Catch MORE Johnny Dollar NOW at 1001 Radio Crime Solvers same days and times as this- Sun 12pm ET, Wed 4pm ET, Fri 4pmET

The Alvin Summers Matter Johnny Dollar is sent south of the border on what appears to be a simple assignment: track down Alvin Summers, a man who skipped out on a sizable insurance company debt. But the moment Johnny arrives in the small Mexican resort town where Summers was last seen, the case takes on a far more dangerous shape. Locals are tight‑lipped, the authorities are evasive, and the few people willing to talk seem more frightened than helpful. Johnny quickly senses that Summers wasn't just hiding—he was running from something, or someone, with real teeth. The deeper Johnny digs, the more he uncovers hints of a violent struggle, a trail of money gone missing, and a network of people who would prefer the whole matter stay buried. As the tension builds, Johnny finds himself navigating a landscape of sun‑bleached streets, shifting loyalties, and sudden threats. Every clue suggests that Summers' disappearance is tied to a much larger and more dangerous scheme than a simple unpaid debt. The episode blends tropical atmosphere with classic noir suspense, as Johnny works to uncover what really happened to Alvin Summers—and why so many people are willing to risk everything to keep the truth hidden.

Bob Bailey, generally thought of as the most popular of the Johnny Dollars, brought a new interpretation to the character – tough, but not hard-boiled; streetwise, but not overly cynical, Bailey's Dollar was smart and gritty when he had to be. But Bailey's Johnny Dollar was also human. His character would get emotionally involved in a number of his cases. He had a streak of impatience, and would occasionally not fully listen to a witness and rush off on a tangent before realizing his mistake.

The weekday serialized episodes are generally acknowledged as some of the finest radio detective shows ever produced. There were fifty six multi-part shows in all: fifty four five-part shows, one six-part show, and one nine-part show. The serialized episodes continued until November 2, 1956 when the series again reverted to a once a week, thirty minute format. Bob Bailey continued in the lead, until "The Empty Threat Matter" of November 27, 1960, when the Hollywood run ended.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices