LET GEORGE DO ITSweet Poison

Program Guide by Karl Schadow

The mystery genre of Radio’s Golden Age was comprised of a vast array of programs, exploring themes of comedy, crime, horror and suspense. During its tenure on the airwaves, individual series were inclined to stick to a particular motif from one year to the next. Let George Do It was an exception to this rule, transitioning from comedy to crime drama. Produced in Hollywood, it remained a regional program until late in its run, broadcast in Western states via the Don Lee Broadcasting System (DLBS).

Originating from the studios of KHJ in Los Angeles, the hub of the DLBS, Let George Do It premiered at 8:00pm Pacific Time on September 20, 1946. The pro-gram was the culmination of efforts that began in July of 1945. The initial audi-tion, written by Pauline Hopkins and directed by her husband Owen Vinson, was titled The Green Mr. Pepper and billed as a family half hour. Robert ‘Bob’ Bailey was cast as Mr. Pepper. The recording was made at the NBC Hollywood studios

and produced by the George Ward & Co. advertising agen-cy. Subsequently, changes in scripts and packaging firms re-sulted in a name change for the lead character…first to George Lincoln, and then George Val-entine. The program’s final ti-tle, Let George Do It, reflected this evolution. The protagonist would be aided by his gal-Friday Claire "Brooksie” Brooks, portrayed in the 1946 auditions by Shirley Mitchell. Frances Robinson assumed that role once the series began its first season on the air.

CD 6B: “The Rose Petal Stair Case” - 10/24/1949Will two spinsters commit murder to keep a certain house guest from leaving their mansion?

CD 7A: “Every Shot Counts” - 10/31/1949The potential suitors of a spunky cowgirl are being knocked off one-by-one.

CD 7B “The Dark Chain” - 11/07/1949A giant with the mind of a child is accused of mayhem on a farm.

CD 8A: “Run Until Dead” - 11/14/1949A man who successfully dodged a tax evasion charge is now implicated in a murder.

CD 8B: “Sweet Poison” - 11/21/1949A cat is poisoned by a chocolate cream sent to a painter famous for his portraits of the female form.

Acknowledgements: The author thanks Klaudia Englund (American Radio Archives), and Samantha O’Brien (Chevron Corporation) for their invaluable assistance.

www.RadioSpirits.comPO Box 1315, Little Falls, NJ 07424

© 2015 RSPT LLC. All rights reserved. For home use only.Unauthorized distribution prohibited.

Program Guide © 2016 Karl Schadow and RSPT LLC. All Rights Reserved.

47152

Print advertisements forLet George Do It

2 7

Let George Do It reunited the Vinsons and Bob Bailey in Hollywood after previous collaborations in Chicago. A native of Toledo, Ohio, Bailey had been a fixture in Chicago radio since the mid-1930s. He appeared in numerous programs, including the transcribed daytime serial One Girl In a Million, the Mortimer Gooch comedy, a public health series titled Illinois March of Health, and the dramatic anthology Knickerbocker Playhouse. This latter program was written and produced by the Vinsons. Another cast member of the initial series of Let

George Do It was Eddie Firestone, Jr. (above). He handled the part of Claire’s younger brother Sonny, who was also George Valentine’s office boy. This was an interesting reversal of casting, as Firestone had previously played the lead character in a Chicago-based series in which Bailey was a supporting player. It was a popular family comedy, also written and produced by the Vinsons, entitled That Brewster Boy.

In 1942, Bob Bailey decided to depart Chicago for Hollywood and was soon cast in various film roles with the 20th Century Fox studios. Firestone, following his service in the Marines during World War II, landed in Hollywood as well. Frances Robinson settled there in 1946, after her previous work in films and Broadway had her traversing the country. On radio, the Staten Island native had served as right-hand woman to detectives Ellery Queen and Philo Vance. An additional supporting character, who appeared sporadically during the first season of Let George Do It, was Caleb (played by Joseph Kearns), the elevator operator in the building where George had his office.

