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Let George Do It - Single Episodes

by: Old Time Radio Researchers Group

Publication date: 2020-01-04

Usage: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States

LET GEORGE DO IT
Let George Do It was a radio drama series produced by Owen and Pauline Vinson from 1946 to 1954. It starred Bob Bailey as detective-for-hire George Valentine (with Olan Soule stepping into the role in 1954).

Clients came to Valentine's office after reading a newspaper carrying his classified ad:
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 few earliest episodes were more sitcom than private eye shows, with a studio audience providing scattered laughter at the not-so-funny scripts. Soon the audience was banished, and George went from stumbling comedic hero to tough guy private eye and the music from wah-wah-wah to suspenseful. Valentine's secretary was Claire Brooks, aka Brooksie (Frances Robinson, Virginia Gregg, Lillian Buyeff). As Valentine made his rounds in search of the bad guys, he usually encountered Brooksie's kid brother, Sonny (Eddie Firestone), Lieutenant Riley (Wally Maher) and elevator man Caleb (Joseph Kearns). For the first few shows, Sonny was George's assistant, but he was soon relegated to an occasional character.

Sponsored by Standard Oil, the program was broadcast on the West Cast Mutual Broadcasting System from October 18, 1946 to September 27, 1954, first on Friday evenings and then on Mondays. In its last season, transcriptions were aired in New York, Wednesdays at 9:30pm, from January 20, 1954 to January 12, 1955.

John Hiestand was the program's announcer. Don Clark directed the scripts by David Victor and Jackson Gillis. The background music was supplied by Eddie Dunstedter, initially with a full orchestra. When television supplanted radio as the country's primary home entertainment, radio budgets got skimpier and skimpier and Dunstedter's orchestra was replaced by an organ.

Information from WikiPedia
NOTE: Updated with Version 3 files (04-Jan-2020).

From the Old Time Radio Researchers Group. See "Notes" Section below for more information on the OTRR.

Notes

OLD TIME RADIO RESEARCHERS GROUP

This is a production of the Old Time Radio Researchers (OTRR) Group located at Old Time Radio Researchers Website (www.otrr.org), Old Time Radio Researchers Facebook Group, and Old Time Radio Researchers Group.

It contains the most complete and accurate version of this series in the best sound possible at the time of creation. An updated version will be issued if more episodes or better sounding ones become available.

This is the Single Episodes Page. The Certified Set includes extras not found here. It is located at OTRR Certified Set. This Single Episodes page is provided in case you want to sample the shows. Note that in many cases, file names have been modified from the original OTRR names to conform to archive.org naming requirements.

If you are interested in preserving Old Time Radio (OTR), you may wish to join the Old Time Radio Researchers Group at Facebook and Groups.io.

Relax, listen, and enjoy!

OTRR Definitions:

OTRR Maintained Set -- This set contains all known episodes in the best available audio condition with the most accurate dates and titles known to be in general circulation and based on current research at the time of release. Replaces OTRR Certified Accurate and OTRR Certified Complete.

OTRR Non-Maintained Set -- A collection of shows that has not gone through the OTRR Maintenance process.

Pre-2019 OTRR Definitions:

OTRR Certified Accurate -- A series that was "Certified Accurate" indicated that all the episodes were properly identified and labeled based on current information but that the series did not contain all known extant episodes.

OTRR Certified Complete -- A series that was "Certified Complete" achieved the highest level of certification available under the OTRR Certified Standards. This certification level implied that all the files in the series were "Certified Accurate" and also indicated that the series was as complete as possible and included all circulating episodes.

OTRR Non-Certified -- A collection of shows that has not gone through the OTRR Certification process.

Also, beginning in 2019, the version numbers of our OTRR releases changed format -- instead of v1.0 or v2.1, we are now using a version number that reflects the year and month the set was released. The format used is a two-digit year followed by a two-digit month. For example, "v1906" indicates a set that was released in June 2019, or "v1910" indicates a set released in October 2019.

NOTE: There are no passwords for any of our ZIP files. If you are prompted for a password, before downloading the file again, try unzipping the file into a shorter full folder path name -- for example, unzip to "C:\" instead of "C:\Documents and Settings\your_Windows_ID\some_other_folder\". Sorry, some of our releases contain long folder and file names, which sometimes manifests itself on the Windows platform as prompting for a password for the ZIP file. Or try renaming the ZIP file itself to a shorter name before unzipping.

Addeddate: 2009-11-20 05:09:53

Boxid: OL100020404

External_metadata_update: 2019-04-11T07:28:52Z

Identifier: OTRR_Let_George_Do_It_Singles

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Reviews

Reviewer: Cath E - - June 11, 2021
Subject: great audio

This is a great series. I'm a dozen episodes in so far. Audio is great, no ads (really dislike when cigarette ads are kept in). But wow the dialogue is of such an interrupting manner. Characters talk over each other. George constantly dismisses what people are saying cuz he seems to know what he's talking about. The only person he seems to respect and listen to is Brooksy who I like as she seems to have a head on her shoulders!

Reviewer: OTRRArchive - - January 5, 2020
Subject: Files Updated!

FYI:

Replaced files on this page from the Version 3 Release (04-Jan-2020).

