George Valentine

For P.I. GEORGE VALENTINE, the main character in the old radio program Let George Do It, it certainly paid to advertise. He got his cases and clients by running the following ad in the newspapers:

"Personal Notice: Danger is my stock-in-trade. If the job is too tough for you to handle, you've got a job for me, George Valentine. Write full details."

This type of ad would be used later as the opening for Box 13, a radio series starring Alan Ladd.

This long-running series showed the evolution of the main characters. In early episodes, George's deductive powers and scientific skills were emphasized over his brawn, and Brooksie was the typical Girl Friday. As the show evolved, however, George could mix it up with the best of them and Brooksie had set her sights on George.

There were some curious aspects to the show. The lead was always announced using his first name: "Robert" Bailey. A few years later, of course, he was known as Bob Bailey, the lead of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. Also unusual was the music for this series. In the early years the theme music was bright and breezy - more like that of a situation comedy. Later, new music, darker and more suitable for a detective show was used.

RADIO

• LET GEORGE DO IT
  (1946-55, Mutual-Don Lee)
  414 episodes; 199 episodes are available
  First Broadcast: October 18, 1946
  Last Broadcast: January 12, 1955
  Writers: David Victor, Jackson Gillis, Polly Hopkins, and others
  Directors: Don Clark and Kenneth Webb
  Music: Eddie Dunstedter
  Starring Robert "Bob" Bailey (and later Olan Soulé) as GEORGE VALENTINE
  and Frances Robinson (later Virginia Gregg, and Lillian Buyeff) as Claire "Brooksie" Brooks
  With Eddie Firestone Jr. as Sonny the Office Boy
  Joseph Kearns as Caleb the Elevator Operator
  Annoucer: John Hiestand.
  .

• "Audition the First Client" (May 14, 1946)
• "Cousin Jeff and the Pigs" (October 18, 1946)
• "The Brookdale Orphanage" (October 25, 1946)
• "Close Call" (July 12, 1948)
• "Deadman Who Was Murdered" (July 19, 1948)
• "Seven Murder" (July 26, 1948)
• "Money Makers" (August 2, 1948)
• "Perfect Specimen" (August 9, 1948)
• "Ghost of Bliss Terrace" August 16, 1948)
• "Corpse That Took A Powder" (August 23, 1948)
• "Minor Case of Murder" (August 30, 1948)
• "Impatient Redhead" (September 6, 1948)
• "The Father Who Had Nothing" (September 20, 1948)
• "Death Wears a Gray Sports Coat" (October 18, 1948)
• "The Hearse Was Painted Pink" (September 13, 1948)
• "Till Death Do Us Part" (January 24, 1949)
• "Mayhem by Experts" (January 31, 1949)
• "Destination: Dead-End" (February 14, 1949)
• "Journey Into Hate" (February 21, 1949)
• "The Roundabout Murder" (March 7, 1949)
• "The Motif is Murder" (March 14, 1949)
• "Stranger Than Fiction" (May23, 1949)
• "A Matter of Doubt" (May 30, 1949)
• "The Problem of Joe Martin" (September 15, 1949)
• "The Coward" (September 22, 1949)
• "Opportunity Knocks Twice" (July 12, 1950)
• "Bookworm Turns" (December 10, 1950)
• "Man Behind The Frame" (January 8, 1951)
• "Tune On A Triangle" (December 15, 1951)
• "Knock on Wood" (December 22, 1951)
• "Christmas In January" (January 29, 1951)
• "War Maneuver" (April 21/1952)
• "Operation Europa" (April 28, 1952)

Preliminary report respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.