Similar to his Box 13 counterpart Dan Holiday, George Valentine advertised his services in the local newspaper. His earliest adventures were chronicled by Judy Smith (Radio Life, November 3, 1946) in a piece titled “Radio’s ‘Anything for a Price’ Man.” She posed the question, “Who is this wonder man of many talents?” By way of explanation, Smith wrote, “He’s an ex-GI-exceptional, full name George Valentine, created by the combined imaginations of producer Owen and writer Polly, to prove that mebbe after all, there is something new under the sun.” This assessment was in direct contrast to an earlier review in Daily Variety (September 23, 1946), in which the program was cited as “strictly another run-of-the-air quickie that offers little in good listening...weak in story elements of comedy, mystery and drama…” A follow up critique in Radio Life (January 26,

Episode Guide:

CD 1A: “Laura’s House” - 07/25/1949What is the dark secret of a Haunted House in which three people have mysteriously died?

CD 1B: “The Perfect Alibi” - 08/01/1949Though a woman despises her gangster husband, she enlists George to clear him of a murder rap.

CD 2A: “One Chance at the World” - 08/08/1949A bizarre hit-and-run case proves a challenge for Mr. Valentine and Miss Brooks.

CD 2B: “The Problem of Joe Martin” - 08/15/1949A daredevil, who has been bequeathed $10,000, is thwarting all attempts to be located.

CD 3A: “The Empress of Fish Falls” - 08/22/1949While on a fishing trip, Lt. Riley and George reel in a most startling catch.

CD 3B: “End of Summer” - 08/29/1949An eccentric painter believes that he has killed his wife.

CD 4A: “Everything is Nice” - 09/05/1949George must solve the murders of a brazen woman and her father.

CD 4B: “Valley Sunset” - 09/12/1949A picturesque winery serves as the setting for this tale of blackmail.

CD 5A: “The Coward” - 09/19/1949Emile Martinez accuses an old acquaintance of murdering 37 people.

CD 5B: “The Man Under the Elm Trees” - 09/26/1949George and Brooksie travel to a rural college town to investigate a swindle.

CD 6A: “Double Death” - 10/17/1949A missing persons case with too many clues befuddles Claire Brooks and her boss.

Eddie Firestone, Jr.

6 3

sponsored by major petroleum firms. Though The Whistler was touted as the West Coast’s number one [regional] program, Daily Variety reported (on January 19, 1950) that Let George Do It actually held this title. Attempts to take these shows to a national level met with limited success. The Whistler enjoyed a couple of short-lived network runs on CBS, while Let George Do It would be distributed via the transcription route.

In the summer of 1951, Harry S. Goodman Productions secured exclusive rights to sell and distribute Let George Do It east of the Rockies. In its ‘Tips on Fall Buying’ feature, Sponsor (July 16, 1951) cited the program (along with nine others) as "examples of superb programming available." The Goodman effort was the second attempt to bring the program to nationwide status. During 1949, the Hollywood-based radio packaging firm Searle & Parks, which had success disseminating The New Adventures of Michael Shayne, did not attain similar prosperity with Let George Do It. Among the major markets, the Goodman discs were heard on WBBM in Chicago and WWPG in Palm Beach, Florida. It received its greatest level of notoriety when WOR aired the program on Wednesday nights, starting in January of 1954. This was a local venture by WOR, and not a Mutual network endeavor (as is incorrectly stated by some sources). The Goodman firm continued to offer the 52-week transcribed series of Let George Do It into the 1960s.

From its 1946 inception, Let George Do It was continuously broadcast on a weekly basis, with no summer hiatus, through its final Don Lee episode on September 27, 1954. It is worth noting that Jack Hellman (Daily Variety, April 7, 1952) applauded the program for its continued triumph in propagating radio’s stature, despite the influx of television. The final season of Let George Do It saw changes in both sponsor (with M & R Dietetic Laboratories paying the bills to promote its Pream coffee creamer) and the leads (with Olan Soulé and Lillian Buyeff assuming the roles of George and Brooksie). In October of 1955, Bob Bailey began his reign as radio’s Johnny Dollar. His performances on that series

are generally acknowledged to be his finest work. Let George Do It, deservedly, ranks as a close second.

Though scripts of Let George Do It were adapted for various television programs (including I’m The Law [1952], starring George Raft), the fate of a video series based on the pilot script written by David Victor is still unknown.

