Expense Account Final Page

Today marks 70 years since "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar" made its debut on CBS Radio. Coming as it does after a successful screening for the Metropolitan Washington Old-Time Radio Club's members and some edits (improvements, one hopes) sparked by watching it with an audience, that seems like a good time to submit this expense report's final page. The plan is to submit to film festivals and perhaps present it to other interested groups. In he meantime, please enjoy this excerpt from the finished product.

From Dick Powell's 1948 audition show to Mandel Kramer's final episode in 1962, a collection of talented actors, writers and directors created one of old-time radio's most enduring dramas. This documentary is a tribute not just to the program and its era but also the medium of radio drama itself. That said, the real tribute is the many fans - new and old alike - who continue to listen and enjoy it.

A Matter Of Fury

A friend of mine mentioned that he'd been watching the TV series Fury. Remembering that Bob Bailey had written for the program during the waning days of radio seemed like reason enough to post a link to the segment of the documentary about him and his sad (and all too representative) story.

The End of An Era Anniversary Matter

Today marks 55 years since the final episodes of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar and Suspense marked the very end of the "Golden Age" of radio. In observance of this bittersweet anniversary, the following segment from the documentary discusses the waning days of that era.

The Home Stretch Matter

The Rough Cut Matter

Tweaking continues, mostly minor details like on-screen text, though, I'm considering rearranging the order of segments a bit. The challenge remains having a wealth of great material from interviewees such as the late Ed Walker that's interesting in its own right but doesn't necessarily fit the overall story. There's probably a separate documentary about radio drama in general to be made.

The 15-Minute Matter (Revisited)

Still tweaking the various sections, such as this one about the 15-minute episodes, the next step is to incorporate additional segments from the program.

The Expense Account Matter Matter (Revisited)

After a bit of re-editing, the segment discussing the expense account device works a bit better. You check it out on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/therealjohnnydollarmatter/. It's almost ready to submit to the first festival.

The Making It Real Matter

Something about adding credits to the documentary makes it feel that much more real. I'm planning to submit it for a festival a little later this year but still need to make some tweaks. I just removed a clip I really like from the intro, putting the challenge to me of finding the right place for it elsewhere in the film. It's not over by a long shot.

The Evolving Art Form (Revisited)

I've revised the segment I posted in late-December to incorporate some subsequent interviews and tighten things up slightly. Though I suspect there's more tweaking to be done, it remains satisfying.

The "More Than Nostalgia?" Matter

Could radio drama ever return to the airwaves as something other than an occasional curiosity? Veteran radio broadcaster Dick Bertel had some thoughts on the matter when I interviewed him last year?

The Wit & Wisdom Matter

What I love most about radio drama among all the forms of dramatic media is the emphasis it gives to the human voice as the driver of the story. Though imaginative sound design often helps set the scene, it's rarely used to paper over narrative shortcomings the way visual effects are in TV and movies. This is especially true for detective dramas, which like their literary counterparts are often told in the first person. For many fans of radio drama, myself included, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was a pinnacle of the genre.

Very often the finest moment of any story would come at the end when Johnny finishes his report and offers his remarks on the case. In many ways, particularly during Bob Bailey's tenure in the lead role, it was a microcosm of what made the show so great. Even in a genre whose success frequently hinged on the quality of the main character's narration, Bailey's delivery of the various writers' sardonic dialogue under Jack Johnstone's direction typically added up to something special.

As I've been revisiting the show's long run as research for this documentary, two particular examples stand out, each by one of old-time radio's best writers. One is from The Cui Bono Matter (by Les Crutchfield) and the other from The Markham Matter (by E. Jack Neuman writing as John Dawson). Both are noteworthy not just for how they speak to the plot but also the way they display Johnny's character. 

The Markham Matter: "In the end it was his attempt to run away, and it didn't work. It never works. Even if you get away, you find something new to run from."

The Cui Bono Matter: "When you gave me this assignment, Don, you asked a question, a phrase in Latin: cui bono? Who benefits? So, here is your answer: nobody."

If you've never heard these stories before, and even if you have, they're both well worth a listen.

The Music Man Matter?

One of the best moments from my interview with the late Ed Walker was this piece discussing Bob Bailey and the way certain actors fit a role perfectly. The title of this post will make more sense once you watch it.

The "Why Radio?" Matter

Several weeks back, veteran actor Terry Molloy​, known for both his roles on Doctor Who and the BBC's ongoing radio drama The Archers, was kind enough to be interviewed for my documentary. Among the topics we discussed was what makes radio so special even in a world where technology enables virtually anything to be visualized on-screen. Anyone who's seen him speak at conventions will not be the least bit surprised at his eloquence on the topic.

The Enduring Art Form Matter

Last month, award-winning playwright Robert Shearman, who's written numerous plays for BBC Radio, sat down for an interview about the art and enduring power of radio drama.

This was a productive weekend, with two interviews recorded. Next up is the not-so-fun part - transcribing them - to clear the way for the fun part - editing the footage.

Meanwhile Across the Pond

While radio drama may be mainly a curiosity within American popular culture, the medium is still active and vibrant in other countries, particularly the UK. Current productions cover a range of genres, as shown by a 2014 BBC radio adaptation of The Martian Chronicles, which was recently released on CD and digitally. My review of this production, whose cast includes Derek Jacobi and Hayley Atwell, can be found at the website www.culturesonar.com.

The On Further Review Matter

On refection, aside from from tweaks in cutaways, the big need is an epilogue of some sort to tie the various threads together. I have a few thoughts about what that should be and am trying to set up some additional interviews to make it so.

A Matter of Perspective

After putting the project aside for a couple weeks to regain some perspective, the current endeavor is to tweak at least the obvious shortcomings in the rough cut. Stay tuned.

The 15-minute Matter

A few choice words about the impact of the 15-minute episode format on Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. The next step will be to compile the completed segments to see what I have - or don't have, as the case may be.

The Evolving Art Form Matter

Trying to convey the evolution in radio drama that took place while Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was on the air is a tricky proposition. I'm not sure this segment is quite there yet, but I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless.