Let George Do It


Let George Do It was a west coast program broadcast over the Mutual-Don Lee Network starting in 1946 and ending in 1954. It started as a comedic mystery program, but after flailing about for a few weeks became a popular traditional detection program of a male detective and female sidekick. The star for most of the series as George Valentine was Bob Bailey. His better known among radio fans for his starring role in Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar which he started in 1955. LGDI was not compelling drama, but it was entertaining. Bailey was not particularly good at the flirty brushes with romance with Brooksie, George Valentine's girlfriend. But Bailey is so commanding in all the other aspects of the character that one can hear aspects of its portrayal that would work well in YTJD years later. The program had all of the radio voices of Hollywood in each week's supporting roles. For being just a west coast program, it did attract good talent. The rest of the US and Canada did hear LGDI as a syndicated program. Those recordings can be easily identified by their having a very casual, if not "hip" announcer introducing the episode, and not a more formal traditional program announcer for its western broadcasts. LGDI 's writing was better than most programs. Two of the regular writers were David Victor and Jackson Gillis. Their careers would blossom in television. Victor would write for Gunsmoke, Rawhide, The Rifleman, Owen Marshall, Marcus Welby , and many others. He would become producer of the Dr. Kildare series, as well as Man from UNCLE, The Name of the Game, Owen Marshall, Marcus Welby , and others. Gillis would write for Superman, Zorro, Perry Mason, Lost in Space, Columbo , and many others. * * * These recordings are part of the Joe Hehn Memorial Collection. Mr. Hehn (1931-2020) was a pioneering collector of radio recordings when the hobby emerged in the 1960s. Digitizing his collection of reel tapes and discs is the effort of a wide range of North American volunteers, and includes assistance of some international collectors. The groups supporting this effort with their funds, time, technology and skills are the Old Time Radio Researchers and a small group of transcription disc preservationists who refer to themselves as the "The Knights of the Turning Table."

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.