1947) continued that publication’s praise of the series, suggesting that it was “this show’s comfortable unpretentiousness that allows the listener familiar to its pattern and people to sit back and just enjoy it. The action isn’t too fast or complex, there are no raucous guffaws of off-color comedy, the dialog isn’t so brittle that you can’t relax for fear of missing something.”

Despite the experience of the cast and production crew, and the optimism of Radio Life, the program suffered from poor ratings during the first season. As a result, the comedy angle was slowly phased out, as were the parts of Sonny and Caleb. By August of 1947, Don Clark had replaced Owen Vinson as director and David Victor was brought in as a script writer to supplant Pauline Hopkins. Victor collaborated with Herbert Little, Jr. and Jackson Gillis over the next several seasons. There was also a change in music director, with Eddie Dunstedter replacing Charles Dant (who had been associated with the program since the 1945 audition). A new character, police homicide detective Lieutenant Riley, was created to give the program a more confrontational aspect. Riley was portrayed by Wally Maher (below), an actor with more than fifteen years of experience playing character roles on such radio entities as Lux Radio Theatre, and who had recently completed a two and a half year stint as Michael Shayne. Those familiar with the Shayne series will marvel at how seamlessly Maher transitioned from gumshoe to law officer. Though on-air credit was given for all cast members, the KHJ production staff for Let George Do It (including producer/director Bill Symes, sound effects artist Bill James, and studio booth engineer Charles Jones) were not mentioned.

Let George Do It was renewed in September of 1947 for a second season by its sponsor Standard Oil Company of California (promoting Chevron Supreme Gasoline and RPM Motor Oil). Credit must be given to this advertiser and its agency Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn (BBD&O) for making the necessary changes to staff and format for the program to warrant continued bankrolling. Two executives responsible for this transformation were Standard advertis-ing director Tony Mattes and BBD&O vice-president Wayne Tiss. Standard Oil was one of the West Coast’s long-time radio financiers. The firm had rescued the San Francisco Symphony from bankruptcy in 1926, resulting in two-decades of underwriting for The Standard Hour. Another program Wally Maher (right) with Gar Moore and Howard Duff (left)Bob Bailey

4 5

n-thunder affairs; it calls for ‘George’ a sleuth as shrewd as they come, to scientifically outwit those on the wrong side of the law. Bob Bailey takes to this type of script like the proverbial duck to water.” This summation accompanied a two-page pictorial of George and Brooksie with Lt. Fred Wolfe (right) and his staff at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office Crime Laboratory. The duo became familiar with the latest techniques in ballistics, microscopy and quantitative chemical analysis, and enjoyed a detailed inspection of the lab’s voluminous printed criminal files.

In the October 2, 1949 issue of the periodical, musical director Eddie Dunstedter acknowledged the following: “George Valentine is a very likeable guy who gets into some mighty ticklish situations. Consequently, music strictly in the suspense vein wouldn’t do it for the ‘Let George Do It’ series. The mood and bridge music for the programs must reflect the buoyant personality that is Valentine, yet it must also clearly demonstrate to the listener that ‘George’ is a mystery program. It’s a lot of work.”

Though Frances Robinson was briefly highlighted in a summer issue (July 10, 1949), not much was revealed regarding her role as Brooksie. Indeed, tensions were mounting between the actress and the sponsor. A few months later, according to Daily Variety (December 8, 1949), Robinson had been released “via letter by BBD&O, which stated that the agency was very happy with the work she had turned in over the three years but that the femme lead role was being dropped as an important part of the layout.” It was further reported that “Miss Robinson related…that Standard no longer wanted to lay out the coin she required for working the show exclusively and did not want her to work on any competitive whodunit programs.” Her final episode as Brooksie was titled “Too Near the Sky,” which aired on December 5th. Contrary to what BBD&O claimed in its letter, the character continued to be a prominent part of the show. Virginia Gregg immediately stepped in as the third Claire Brooks the following week.

Could the “competitive” series in question have been The Whistler? Both Frances Robinson and Wally Maher were often cast in the Signal Oil venture. In fact, an amusing comparison can be made of the two dramas. Originating in Hollywood on rival networks, both programs had achieved success as regional enterprises

of an institutional nature (with no on-air commercial plugs) was The Standard School Broadcast, which commenced in 1928 as a music appreciation program for students.

Let George Do It was profiled in the January 1949 issue of the company’s monthly employee publication The Standard Oiler. Though the focus was on the firm’s role, including the intricate process of initially selecting the program, the full cast was identified (with accompanying photos). The significant contributions made by the program’s production staff, including director Don Clark, writer David Victor, and BBD&O supervisor Ken Webb were also acknowledged.

As an early season promotional stunt, the September 26, 1947 episode of Let George Do It featured Howard Duff as rival Sam Spade. According to various press releases, Spade was competing with Valentine to solve the current case. As there is no extant audio or script of this crossover, the exact details of this escapade remain unknown. The BBD&O agency arranged for this unique collaboration since the Wildroot Company, sponsor of the Sam Spade series, was also a client of the agency. On October 27, 1947, the program moved from Friday to Monday nights, where it faced off against Point Sublime instead of The Fat Man.

Various cast members of Let George Do It were involved in unique video ventures for their sponsor during the program’s 1947-48 season. For example, announcer John Hiestand portrayed a research scientist in a film commissioned by Standard Oil and produced by Jerry Fairbanks. In addition, Bob Bailey and Frances Robinson were featured in several three-minute commercials (assembled by Harry Maynard of BBD&O) as a couple who were auto-touring various Chevron and Standard Oil service stations. These promotions were to be shown during Standard Oil-sponsored programs on KTLA in Los Angeles.

As the 1947-48 season ended, the program entered the top 15 in Hooper Pacific ratings. It was renewed for a third season in September of 1948, as the Aloha Island Group was added to the full Don Lee network. Expanded coverage for the series was achieved in the Intermountain region and in Arizona.

The program continued to prosper in 1949, garnering publicity in Radio & Television Life magazine. In an article titled “George Did It!” (March 20, 1949), Jim Parsons wrote that it “isn’t one of those blood-

Lt. Fred Wolfe with Frances Robinson and Bob Bailey

Frances Robinson

4 5

n-thunder affairs; it calls for ‘George’ a sleuth as shrewd as they come, to scientifically outwit those on the wrong side of the law. Bob Bailey takes to this type of script like the proverbial duck to water.” This summation accompanied a two-page pictorial of George and Brooksie with Lt. Fred Wolfe (right) and his staff at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office Crime Laboratory. The duo became familiar with the latest techniques in ballistics, microscopy and quantitative chemical analysis, and enjoyed a detailed inspection of the lab’s voluminous printed criminal files.

In the October 2, 1949 issue of the periodical, musical director Eddie Dunstedter acknowledged the following: “George Valentine is a very likeable guy who gets into some mighty ticklish situations. Consequently, music strictly in the suspense vein wouldn’t do it for the ‘Let George Do It’ series. The mood and bridge music for the programs must reflect the buoyant personality that is Valentine, yet it must also clearly demonstrate to the listener that ‘George’ is a mystery program. It’s a lot of work.”

Though Frances Robinson was briefly highlighted in a summer issue (July 10, 1949), not much was revealed regarding her role as Brooksie. Indeed, tensions were mounting between the actress and the sponsor. A few months later, according to Daily Variety (December 8, 1949), Robinson had been released “via letter by BBD&O, which stated that the agency was very happy with the work she had turned in over the three years but that the femme lead role was being dropped as an important part of the layout.” It was further reported that “Miss Robinson related…that Standard no longer wanted to lay out the coin she required for working the show exclusively and did not want her to work on any competitive whodunit programs.” Her final episode as Brooksie was titled “Too Near the Sky,” which aired on December 5th. Contrary to what BBD&O claimed in its letter, the character continued to be a prominent part of the show. Virginia Gregg immediately stepped in as the third Claire Brooks the following week.

Could the “competitive” series in question have been The Whistler? Both Frances Robinson and Wally Maher were often cast in the Signal Oil venture. In fact, an amusing comparison can be made of the two dramas. Originating in Hollywood on rival networks, both programs had achieved success as regional enterprises

of an institutional nature (with no on-air commercial plugs) was The Standard School Broadcast, which commenced in 1928 as a music appreciation program for students.

Let George Do It was profiled in the January 1949 issue of the company’s monthly employee publication The Standard Oiler. Though the focus was on the firm’s role, including the intricate process of initially selecting the program, the full cast was identified (with accompanying photos). The significant contributions made by the program’s production staff, including director Don Clark, writer David Victor, and BBD&O supervisor Ken Webb were also acknowledged.

As an early season promotional stunt, the September 26, 1947 episode of Let George Do It featured Howard Duff as rival Sam Spade. According to various press releases, Spade was competing with Valentine to solve the current case. As there is no extant audio or script of this crossover, the exact details of this escapade remain unknown. The BBD&O agency arranged for this unique collaboration since the Wildroot Company, sponsor of the Sam Spade series, was also a client of the agency. On October 27, 1947, the program moved from Friday to Monday nights, where it faced off against Point Sublime instead of The Fat Man.

Various cast members of Let George Do It were involved in unique video ventures for their sponsor during the program’s 1947-48 season. For example, announcer John Hiestand portrayed a research scientist in a film commissioned by Standard Oil and produced by Jerry Fairbanks. In addition, Bob Bailey and Frances Robinson were featured in several three-minute commercials (assembled by Harry Maynard of BBD&O) as a couple who were auto-touring various Chevron and Standard Oil service stations. These promotions were to be shown during Standard Oil-sponsored programs on KTLA in Los Angeles.

As the 1947-48 season ended, the program entered the top 15 in Hooper Pacific ratings. It was renewed for a third season in September of 1948, as the Aloha Island Group was added to the full Don Lee network. Expanded coverage for the series was achieved in the Intermountain region and in Arizona.

The program continued to prosper in 1949, garnering publicity in Radio & Television Life magazine. In an article titled “George Did It!” (March 20, 1949), Jim Parsons wrote that it “isn’t one of those blood-

Lt. Fred Wolfe with Frances Robinson and Bob Bailey

Frances Robinson

6 3

sponsored by major petroleum firms. Though The Whistler was touted as the West Coast’s number one [regional] program, Daily Variety reported (on January 19, 1950) that Let George Do It actually held this title. Attempts to take these shows to a national level met with limited success. The Whistler enjoyed a couple of short-lived network runs on CBS, while Let George Do It would be distributed via the transcription route.

In the summer of 1951, Harry S. Goodman Productions secured exclusive rights to sell and distribute Let George Do It east of the Rockies. In its ‘Tips on Fall Buying’ feature, Sponsor (July 16, 1951) cited the program (along with nine others) as "examples of superb programming available." The Goodman effort was the second attempt to bring the program to nationwide status. During 1949, the Hollywood-based radio packaging firm Searle & Parks, which had success disseminating The New Adventures of Michael Shayne, did not attain similar prosperity with Let George Do It. Among the major markets, the Goodman discs were heard on WBBM in Chicago and WWPG in Palm Beach, Florida. It received its greatest level of notoriety when WOR aired the program on Wednesday nights, starting in January of 1954. This was a local venture by WOR, and not a Mutual network endeavor (as is incorrectly stated by some sources). The Goodman firm continued to offer the 52-week transcribed series of Let George Do It into the 1960s.

From its 1946 inception, Let George Do It was continuously broadcast on a weekly basis, with no summer hiatus, through its final Don Lee episode on September 27, 1954. It is worth noting that Jack Hellman (Daily Variety, April 7, 1952) applauded the program for its continued triumph in propagating radio’s stature, despite the influx of television. The final season of Let George Do It saw changes in both sponsor (with M & R Dietetic Laboratories paying the bills to promote its Pream coffee creamer) and the leads (with Olan Soulé and Lillian Buyeff assuming the roles of George and Brooksie). In October of 1955, Bob Bailey began his reign as radio’s Johnny Dollar. His performances on that series

are generally acknowledged to be his finest work. Let George Do It, deservedly, ranks as a close second.

Though scripts of Let George Do It were adapted for various television programs (including I’m The Law [1952], starring George Raft), the fate of a video series based on the pilot script written by David Victor is still unknown.

1947) continued that publication’s praise of the series, suggesting that it was “this show’s comfortable unpretentiousness that allows the listener familiar to its pattern and people to sit back and just enjoy it. The action isn’t too fast or complex, there are no raucous guffaws of off-color comedy, the dialog isn’t so brittle that you can’t relax for fear of missing something.”

Despite the experience of the cast and production crew, and the optimism of Radio Life, the program suffered from poor ratings during the first season. As a result, the comedy angle was slowly phased out, as were the parts of Sonny and Caleb. By August of 1947, Don Clark had replaced Owen Vinson as director and David Victor was brought in as a script writer to supplant Pauline Hopkins. Victor collaborated with Herbert Little, Jr. and Jackson Gillis over the next several seasons. There was also a change in music director, with Eddie Dunstedter replacing Charles Dant (who had been associated with the program since the 1945 audition). A new character, police homicide detective Lieutenant Riley, was created to give the program a more confrontational aspect. Riley was portrayed by Wally Maher (below), an actor with more than fifteen years of experience playing character roles on such radio entities as Lux Radio Theatre, and who had recently completed a two and a half year stint as Michael Shayne. Those familiar with the Shayne series will marvel at how seamlessly Maher transitioned from gumshoe to law officer. Though on-air credit was given for all cast members, the KHJ production staff for Let George Do It (including producer/director Bill Symes, sound effects artist Bill James, and studio booth engineer Charles Jones) were not mentioned.

Let George Do It was renewed in September of 1947 for a second season by its sponsor Standard Oil Company of California (promoting Chevron Supreme Gasoline and RPM Motor Oil). Credit must be given to this advertiser and its agency Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn (BBD&O) for making the necessary changes to staff and format for the program to warrant continued bankrolling. Two executives responsible for this transformation were Standard advertis-ing director Tony Mattes and BBD&O vice-president Wayne Tiss. Standard Oil was one of the West Coast’s long-time radio financiers. The firm had rescued the San Francisco Symphony from bankruptcy in 1926, resulting in two-decades of underwriting for The Standard Hour. Another program Wally Maher (right) with Gar Moore and Howard Duff (left)Bob Bailey

2 7

Let George Do It reunited the Vinsons and Bob Bailey in Hollywood after previous collaborations in Chicago. A native of Toledo, Ohio, Bailey had been a fixture in Chicago radio since the mid-1930s. He appeared in numerous programs, including the transcribed daytime serial One Girl In a Million, the Mortimer Gooch comedy, a public health series titled Illinois March of Health, and the dramatic anthology Knickerbocker Playhouse. This latter program was written and produced by the Vinsons. Another cast member of the initial series of Let

George Do It was Eddie Firestone, Jr. (above). He handled the part of Claire’s younger brother Sonny, who was also George Valentine’s office boy. This was an interesting reversal of casting, as Firestone had previously played the lead character in a Chicago-based series in which Bailey was a supporting player. It was a popular family comedy, also written and produced by the Vinsons, entitled That Brewster Boy.

In 1942, Bob Bailey decided to depart Chicago for Hollywood and was soon cast in various film roles with the 20th Century Fox studios. Firestone, following his service in the Marines during World War II, landed in Hollywood as well. Frances Robinson settled there in 1946, after her previous work in films and Broadway had her traversing the country. On radio, the Staten Island native had served as right-hand woman to detectives Ellery Queen and Philo Vance. An additional supporting character, who appeared sporadically during the first season of Let George Do It, was Caleb (played by Joseph Kearns), the elevator operator in the building where George had his office.

Similar to his Box 13 counterpart Dan Holiday, George Valentine advertised his services in the local newspaper. His earliest adventures were chronicled by Judy Smith (Radio Life, November 3, 1946) in a piece titled “Radio’s ‘Anything for a Price’ Man.” She posed the question, “Who is this wonder man of many talents?” By way of explanation, Smith wrote, “He’s an ex-GI-exceptional, full name George Valentine, created by the combined imaginations of producer Owen and writer Polly, to prove that mebbe after all, there is something new under the sun.” This assessment was in direct contrast to an earlier review in Daily Variety (September 23, 1946), in which the program was cited as “strictly another run-of-the-air quickie that offers little in good listening...weak in story elements of comedy, mystery and drama…” A follow up critique in Radio Life (January 26,

Episode Guide:

CD 1A: “Laura’s House” - 07/25/1949What is the dark secret of a Haunted House in which three people have mysteriously died?

CD 1B: “The Perfect Alibi” - 08/01/1949Though a woman despises her gangster husband, she enlists George to clear him of a murder rap.

CD 2A: “One Chance at the World” - 08/08/1949A bizarre hit-and-run case proves a challenge for Mr. Valentine and Miss Brooks.

CD 2B: “The Problem of Joe Martin” - 08/15/1949A daredevil, who has been bequeathed $10,000, is thwarting all attempts to be located.

CD 3A: “The Empress of Fish Falls” - 08/22/1949While on a fishing trip, Lt. Riley and George reel in a most startling catch.

CD 3B: “End of Summer” - 08/29/1949An eccentric painter believes that he has killed his wife.

CD 4A: “Everything is Nice” - 09/05/1949George must solve the murders of a brazen woman and her father.

CD 4B: “Valley Sunset” - 09/12/1949A picturesque winery serves as the setting for this tale of blackmail.

CD 5A: “The Coward” - 09/19/1949Emile Martinez accuses an old acquaintance of murdering 37 people.

CD 5B: “The Man Under the Elm Trees” - 09/26/1949George and Brooksie travel to a rural college town to investigate a swindle.

CD 6A: “Double Death” - 10/17/1949A missing persons case with too many clues befuddles Claire Brooks and her boss.

Eddie Firestone, Jr.

LET GEORGE DO ITSweet Poison

Program Guide by Karl Schadow

The mystery genre of Radio’s Golden Age was comprised of a vast array of programs, exploring themes of comedy, crime, horror and suspense. During its tenure on the airwaves, individual series were inclined to stick to a particular motif from one year to the next. Let George Do It was an exception to this rule, transitioning from comedy to crime drama. Produced in Hollywood, it remained a regional program until late in its run, broadcast in Western states via the Don Lee Broadcasting System (DLBS).

Originating from the studios of KHJ in Los Angeles, the hub of the DLBS, Let George Do It premiered at 8:00pm Pacific Time on September 20, 1946. The pro-gram was the culmination of efforts that began in July of 1945. The initial audi-tion, written by Pauline Hopkins and directed by her husband Owen Vinson, was titled The Green Mr. Pepper and billed as a family half hour. Robert ‘Bob’ Bailey was cast as Mr. Pepper. The recording was made at the NBC Hollywood studios

and produced by the George Ward & Co. advertising agen-cy. Subsequently, changes in scripts and packaging firms re-sulted in a name change for the lead character…first to George Lincoln, and then George Val-entine. The program’s final ti-tle, Let George Do It, reflected this evolution. The protagonist would be aided by his gal-Friday Claire "Brooksie” Brooks, portrayed in the 1946 auditions by Shirley Mitchell. Frances Robinson assumed that role once the series began its first season on the air.

CD 6B: “The Rose Petal Stair Case” - 10/24/1949Will two spinsters commit murder to keep a certain house guest from leaving their mansion?

CD 7A: “Every Shot Counts” - 10/31/1949The potential suitors of a spunky cowgirl are being knocked off one-by-one.

CD 7B “The Dark Chain” - 11/07/1949A giant with the mind of a child is accused of mayhem on a farm.

CD 8A: “Run Until Dead” - 11/14/1949A man who successfully dodged a tax evasion charge is now implicated in a murder.

CD 8B: “Sweet Poison” - 11/21/1949A cat is poisoned by a chocolate cream sent to a painter famous for his portraits of the female form.

Acknowledgements: The author thanks Klaudia Englund (American Radio Archives), and Samantha O’Brien (Chevron Corporation) for their invaluable assistance.

www.RadioSpirits.comPO Box 1315, Little Falls, NJ 07424

© 2015 RSPT LLC. All rights reserved. For home use only.Unauthorized distribution prohibited.

Program Guide © 2016 Karl Schadow and RSPT LLC. All Rights Reserved.

47152

Print advertisements forLet George Do It