The Alder Matter - Ep 1: Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar (August 6, 1956)

“The Alder Matter - Ep 1” is an episode of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, the old-time radio show, first broadcast August 6, 1956. Listen free on Stupid Potato.

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What happens

Insurance investigator Johnny Dollar is sent to investigate William Billy Alder, a flamboyant promoter and wildcatter who carries a quarter-million-dollar life insurance policy with Worldwide Mutual. Alder has been changing his beneficiary five times in a month—between his wife, daughter, and brother—raising red flags about possible foul play. Dollar travels to Caracas, Venezuela, where Alder is operating an oil venture, to look into the irregularities.

Caracas, Venezuela, at an oil operation and Alder's impressive house on a promontory overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

Characters: Johnny Dollar, Vic Kelly, William Billy Alder, Peggy Alder

Listen for: The mystery of why Alder keeps changing his beneficiary and what troubles he might be facing; Alder's cryptic admission that he will tell Johnny Dollar nothing and admits nothing.

Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.