Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar - Gerald Mohr audition for 5-part format


In the Fall of 1955, CBS Radio experimented with a 5-day per week serial format, and selected Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar  and the family comedy My Son, Jeep  to be part of an hour long block that included news with Edward R. Murrow and a Bing Crosby music and talk program. Producer Jack Johnstone auditioned 20 actors and selected Gerald Mohr.  Variety and Broadcasting magazine reported his selection as part of larger stories about how CBS was restructuring its radio drama schedule.  Listen to the  two-episode audition, The Trans-Pacific Matter, that was recorded on August 29, 1955. The audition script was based on the script used for the August 24, 1950 broadcast with Edmond O'Brien, The Trans-Pacific Import Export Company, South China Branch . The O'Brien script was used for John Lund's audition to replace him in 1952. In this case, the script was put into the new 15 minute format. While the trade press had news of Mohr's selection, he decided to decline the role. Bob Bailey replaced him. For the 2025 Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention's panel discussion about the 70th anniversary of the 5-part YTJD and in tribute to Bob Bailey's fine performances, a special recording was created. It is by  international voice artist, impressionist and stage performer Keith Scott. His recording is a lampoon of the Mohr audition where Gerald accidentally slips into his famous Adventures of Philip Marlowe character over a challenge to a padded Johnny Dollar expense report item.  Keith  has been approved by Warner Brothers, HannaBarbera, Walt Disney Company, and Universal Studios, for authorized voicings of many of their most famous cartoon characters. Mr. Scott resides in Australia. We appreciate his generous and humorous participation in this good-intentioned prank.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.