The Let George Do It Radio Program

"Personal notice:
Danger's my stock in trade. If the job's too tough for you to handle, you've got a job for me.
-- George Valentine."

The huge West Coast Don Lee-Mutual Network began airing Let George Do It on September 20, 1946 over its KFRC affiliate in San Francisco. Sponsored from its inception by Standard Oil of Southern California and its Chevron Supreme Gasoline, the program ran for 414 unique scripts of 30-minute installments. A glance at the promotional spots for Let George Do It in the sidebar at left, provide an idea of how the series' producers envisioned the production.

George Valentine was an ex-G.I., who was absolutely sure what to do with himself once he returned to civilian life--to a point. He'd apparently put a good deal of thought to it while overseas. Much of the back-story of George Valentine's character--and aspirations--is revealed in the course of the first 100 episodes. He knew he wanted to make money since he was as broke as most other recently liberated G.I.'s. Portrayed as a somewhat fanciful, adventurous young man, his inherent good humor and uncharacteristically shy and unassuming--yet somewhat cynical--nature made for a very charming, albeit un-stereotypical gumshoe. George doesn't really see himself as a detective in any case--not initially, anyway. He hopes to create a niche market to make money doing things other people either can't do for themselves, or don't have the nerve to do on their own.

That's the notion that becomes his inspiration for his 'Let George Do It' Agency--not so much as a detective agency as a concierge service on steroids. George posts a personal ad in the local papers, announcing his services in an equally catchy, ambitious and disarming manner:

PERSONAL NOTICE:

Do you have a crime that needs solving?
Do you have a dog that needs walking?
Do you have a wife that needs spanking?
Let George do it.
Danger's my stock-in-trade.
If the job's too tough for you to handle,
you've got a job for me,
George Valentine.
Write FULL Details

George takes his last bit of mustering-out pay--after posting his personal notices--and rents some office space and furniture in town. He's initially aided by the building's elevator-operator-cum-custodian, Caleb, who gently aprises George of his opinion of George's prospects. But it's that initial contact that leads him to at least level-set his expectations and aspirations. He meets 'Sonny' Brooks, a teenager apparently of much the same relative maturity as George himself, who introduces George to his sister, Claire, who Sonny selflessly volunteers as George's assistant. Needless to say, Claire is far less enthusiastic than Sonny regarding George's prospects.

Thus begins the premise and initial cast of characters supporting this highly popular West Coast gem that, once it went national, captured the hearts and imaginations of America. The series evolved through several gentle restructurings over its 12-year run. Begun as a situation comedy, the series slowly evolved to a detective comedy, then detective mystery comedy, then detective mystery. The distinctions are quite deliberately obscured over the program's run, due in part to the absolutely top-notch writing, direction and production values of the series from it's inception.

From the very outset, the premise of the program was easily identifiable to millions of West Coast ex-G.I.s--and their families and friends. George is just an ambitious young man, still somewhat cynical and war-weary, attempting to get back into civilian life and make something of himself. He's ambitious, to be sure, but apparently in too much of a hurry to take advantage of the G.I. Bill to further his education first. He sets out to hit the ground running, so to speak, albeit somewhat naive to the actual business of running his own adventurous concierge service. These facts are underscored by Claire and Caleb--and even young Sonny. But George is indomitable in his vision for his business and begins networking with friends and acquaintances--and the odd respondents to his personal ads--to establish himself.

Claire and Sonny are forced to take George's aspirations as a matter of faith, since George has no money left to pay either of them for several episodes. But Claire, Sonny, and Caleb take this leap of faith with George. They see in George what the entire exponentially growing West Coast audience sees: George can do it. And he does. Employing native G.I. resourcefulness, out of the box thinking, and indomitable resolve, George takes on any job that drops into his lap--even the occasional dead client that drops in his lap.

Indeed, the brilliance of the scripts for these programs underscore precisely where the writers were taking their audience. George is equipped with no super powers or outwardly brilliant deductive skills or training. In fact it's that very absence of special skills or training that make George's character all the more identifiable to his audience. George Valentine is an everyman, just like the vast majority of his audience. But he won't be deterred, no matter how initially difficult the tasks or cases set before him. The writers make him fallible, quixotic, as prone to deception as the average person, and more than willing to acknowledge his own shortcomings. But he learns quickly from his mistakes and the misdirection of his adversaries, and accordingly becomes a better adventurer-detective-problem solver in the process.

These are themes that the audience loved to hear in Post-World War II America. George was a man anyone could relate to--especially any ex-G.I.. He wasn't an effete, egotistical, dilettante like many of the popular gentleman detectives or adventurers that preceded him. Self-deprecating to a fault, it was his very disarming charm that endeared him to clients, the police, and Claire--or 'Brooksie'--alike. One can't escape comparisons to the extrordinary success of such 1970s everyman detectives such as Peter Falk's brilliant Detective Columbo or James Garner's private detective, Jim Rockford. There are certainly several other similar examples, but during the 1940s and 1950s there were few private detectives or adventurers like George Valentine. Howard Duff's characterization of Sam Spade seems most reminiscent of what Let George Do It was shooting for. But George wasn't quite the rogue that Howard Duff's Sam Spade was. Nor was Brooksie quite the ditz that Lurene Tuttle so brilliantly portrayed as Effie. Indeed, Sam Spade 'visited' George and Brooksie in the Friday, September 26, 1947 episode, "Sam Spade Visits George".

It wasn't just brilliant writing that propeled Let George Do It into the consciousness of post-War America. The initial ensemble cast was comprised of some inspired choices for its premise. Seasoned Radio actor Robert 'Bob' Bailey portrayed George Valentine brilliantly. Bailey gave George the perfect combination of wholesomeness, wide-eyed naivete, selflessness, and G.I. cynicism that the part demanded. In this respect we can't say enough about Bob Bailey's characterization of George. Through every subtle evolution of his character over the years, Bob Bailey continued to give George Valentine the inspired combination of self-confidence, charm, humor and self-deprecation that would endear George Valentine to his audience.

Frances Robinson was an equally inspired selection for Claire 'Brooksie' Brooks, George Valentine's even more cynical, yet hopelessly admiring, assistant. Known as much for her Stage and Screen talents as for her Radio resume, Frances Robinson sold the Brooksie character as precisely as her writers intended her to. Equal parts sexy, charming, loving, and world-wisened, Frances Robinson's Brooksie remains one of Radio's most endearing and versatile sidekicks. Lilian Buyeff, Shirley Mitchell and Virginia Gregg would later replace Frances Robinson over the years, but despite their own considerable talents in their own right, could never completely erase the memory of Frances Robinson's absolutely letter-perfect characterization of Brooksie.

Young Eddie Firestone Jr. portrayed Claire Brooks' brother Sonny for the first year or so of the production. Given Firestone's extensive situation comedy resume at that point in his career, it's clear that his part in the ensemble was both comedy relief and grounded realism. It was left to Sonny to restate the obvious to the audience as George and Brooksie undertook yet another highly dubious or unlikely adventure. But his unbridled admiration of both his sister and George created a highly sympathetic characterization.

Legendary Stage, Screen, Radio and Television actor Joseph Kearns portrayed Caleb, the ostensible elevator operator and handyman in George's building. Caleb is an old family friend of George, who apparently found George the office space in the first place. Caleb's brutally realistic assessment of George's lofty ambitions rang the perfect note to help establish George Valentine's initial obstacles. But with the grounded, sympathetic characterization of Caleb as well, the audience identifies, through Caleb, with what they all must be thinking regarding the likelihood of George succeeding in his highly unlikely endeavor.

It's rare that an announcer becomes so indelible a part of a popular series that he's immortalized in such a functionary role. There were a few other similar examples over the years to be sure. But John 'Bud' Hiestand accomplished just that, as both the announcer-expositor for the production, as well as Standard Oil of Southern California's spokesman for the duration of its sponsorship. Thankfully, most Golden Age Radio preservationists have had the good sense to preserve Bud Hiestand's commercial messages in the circulating episodes. Bud Hiestand became as much a member of the supporting cast as any of the actors in the Chevron-sponsored episodes. The combination of Hiestand's car care homilies for Chevron, and his exposition for each episode hit all the right notes throughout his involvement with the series.

Several other ensemble cast members deserve mention. Screen and Radio veteran Wally Maher in particular created a wonderfully memorable characterization of George's nemesis on the Police force. As Detective Lieutenant Riley, Maher is at once George Valentine's severest critic as well as his greatest professional admirer. Blustery, over-the-top cynical, and as hard-boiled as any of the stereotypical police detectives of the era, Wally Maher brings a wonderfully endearing aspect to his character. Lieutenant Riley can't stand all the mischief George and Brooksie get into, but at the same time he can't deny the extraordinary manner in which the team inevitably solves their adventures together. In the process, Lieutenant Riley becomes as much a part of the team as if he was part of the agency--while kicking, bellowing and screaming throughout the journey.

