have a lawyer? Yes, of course. Mr. Martin. And that's who I thought you were. Well, how does Mr. Martin feel about this? Well, he's been very nice. Do it, isn't words. Do it knows that Mr. Martin can, uh, bring him any time he wants to. Hmm. I see. Why did your husband write books? Well, he used to write for the radio. But as he said, it's a very limited medium. So, one morning, he went to his agent and toy that contract up right in his face. And that very day, he started to write his plays. 140 pages with real people and everything. He took every one of them from life. Is the play about crime? How did you know that? I met your husband doing a little research in jail. Well, they put him in jail because they don't understand. As he says, they don't put a doctor to bed in a hospital because he's doing research on a dangerous disease. People don't know good from evil. That's what's wrong. They're afraid of the truth and that's what's but right. He practically lives with his subjects. Creminals. Yes, he studies them. Nobody can write believably about something in theirself, a mini with it. That's the sacrifice he makes. You don't get to see much of them, do you? Well, his work is infinitely more important than I am. But as soon as his play is produced, they're going away together. Atlantic City, you're from Houston. The manuscript has been in New York for six months now, so it shouldn't be long before he is. What has your husband's income been for the past six months? Well, there hasn't been much. But great art is often born of poverty. But hundred thousand dollar insurance policies aren't. Who's this man, Neil Beasy, or co-beneficiary? Well, you're going to sit here and be insulting, perhaps you better leave. Perhaps I'd better. You mentioned an agent. What's his name? George Michael Cost. He's in England building. Crazy. The guy is crazy. You can't do business with a guy like that. Art, he talks. Everything's got to be art. Spend this time with bums and he calls it art. Hasn't he done anything for six months, Mr. Michael Cost? Not with me. Well, let's face it. Not with nobody. You know, he could have been a good writer of this boy. But he was too hard, he not commercial. Then boom, he's got a writer play. And where is it? Probably in the bottom draw of Hallstein's desk. And it's going to stay there. Here's a copy. Take it along and read it. Thanks. What about this research he does? Research? Is that what he told you? I had to go down to the county jail and bail him out. Twice. That's what washed me up. Some days are going to catch him with the goods on him. You know, maybe it started out to be research, but it ain't now. Well, how did it start? With a guy named Neil Beasley. Neil Beasley? Oh, you heard of him, huh? Yeah, that's the boy. He took Palmer under his wing and that's where he still is. I don't know. Maybe he can't get out. Beasley came up to the office with Palmer once. What a character. Why does this Beasley hang out, you know? Who knows? Nasty neighborhoods. Explain to count item two, eighty cents cab fat to a nasty neighborhood. After a lot of questions and bad bourbon, I came up with a countercoat call himself Roscoe. Roscoe was the walking who's who of the district. When I mentioned the name Beasley, he swallowed his drink, wiped the back of his hand over his mouth, and leaned over the table toward me. Beasley. Beasley. Let's see. Beasley. Come on, here. Here's something to stimulate your memory. Yes, of course. Beasley, Neil Beasley, been a friend of mine for years, slipped my mind, getting old. Beasley was born in Cincinnati of well-to-do parents. They say he attended Harvard, but that's only a story. You know how stories start. Get the history, where can I find them? Any number of places. If the racetrack was open, you'd find him there, but the racetrack ain't open. There is his place of residence. Where is that? I don't know, but he must live somewhere. Obviously, what would you suggest? You familiar with the atomic tavern up the street? I'm a stranger in town. Peoria? No. You have the face of a Peoria salesman. I don't know something in the eyes. Yes, well, the atomic tavern up the street. Thanks, Roscoe. You never did say who you were from. Hartford, Connecticut. If you're ever in town, look me up. Bob locked away, squeezed between a delicatessen and a shoe parlor. I came upon the atomic tavern. It exploded just as I arrived. Yeah, and stay out. That's the one named the caller, lady. Oh, I come right into it. Come in. Anybody with a civil tongue? Welcome, thanks. Yeah, boys. Neil, please be around. Hey, who went to? My name is Johnny Darling. I'm a friend of Stuart Tarnas. Hey, what are you telling that? He's at the back table, eh? All right, boys. Come on, what do you have? No, no, no. No, it ain't easy. Mr. Beasley. For you, Mr. Tollas. What's business dollar? Insurance, investigation end, can I sit down? I'm working for a company that holds a policy on the life of Stuart Tarnas. Insurance, Racket. I wonder how it started. I suppose somebody back in Rome bet Julius sees a ten drop, as he wouldn't live through the 15th of March in one. What do you want with me? I'm looking for somebody who'll make some sense. Maybe you're it. I understand your apartment's beneficiary. That's right. He's a good boy. Yeah, but he's not a good riff. The company ensures a radio, right? He's talking out here, and he's a petty criminal. What's your problem dollar, why don't you cancel a policy? Well, I will if I can. Tell me, what got him started? Well, put yourself in his place. He spends a lot of time around here, learning, so he can write good stuff. He writes good stuff, so good they won't buy it, so he falls back on his education. That's logical, but illegal. Oh, forget him. Now, get me, too. It's fate. The bumps on your head, the lines on your hands, the stars, death, me. Who can stop it? It's quite a philosophy, you guys. I was looking toward the front of the building. I hadn't seen him come in, but it was Stuart Palmer. He was standing at the elbow of the bar, obviously, looking for his friend. When he spotted me, he started for the door. Oh, sound dollar. That's beyond, Beasley. Sit down and leave him alone. The cops released him. Just leave him alone. Let's go, Beasley. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. At the time I got outside, he was half a block away, heading west. I knocked over several West Madison Street characters, and then it suddenly occurred to me that the only reason I was chasing him was because he was running away from me. I was 50 feet behind him when he rounded a wall green drugstore in a corner. The second I lost him, then I saw him. When he wasn't running, he was turned toward me. Palmer, don't, don't, the crowd! I bent over the newsboy just long enough to see that he was dead. And I started after Palmer again. There was no mistake about it. He wanted that policy, and he'd killed to keep it. In just a moment, we will return to the second act of yours truly, Johnny Dollar, but first... The screen's sophisticated, caustic Mr. Belvedere, alias Clifton Webb, will swap quips with Bing Crosby on the growner CBS show this Wednesday night. CBS cordially invites you to hear this great show that promises some of the best laughs of the season when it comes your way on most of these same CBS stations this Wednesday night. Mildred Bailey, the rookie chair lady of Bobby's song, also will be on hand as guest star. So remember, be listening when Clifton Webb, Mildred Bailey and Bing Crosby get together tomorrow night. Now with our star, Edmund O'Brien, we return to the second act of yours truly, Johnny Dollar. I lost Palmer in the next block. If daylight had held for a little longer, maybe I could have stopped the whole thing. I looked at my watch. It was 6.05. The Hartford office was closed. I headed back for a phone in the Walgreen drugstore. I got to the corner, just as the police and the person of Lieutenant Carrigan pulled out. Dollar! What the devil are you doing here? Look at that kid, Carrigan, lion. If you hadn't let that maniac out, the boy would still be hawking his papers. Hey, wait a minute, back off. What are you talking about? Who do you think did it? Palmer. Palmer? Are you sure? He was shooting at me. Why don't you let him out for him? Oh, look, Dollar, there are laws. I told you earlier we didn't have much on him. He was clear. Oh, you're sure not clear on this one? Huh? Kid only had three papers left. I think you better tell me what happened, Dollar. Well, let's wait for him. Yeah. Hey, folks, why don't you go home? Come on, move, huh? I don't know what there is about people. I'm just glad it wasn't their kid. Well, here's the tale. I came down here to find a guy named Neil Beasley, a friend of Palmer. Palmer showed up to join. When he saw me, he made a dash up the street, took out after him. And when I got to the corner, he opened up. The kid was standing next to me. After the gunfire, I went after Palmer again. Believe me, I wish I had caught him. Yeah. Sergeant? I guess we're good at things. But I had General on Stuart Palmer. All adults in my office. Why would he want to kill you? That's a hundred thousand dollar question, Lieutenant. I'll be in the drugstore. I'll make a phone call. Hello? Mr. Sandel? Yes? No, I'm on the Palmer case out of your hot foot office. Oh, yes. Mr. Dollar, isn't it? That's right. How are you making up? Well, things couldn't be worse. You're only supposed to cancel the policy, sir. How soon can you do that on good grounds? Well, I couldn't get word from the east until tomorrow afternoon at