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--was revealed in the course of the first 100 episodes of Let Geaorge Do It. 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 didn't really see himself as a detective in any case--not initially, anyway. He saw himself more as a problem solver. He hoped to create a niche market to make money doing things other people either couldn't do for themselves, or didn't have the nerve to do on their own.

That's the notion that beccame his inspiration for his 'Let George Do It' Agency--not so much as a detective agency as a concierge service on steroids. George posted 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 took his last bit of mustering-out pay--after posting his personal notices--to rent some office space and furniture in town. He was initially aided by the building's elevator-operator-cum-custodian, Caleb, who gently aprised George of his opinion of George's prospects. But it was that initial contact that led him to at least level-set his expectations and aspirations. He soon met 'Sonny' Brooks, a teenager apparently of much the same relative maturity as George himself, who introduced George to his sister, Claire. Sonny selflessly volunteered Claire as George's assistant. Needless to say, Claire was far less enthusiastic than Sonny regarding George's prospects.

Thus began 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 were 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 was just an ambitious young man, still somewhat cynical and war-weary, attempting to get back into civilian life and make something of himself. He was 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 set out to hit the ground running, so to speak, albeit somewhat naive to the actual business of running his own adventurous concierge agency. These facts were underscored by Claire and Caleb--and even young Sonny. But George was indomitable in his vision for his business and began networking with friends and acquaintances--and the odd respondents to his personal ads--to establish himself.

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

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

These were 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--'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, 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 was 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 integral to 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 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 was 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 brought a wonderfully endearing aspect to his character. Lieutenant Riley couldn't stand all the mischief George and Brooksie got into, but at the same time he couldn't deny the extraordinary manner in which the team inevitably solved their adventures together. In the process, Lieutenant Riley became 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 season 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 then 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.

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. Recently deceased 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. RadioArchives.org recently uncovered and released a partial cache of forty of an estimated fifty-two to seventy-eight episodes that had been denatured and 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. From the few circulating exemplars of AFRS and AFRTS denatured exemplars of Let George Do It, it's clear that Harry S. Goodman dropped the ball with his sloppy denaturing approach. The AFRS/AFRTS denatured recordings retain all of Bud Hiestand's expositions and introductions while still excising the Standard and Chevron commercial pitches. Goodman simply didn't do as good a job of denaturing the Canada-destined transcriptions. More's the pity. 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 exemplars 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 eventual 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' enjoy 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 Nothing But The Truth

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:

The most helpful provenances were newspaper 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 canon. 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. We've also provided a screen shot of their current log for comparison, HERE, to protect our own further due diligence.

OTRisms:

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, a great number 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.

We quite naturally welcome anyone else's observations on our conclusions. Would that we had the omniscience to declare which of the two distinct exemplars is the audition or test recording. All we can state with confidence is that they're materially--albeit subtly--different at this point.

What you see here, is what you get. Complete transparency. We have no 'credentials' whatsoever--in any way, shape, or form--in the 'otr community'--none. But here's how we did it--for better or worse. Here's how you can build on it yourselves--hopefully for the better. Here are the breadcrumbs--just follow the trail a bit further if you wish. No hobbled downloads. No misdirection. No posturing about our 'credentials.' No misrepresentations. No strings attached. We point you in the right direction and you're free to expand on it, extend it, use it however it best advances your efforts.

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We don't pronounce our Golden Age Radio research as 'certified' anything. By the very definition, research is imperfect. We simply tell the truth. As is our continuing practice, we provide our fully provenanced research results--to the extent possible--right here on the page, for any of our peers to review--or refute--as the case may be. If you take issue with any of our findings, you're welcome to cite any better verifiable source(s) and we'll immediately review them and update our findings accordingly. As more verifiable provenances surface, we'll continue to update the following series log, as appropriate.

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[Date, title, and episode column annotations in red refer to either details we have yet to fully provenance or other unverifiable information as of this writing. Red highlights in the text of the 'Notes' columns refer to information upon which we relied in citing dates, date or time changes, or titles.]