Sadly, Wally Maher passed away during the Christmas of 1951 at the age of only 43. Marvelous veteran Film, Radio and Television actor Ken Christy was introduced as George Valentine's new police nemesis, Lieutenant Johnson. Christy retained the hard-boiled cynicism of Lieutenant Riley, but tended to view George more as a thorn in his side than Lt. Riley had. By that point in the evolution of the series Let George Do It had replaced a great deal of the comedy aspect of the previous seasons with a more edgy, detective mystery element. It was the right move for the time, since Let George Do It's competition was now Dragnet--on Radio and Television--and the glut of other blood and guts crime drama and detective drama programming on both Radio and early Television. In any case, the marvelous chemistry between Bob Bailey, Frances Robinson and Wally Maher is one of those magical mixtures that come so rarely to ensemble drama--and comedy. With Frances Robinson gone and then Wally Maher, it was the right time for the writers and director to shift gears somewhat.

The West Coast orientation of the supporting cast provides some of Radio's greatest voice talent then available to the production over the years. William Conrad, Virginia Gregg, Hans Conreid, John Dehner, Betty Lou Gerson, Lurene Tuttle, Herb Butterfield and Harry Bartell, all contributed highly engaging, enthusiastic and memorable recurring performances. But indeed these are only the names that first spring to mind. One glance at the full list of performers (below) makes one wonder which prominent Radio actor on the West Coast didn't appear in Let George Do It at one time or another--but usually over and over again in various roles.

The writing talent was also equally stellar. Jackson Gillis, in particular went on to adapt, write and associate-produce the overwhelming number of scripts for Television's highly popular--and critically acclaimed--Perry Mason series. But before his fame in Television, Gillis had penned hundreds of episodes of The Whistler, Jeff Regan Investigator, and Rocky Jordan. David Victor, often collaborating with Jackson Gillis, had by then already compiled an equally impressive writing resume, including Behind the Mike, Wheateana Playhouse, The Matinee Theatre, The Whistler, and several patriotic dramas and appeals of the era. Polly Hopkins leant her talents to the program's earliest scripts, very much shaping the Claire Brooks character in the process. Herb Little Jr. as well, often collaborated with Jackson Gillis and David Victor prior to Let George Do It, and their collaboration over the vast majority of Let George Do It scripts underscores the extraordinary effectiveness of the ensemble writing team.

Another unsung, but inseparable, member of the cast was Eddie Dunstedter, the musical director and composer for the series. Eddie Dunstedter was a solid performer, organist, and orchestra leader in his own right before and after Let George Do It. The program initially aired before a live audience, such that Dunstedter's musical scoring and performance became an integral element of the production. But Dunstedter's enduring contribution to Let George Do It came from his gifted punctuation of both the dramatic and comedic arcs of the scripts. In addition, Dunstedter was doing double duty as Chevron's musical director and composer for the production. It should be remembered that Chevron's commericals were interwoven throughout each episode, most often segueing directly back into the dramatic script. Dunstedter's treatment of the underscore was, again, just the right accompaniment to the series throughout its evolution from a straight situation comedy to the more dramatic adventure or mystery themes the series evolved to.

Initially both produced and directed by Owen and Pauline Vinson, the Vinsons eventually handed the direction of the series off to Don Clark. Don Clark's direction of the program kept it both fast-paced and on message. This was no mean task, given the very tightly integrated commercial messages with both Bud Hiestand's expositional elements and the underlying arc of each script. During the final years of the production, Kenneth Webb assumed the directing tasks.

Frances Robinson handed off the Brooksie role to Virginia Gregg during December 1949. Veteran Stage, Screen, Television and Radio actor, Olan Soule replaced Bob Bailey from 1954, forward.

For years there were less than half of the run of the series in circulation. The good folks over at RadioArchives.org have recently uncovered and released a cache of forty episodes that had been remastered by Harry S. Goodman Syndications for distribution in Canada. As wonderful as it was to find newly discovered exemplars of the series, they still covered the Standard Oil of Southern California sponsorship era. As a consequence, since Harry S. Goodman's remastered transcriptions were destined for markets with other sponsors, virtually all of the Bud Hiestand introductory, mid-script, and concluding expositions and commercials were removed. Had these been from the Pream era of sponsorship, the removal of these integral elements of the Chevron-sponsored programs might not have appeared so ham-fisted. As it is, for dyed in the wool Let George Do It fans, the discovery of these lost episodes is bittersweet. By the same token, the magic between Bob Bailey, Virginia Gregg and the often recurring ensemble cast remains as crisp, entertaining and enjoyable as the unadulterated recordings in circulation. And of course, the writing and production, as well as Eddie Dunstedter's scoring remain for the most part intact.

Such is the nature of any transcribed series. We revel in the circulating examples, while hoping and waiting for even more installments of our favorite programs to surface over time. That's the enduring magic of the more memorable programming from The Golden Age of Radio. It's also the enduring message of continued preservation of these treasured recordings that so often reach a whole new audience decades after their first broadcast.

