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.

The Many Voices Matter

If you ever have trouble remembering the names of all the actors who played Johnny Dollar, this will help you. I still need to add some cutaway images, but overall not too shabby.

Expense Account Item Number One

In some ways, I've tried to approach this documentary the way the show's title character would approach a case. In general, this meant far less punching, shooting of a different sort and a budget lower than some of Johnny's expense accounts. One bit of detective work I'm very happy with was a 1970s radio interview with Mandel Kramer - recorded for a radio station in Hartford of all places - in which he gives a concise summary of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. Using this as the first "expense account item" might seem a bit obvious, but obvious isn't necessarily the enemy of right and proper. You be the judge.

The Game of Inches Matter

They say that football is a game of inches. The same can be said of editing a movie. This introduction isn't much longer than the previous version but nonetheless manages to include significantly more material than its predecessor.

The Introductory Matter

As I alluded to in my post from a few days ago, I've been working in earnest on editing. With that in mind, I'm happy to offer this (still slightly rough) introductory sequence.

The Second Best Matter

When a role is played by multiple actors, there's typically spirited debate among fans about who did it best. Whether the debate is about Sean Connery vs. Roger Moore (or, perhaps, Daniel Craig) or Tom Baker vs. David Tennant (personally, I prefer Christopher Eccleston), the only consensus is that each actor's partisans are confident that the others' are wrong. Johnny Dollar is different, because there is virtually no dissent that Bob Bailey played him best. Where things get interesting is the conversation about who was second best. As you can see from the clip below, three different interviewees each offered different opinions on the matter.