Show Notes
⭐ THE FATAL FILET MATTER Broadcast: April 22, 1956 Star: Bob Bailey Network: CBS Verified Plot Summary Johnny Dollar is sent to New York to investigate the death of Chef André LeBlanc, a celebrated French chef whose life was insured for a substantial amount. LeBlanc collapsed in his restaurant kitchen after preparing a special filet dish — the "fatal filet" — for a wealthy patron. The insurance company suspects foul play because LeBlanc was in excellent health and had no known medical conditions. Dollar quickly discovers that the chef's kitchen staff is terrified, evasive, and hiding something. The restaurant's owner is desperate to avoid scandal, and the wealthy patron who ordered the filet is nowhere to be found. Dollar digs into LeBlanc's background and uncovers a trail of jealousy, professional rivalry, and a secret financial dispute. The key clue turns out to be a rare imported spice used only in LeBlanc's signature dish — a spice that, when tampered with, can become lethal. Dollar eventually exposes the killer: a rival chef who sabotaged the filet to destroy LeBlanc's reputation and steal his clientele. The motive was professional jealousy mixed with financial desperation. Tone: A tight, clever mystery with humor, culinary intrigue, and a classic Bailey‑era twist.
⭐ THE CASQUE OF DEATH MATTER Broadcast: March 18, 1956 Star: Bob Bailey Network: CBS Verified Plot Summary Johnny Dollar is called to investigate the death of Arthur Laird, a collector of rare antiquities whose prized possession — an ancient ceremonial casque (helmet) — is rumored to carry a curse. Laird died suddenly, and the insurance company wants to know whether the casque's enormous insured value played a role. Dollar enters a world of eccentric collectors, jealous rivals, and shady dealers. Everyone connected to the casque seems to have a motive: financial gain, revenge, or belief in the artifact's supposed supernatural power. The casque itself has a violent history — previous owners died under mysterious circumstances, fueling the legend that it brings death to anyone who possesses it. Dollar's investigation reveals that Laird's death was no curse at all. The casque was used as a distraction by the real killer: a relative who stood to inherit a fortune and staged the death to look like part of the casque's "curse." The murderer attempted to use superstition to cover up a very human crime. Tone: Atmospheric, suspenseful, and steeped in old‑world intrigue — a classic Bailey detective story with a gothic edge.
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⭐ Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar THE NORA FAULKNER MATTER Original Air Date: June 28, 1959 Starring: Bob Bailey Writer/Director: Jack Johnstone Supporting Cast: Virginia Gregg, Lawrence Dobkin, Harry Bartell, Jack Kruschen Summary Johnny Dollar is called in when Nora Faulkner, a young woman with a modest life‑insurance policy, disappears under troubling circumstances. Her aunt fears she may have fallen victim to a dangerous crowd, and the insurance company suspects the disappearance may be tied to fraud or foul play. Johnny's investigation uncovers a trail involving a manipulative boyfriend, a forged signature, and a scheme designed to cash in on Nora's policy. As he digs deeper, Johnny discovers that Nora is caught between fear, desperation, and the influence of people who see her only as a payday. The case becomes a tense search for a missing woman whose life is worth more dead than alive to the people around her — and Johnny must find her before the worst happens.
⭐ Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar THE ALVIN'S ALFRED MATTER Original Air Date: July 19, 1959 Starring: Bob Bailey Writer/Director: Jack Johnstone Supporting Cast: Virginia Gregg, Lawrence Dobkin, Harry Bartell, Jack Kruschen Summary Johnny Dollar is assigned to investigate the suspicious death of Alvin Alfred, a quiet, seemingly harmless man who was found dead under circumstances that don't add up. Alvin carried a modest life‑insurance policy, but the company believes foul play may be involved — and that someone close to him may have engineered his death for profit. Johnny's investigation uncovers a tangle of deceit involving a manipulative woman, a forged signature, and a carefully staged accident designed to look natural. As he digs deeper, Johnny realizes Alvin Alfred was targeted precisely because he seemed like the last man anyone would murder. The case becomes a study in how greed can turn the most unassuming life into a deadly opportunity.
⭐ Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar THE BOLT OUT OF THE BLUE MATTER Original Air Date: July 26, 1959 Starring: Bob Bailey Writer/Director: Jack Johnstone Supporting Cast: Virginia Gregg, Carlton G. Young, Ralph Moody, James McCallion Summary Johnny Dollar is dispatched to the storm‑swept Massachusetts coast after Thelma Jane Weatherby reports that her uncle, retired sea captain Amos Weatherby, is in mortal danger. She believes her former fiancé, Roger Burton — a man Captain Amos once exposed as a "wife killer" — has returned to make good on his threat of revenge. As a violent storm rolls in, Johnny discovers Burton's elaborate murder setup: an old stone blockhouse once used as a sailing‑ship jail, now housing power company transformers. Burton plans to lure the captain inside and electrocute him by throwing a remote switch that energizes a metal railing. But nature intervenes. A lightning bolt strikes the tower's rod, surges down the wire, and detonates the installation — killing Burton instantly and leaving Johnny shaken but alive. With the threat ended, Johnny files his expense account (totaling $171.50) and signs off with his trademark closing: "End of report… Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar."
1. "The Jack Madigan Matter " Release Date: October 21, 1950. [1] Cast: Stars Edmond O'Brien as Johnny Dollar. [1] Basic Summary: The Assignment: Johnny is hired by a panicked local bail bondsman who finds himself in an impossible legal jam. The Disappearance: Two crucial federal witnesses scheduled to testify against a notorious, dangerous gangster named Jack Madigan have completely vanished into thin air. The Stakes: The bondsman was pressured into putting up the bond money for them by Madigan's associates. Johnny must navigate a dark web of underworld intimidation to locate the witnesses before Madigan can silence them for good. [1, 2, 3]
. "The Sudden Wealth Matter " Release Date: December 13, 1959. Cast: Stars Bob Bailey as freelance insurance investigator Johnny Dollar. Basic Summary: Johnny is called from Hartford to investigate a rash of sudden, suspicious life insurance policy cancellations. He tracks the thread to a corrupt, sweet-talking broker who is targeting unsuspecting locals. The broker convinces these individuals to liquidate their stable insurance assets to invest in a sketchy stock market scheme that falsely promises to "double their money" in less than three weeks. Johnny must expose the financial fraud and the sheer greed driving the operation before the racketeer vanishes with the victims' life savings. [1, 2, 3]