the earlier. And if you can't do it tonight, just forget the whole thing. Well, I don't understand. Well, the police have put out a general alarm for the policy holder, dead or alive. And the odds are on the dead side. All right, dollar, I'll do what I can. I'll get on the phone to Hartford as soon as I hang up. Good. I won't keep you waiting. Bye. Spence account item four. A dollar-80 cab fare back to Mrs. Palmer's apartment. On the way, I suppose I should have been worried about the hundred thousand dollars' worth of policy. But that didn't seem to bother me. There was the newsboy who never knew what hit him. And there was Palmer's wife. I was going to have to tell her about it. But I knew even before I got to the apartment that she'd never believed me. I don't believe you. Of course you don't. And you don't want to. You don't want to believe anything bad about him. You want to just go on complimenting yourself on being married to the greatest man on earth. But you're way wrong. Where is he? I don't know. And you can't make me believe you. Why would he kill any pot? Well, my guess is that he's doing it for you. Oh, that's a terrible thing to say. He wouldn't do anything wrong even for me. He took out an insurance policy that he couldn't afford. Why do you think he did that? I don't know. I never understood about this. Well, he sure got you. Some people have collydogs and he's got you. He comes home, pat on the head, so you'll look up at him and tell him how wonderful he is. You know, why? Because nobody else will. You just don't understand at all. How long has it been since he treated you like one? Brought you things like candy, flowers. When was the last time he spent an evening with you? Why you said me a thing? Well, I'm trying to tell you that he failed. Both as a writer and as a husband, don't you see? He's trying to make it up to you. He wants the police to kill him, so you'll collect the insurance. That's a lie. Where is everything? Hello? Ben? No, he's here now. Why do you say that? No. You weren't where are you? He hung up. Well, look who's here. I wish Palmer was as easy to find as you are. You won't mind him here. Does she know where he is? No, he just phoned her and wouldn't tell her. Well, it looks like a long night. Well, for her too. Mind if I ride back to the Madison district with you? That's quite a theory, darling. What happens to a guy to get him in a mess like this? I don't know. Burned too many bridges, I guess. Made a stand with his agent. Well, everybody had shown him he was right. Now he can't do it. Oh, people. I don't know. Maybe I've been in homicide too long. I used to think a lot about things like this. You know, wonder about what started these characters, what got into the place where I'd have to go after them. No more. Their problems aren't mine. The worry about now is how to get them without getting anybody else hurt. You've got a nice simple job, Lieutenant Carrigan. Yeah. I was thinking of that. You want him alive? The insurance company does. I hope it works out for you. I can't take any chances. We always try to save him for a trial. But if you're right about this one, he'll come out with a gun. Those are the kind we have to stop. You know, this could turn into a very unpleasant situation. The lieutenant was kind enough to drop the atomic tavern. The place was empty. The sirens had frightened most of the clientele out of the precinct. All except one. He sat in the same position at the same table with what looked like the same glass of beer. Hello, Beasley. Mr. Beasley. I was expecting you, sit down. Nice. How was the insurance business? Well, sometimes we sell too much. You know where Palmer is? Surely, always know where Palmer is. He tells me things he wouldn't tell anybody else. You may not care, Mr. Beasley, but you just made yourself an accessory to insurance fraud. Not unless I tell the police where he is. And then your company is out the hundred grand. And you're in ten. I'll tell you the truth. I don't want that money. I don't want a penny of that money. Look good at first. He wanted to give his wife a break off of me ten grand to help him out. How did you help him out? Well, take right now, for instance. I could have tipped the cops twice a minute since it happened. In fact, I was supposed to. The cops would have killed him. Wife and I would have collected our money, but I can't do it. Isn't it a little late for boy scouting? No. Now, not if you could come out of it. Where is he? No cops. No cops. Just as soon as I finish my beer. We walked down a hallstead with the red street cars rumbling by and the flute trucks and the chicken wagons. I didn't notice the street we turned west on. But a block and a half later, we stopped. Two doors away from a basement barbershop. Well, it's where he is. You're