For the full OTRR Release, see the OTRR Certified page:

OTRR Let George Do It

- Old Time Radio Researchers Group

Reviewer: laikadog01 - - December 10, 2019
Subject: Robinson THEN Gregg

Laika dog , please get your facts right.

Reviewer: Justine Dean - - November 24, 2019
Subject: A memorable show

The show started as a comedy and was funny until after a few episodes I was shocked.... Asto what Happened but the show changed to be a great crime show George and Brooksie are great characters the show is well written and keeps you hooked each... I love episodes with ghosts and episodes with George Making a sucker out of him I love it when LT Riley goes... Valentine Valentine anyways... Bob Bailey as George delivers a brilliant performer and Virginia Gregg is my favorite Brooksie...
So brilliant episode
The forgotten murder (under a different title here), So Low in Whispers, Laura's House, spider and fly, rose petals staircase, The Silent Waterfall, The Witch of Mill Hollow, Double Death and so many more!!!!!!

Reviewer: Laikadog - - September 21, 2018
Subject: Great series - shame about the organ.

Bob bailey and Virginia Gregg then Francis robinson make a great couple. Brooksie was an angel and a tough one to boot. She wasn't just beautiful she had brains too. A great series. Shame that the orchestra was replaced by an organ though... Still, one of the great radio series. Enjoy....

Reviewer: Charlie Heinz - - April 28, 2018
Subject: Good Audio Quality

These shows have remarkably good audio quality. Much on the bright side without distorting, so I have to "tone it down" and up the bass. Some of the shows have very good story lines. And I enjoy hearing supporting cast voices like Harry Bartel and John Dehner form time to time.

Thanks very much for sharing.

Too bad half hour shows like this couldn't come back on the air.

Reviewer: stephfrua - - February 7, 2018
Subject: Pilot Review

Overall, I thought this show was awesome. I liked how even thought this was the 50's, Claire was portrayed as strong character. She persisted that she wanted to be interviewed, when questioned whether she could iron and grab coffee she questioned George whether he was looking for a wife or a secretary.

Reviewer: jennijanzen - - December 8, 2015
Subject: episode #101- wrong title

This episode should be titled Solo in whispers. It relates to the show being about operas and the story line behind them. I don't know if y'all have an official title list for these shows, but since solo sounds like so low, I'm thinking that's how the mix-up occurred. So, that's why the title should be called Solo in whispers because a soloist is a title for an opera singer or a piece played by a musician. I just thought y'all should know. By the way, I really love Let George Do It, but I just wish there was more to listen too!

Reviewer: harron68 - - November 13, 2015
Subject: How Well George Did It

An earlier series before Johnny Dollar, it suffers a bit from intrusive organ cues and Bob Bailey more tuff guy than he later was as Johnny D. Drama is the emphasis here with the fine actress Frances Robinson the frustrated romantic. Scripts are good though the denouement is often rushed as Bob pushes the suspect to confess. In sum, a fine show, just not quite the Johnny Dollar series.

Reviewer: foxyryan - - April 21, 2015
Subject: on the changes you have made

At first I didn't like the way it looked I have grown to really love the settings its more helpful keep up the good work

Reviewer: degemike - - March 8, 2014
Subject: worth a listen to

I agree with the Man from Arles. this was almost a comedy and George was an incompetent detective. it was actually funny the first few episodes, but it became a good hard-boiled detective story as time went on.

Reviewer: Man from Arles - - February 27, 2014
Subject: Let George continue to do it!

Indeed, the series started slowly. The listener's patience will be rewarded, however. George soon matures into a most capable private eye. And Brooksie? She adds immeasurably to the show!
Their dynamic tension and playfulness is so endearing.

The change to organ music was unfortunate, but I suppose budget constraints reared their ugly heads even in the "Golden Age."

Stay with it, it's a great series!

Reviewer: Flickyhecky - - November 21, 2010
Subject: Radio Spirits

Better download ALL these episodes before those bastards at Radio Spirits nicks them!

Reviewer: adamelijah - - September 21, 2010
Subject: West Coast Bias

Let George Do It remains one of the great underrated gems of the golden age of radio.

The character of Brooksie remains the best Girl Friday in all of old time radio and arguably the most useful detective sidekick ever.

The mysteries are usually well-crafted with a nice mix of story lines.

Early episodes also feature fantastic chemistry between our hero and his policeman foil Lt. Riley (played by the great Wally Maher.)

To top it off we have George Valentine (played beautifully by Bob Bailey), a detective that alternates between brilliant deductions worthy of the soft boiled mastere, and delivering some two fisted action to the villains.

The only downside to this eet is that the audio quality is only so-so (most of these 32kbps incomes with a few 64 kbps thrown in.) If you can get past the sound quality, do yourself a favor and enjoy the best detective show you've never heard.

Reviewer: porterville - - February 8, 2010
Subject: Bob Bailey Did An Excellent Job As George Valentine

The first time I heard "Let George Do It" was as a youngester in the Fall 1948. I enjoyed it then and I am very pleased to again be a listener. The plot was introduced at the beginning of the program and followed through in good fashion by George and his secretary. I did not recognize as a child the "close relationship" between George and Brooksy, which is so apparent as an adult listener. They both make an excellent team, which adds to the pleasure of listening.

Bob Bailey was excellent as Johnny Dollar, but the latter role did not diminish the good work he did as George Valentine.

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