In fact, Let George Do It almost made it to Television in the early 1950s. The producers filmed two scripts, viewed the result and felt that the slender, medium-height Robert Bailey just wasn't right for the role in Television. It certainly wasn't his voice projection or basic looks. But as a somewhat slight gentleman, he simply wasn't--in the view of the producers of early Television--the right physical makeup for a rock'em sock'em TV detective. The great character actor Olan Soule suffered under the same artificial prejudice most of his career, also coincidentally replacing Bob Bailey as the final George Valentine of the series. Both Soule and Bailey were bantam-weights in stature, but giants in the voice department.

But then one is reminded of the equally slight Louis Hayward in his starring role as Television's Michael Lanyard, The Lone Wolf (1954). Granted, Hayward had already established an extensive Film career as both a swashbuckler and gentleman detective, but he was equally slight in build and height as Robert Bailey. Of course, Louis Hayward produced The Lone Wolf under his own production company. As always, timing is everything. Apparently when Bob Bailey auditioned for TV's Let George Do It, the stars simply weren't in the right alignment just yet.

The loyalty of Let George Do It's audience is unflagging--and for good reason. Let George Do It is as entertaining today as when it first aired. Viewed as either situation comedies, detective dramas, or mysteries, Let George Do It remains one of Radio's most engaging, well produced and timeless examples of the Era. Yours, Truly Johnny Dollar was the grateful recipient of a great deal of the talent from Let George Do It, and very much continued in the same vein as Let George Do It, during the Bob Bailey years.

Both Let George Do It and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar showcased the continued talents of Bob Bailey, Virginia Gregg, and Eddie Dunstedter, as well as hundreds of the cast members common to both productions. It should come as no surprise that both series retain some of Golden Age Radio's most loyal fans. It's also worth noting that it's this same program loyalty that drives many of the most aggressive and successful Golden Age Radio preservation efforts. Simply proving, yet again, that truly great Radio is its own most satisfying reward in the end.

Series Derivatives:

Harry S. Goodman Canadian Run: None

Harry S. Goodman Canadian Run: 52-06-03 01 [Unknown]

Harry S. Goodman Canadian Run: 52-06-03 to 53-06-09; CJOB [CBC] Winnipeg; Fifty-four, 30-minute programs; Tuesdays, 9:30 p.m.

Notes on Provenances:

All above cited provenances are in error in one form or another. The most helpful provenances were the log of the radioGOLDINdex and The Oakland Tribune radio listings.

With this updated to the Let George Do It Log we've added another forty-three hitherto unknown titles--and their date order--to the log. Those additional forty-three new titles in addition to the recently rediscovered Harry S. Goodman Canadian syndication add just over sixty new, well provenanced titles and dates to the Let George Do It log. The individual corrections to titles and dates are too numerous to cite. The updated logs below reflect the latest, most correct revision of our logs.

You're welcome to compare our fully provenanced research with the Let George Do It log from the '1,500 expert researchers' at the OTRR, which they claim to be correct according to their 'OTTER log' that they represent as the "most authoritative and accurate vintage Radio database in the world":

OTRRpedia

We've also provided a screen shot of their current log for comparison, HERE, to protect our own further due diligence.

The OTRR's 'Certifed Accurate' Let George Do It log is missing some thirty-three provenanced titles:

• The Lying Witness
• He Wouldn't Stay Dead
• The Cruise of The Anna 'O'
• Hickory Dickory Dock
• A Dangerous Dream
• The Strange Wife
• Boat Ride At Midnight
• The Music Box Played Murder
• Sam Spade Visits George
• The Lipstick Pocket Case
• The Horse Said Yes
• The Man Who Played With Dolls
• Death Paints A Picture
• Double Cross Times Two
• The Sailor Who Loved Sonnets
• Mr. Korawski - American
• Everybody Makes a Mistake
• Laura’s House
• A Close Shave
• The Too Simple Crime
• How Gullible Can You Get?
• The Sedan from the City
• Tag -You're It
• Draw a Pal Dead
• The Spider and The Fly
• Deal Me Out and I'll Deal You In
• Angel's Grotto
• The Hand in the Cocoanut
• Is Everybody Happy?
• See Me Once — You've Seen Me Twice
• It's A Mystery To Me
• Tonight The Mayhem's Going to be Different
• Go Jump In The Lake

Note that there are very few Radio Listing provenances for the American syndication and broadcasts of Let George Do It. The newspapers we researched contained graphic spot ads with the provenanced titles and dates, as opposed to text listings of the same information. Thus, the vast majority of the provenances are not searchable within the OCR rendition of those newspaper listings. They have to be searched for visually, the old-fashioned way.

The examples of these spot ads in the sidebar to the left of the Dee-scription section above indicate what to look for in the contemporaneous newspaper radio sections of the era.

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