crazy to go in there. Are you staying out here? No. No, I'm going in. But I'm crazy too. That's why you should never listen to a guy like me. Farmer's got nothing to lose. How much do they pay you for getting killed? Come on, if you're going, let's go. Okay. Farmer. Farmer, it's Beasley. Let me in. Good work, Neil. Bring him in quick. You've got a good line, Beasley. Mr. Beasley. So good, I believe it myself. What's that supposed to mean? Oh, Farmer, it's a bad deal all the way around. What do you want to do, mate? You won't go down in any books. What's got into you? You helped me lay off the whole thing. Oh, yes, it looked good, but it won't work. He's right, Farmer. It won't work. I put through a cancellation request on your policy. But it hasn't gone yet. Dad, you wouldn't have come in here. It's no good, Farmer. Even if it doesn't come through, they'll fight it in court after you're dead. We've got too much against you. How far will they get without your testimony? You aren't going to be around to give it. Well, that's no good either. If you kill me, that'll clinch it. Oh, come on, use your head, Farmer. You've got a chance. The newsboy is only a second-degree rap. There was no premeditation. You're trying awful hard to save that company of yours, a hundred thousand bucks. Listen, listen, there isn't a commission big enough to make me come here. It's always been, "Why did you come?" I don't know. Maybe, maybe because way back in my mind, I thought to myself, I can get to this guy. Maybe it was your wife that could become. I just saw her, Farmer. You know, you aren't doing her any favors by getting yourself killed. She loves you too much. You can't buy a thing like that off with a hundred grand. They're coming. I didn't tip them. They must have followed us down. It doesn't make any difference how they get here, just so they come. They'll watch it all their way from me. Nobody's going to stop me now. This is what they all wanted. It's like a big literary agent with the big promises. "Great play," he tells them. Yes, the old friend. They'll cut the story out of the papers and they'll save it in the desk drawer. Poor Stu, they'll say. They could have been a good boy. Well, I think they can save it. It's going to pay off. That's what counts. It won't pay off and you know it. The only guy that wants it this way is you, because you haven't got the guts to go on. Farmer, we know you're in there. We'll give you a thirty-second, Farmer. Help me right out. Palmer, it's waste. Palmer, it's for nothing. It's no use, Dollar. It's going to do it. Better lie down on the floor. [knocking on door] Lewis, Lewis, are you in there? Marian. Marian, get away from here. I want to talk to you, Lewis. Open the door. Come on in here. Marian, what are you doing here? You look a little test. Don't do it, you. I don't want money that way. Wait a minute. Did they make you come in here? No, no, I wanted to come. Don't do it, Lewis. Good. Goodbye, Marian. Here we go, Gold. Here we come back. Let go of me. Silver! Get on the floor. No! No! No! No! There's nothing you can do. Stop, Palmer. Stop. Do it. As you know, Palmer's policy was not canceled before he died. But I'm sure that with the staff of legal geniuses employed by the Britannia company, you'll come out all right. A soft judge gave Beasley 60 days for attempted insurance fraud, and that was it. Expense account item six, same as item one, transportation, Chicago to Harvard. Expense account total $635.24. Oh, almost forgot. Item seven. Thirty-five cents, tip to Western Union boy, telegram from Marian Palmer. Contents? Thought you'd like to know, Stewart's play accepted for production on Broadway. Yours truly, Johnny Dallas. Yours truly, Johnny Dallas stars Edmund O'Brien in the title role. It's written by Gildoud and David Ellis, with music composed and conducted by Pete Stevens. Edmund O'Brien can currently be seen in the Harry M. Popkin, United Artist's production, D.O.A. Featured in broadcast were Laurene Tuttle, Larry Dobkin, Bill Boucher, Bill Gray, Jack Crucion, and Herb Butterfield. Yours truly, Johnny Dallas is produced and directed by Jaime Delbye. Hey there, it's Solomon from Solgud Media. A lot of our listeners have asked how to get ad-free access to our podcasts. You asked, and we answered, we're offering an exclusive one-month free trial to our ad-free streaming platform, packed with over 500 audiobooks, meditation sounds, and engaging podcasts. No strings attached, just pure listening pleasure. Sign up today at Solgud Media dot com and dive into a world of stories and sounds that inspire and relax. Don't miss out on this limited time offer. It's your gateway to unlimited audio enjoyment. That's Solgud Media dot com. S-O-L-G-O-O-D-M-E-D-I-A dot com. Check it out, we hope to see you over there.