 From Hollywood it's time now for Johnny dollar Oh Morning, Burton, so you're still alive, huh? Well, it's early yet. I'm the commit don't tell me you've been shot at again this time of morning boy Whoever it is really must hate you Burton So help you nothing you may be good old lovable Charlie to 40 million television viewers But to me you're just a pain in the neck To my client you're worth a half million bucks because he was full enough to write an insurance policy on your life But not to me my price on you was a fast three cents give or take a couple Sure, and that's why I'm here But yesterday when I tried to get you to cooperate you called it a practical joke I'm not calling it that now no because somebody tossed a bullet at you last night and scared the living pants off of you Well called Captain Peral of the Ensenada police Look, I need another hour's sleep. So don't phone my room again before 9 o'clock. Good bye Tonight and every week day night Bob Bailey and the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator, Austria Lee Johnny dollar From special investigator Johnny dollar location Ensenada, Mexico to the home office Union States casualty company Hartford, Connecticut assignment the laughing matter expense account continue Item 1050 cents Rome service on a glass of orange juice Another hour's sleep was out of the question just hearing his voice on the phone left me too mad to relax One of America's most popular comedians a living legend and yet his whole cast the people down here with him on location Hated the ground he walked on Personally, I was on their side But my job was to protect his life from some unknown enemy who'd sent him a threatening note and last night The threat had become action in the form of a shot fired from the darkness It was my job to see that the killer didn't get a second chance And that's what I was being paid for and the fact that Charlie Burton was a class a stinker was irrelevant Frank Maltz executive producer of the Charlie Burton show and practically the only early patron of the hotel breakfast room was sitting at a table alone Morning Johnny, I left him sitting in almost the same position at two o'clock in the morning Only the table then was in a backstreet cantina in town He was apparently remembering it and he avoided my eyes until the waiter had brought my coffee and gone away I guess I I made quite a fool of myself last night. Oh, what was that? nice of you to ask This is good coffee. Oh You'd been making the rounds last night for whatever reasons and you felt like talking But I I wouldn't call that making a fool of yourself. All right. Thanks. You were sober enough when I left you Oh sure You just sat there and let me talk it off. Where'd you go anyway? I came out of the Cantina a few minutes later. You disappeared Captain Peral and Sonata police picked me up in a prowl car He'd located that maid from the hotel here. We went to her home and talked to her so Well for the moment at least you and Al and Gloria Dale are apparently off the hook Oh, the maid says Burton was always annoying her whenever she was on duty here. He was I told him to lay off Well, her husband found out and came out here to the hotel yesterday evening I saw him and his wife arguing out there on the terrace just after dusk But I didn't know what it was all about at that time Anyway, that's the last she saw him. He didn't come home last night. He's still missing. I Just talked to Peral on the phone They've got half the police force looking for him and you figure he's the one who took a shot at Charlie last night Kind of adds up doesn't it? Well, I guess so I hope they find him Johnny before he finds Charlie again I'd hate to see a poor devil take a rap for killing a louse who isn't worth it. Yeah, I know what you mean Well, the chances are they didn't either one of you fellas ever get the bed last night not for long morning I'll oh my goodness Frank you look awful man. You must have slept on your face I look the same as I look every morning Want some breakfast now? No, thanks. I'm skipping it I'm gonna try to get in a dip in that pool before old blubber tummy uses out of his feather bed I don't think you'll be using the pool this morning. Not if you remember is what we're shooting today It's that castaway sequence isn't it? Yeah, we'll get that first But later this afternoon if the light on the water is okay I want to get those shots of him swimming ashore good keep him on retakes till he gets water lock It's it's kind of a slapstick desert island thing Johnny. Oh, yeah Yeah, you see Charlie and I supposed to have been on this yacht and it sank and I just disappear But there's some stock shots at Charlie swimming like crazy in a stock shot of a deserted South Sea Island and finally Charlie comes crawling up onto the beach. That's the sequence. We're gonna shoot this morning. I see he's pooped He's dying, you know then I step out from behind a bush and I'm wearing a full dress suit white tie in tails He thinks he's crazy or something it starts building from there then yeah, I get the idea He's thirsty see so I reach under my coat and bring out a soft drink an ice-cold bottle And I open it and give it to him. It says cut quality beverages on the bottle COTT Yeah, yeah, so so Charlie s is it any good and I say it's caught man and he says so what nice a so it's caught to be good See Johnny, it's out-and-out slapstick, but it works pretty well on camera. Yeah, it keeps building You see I keep producing things out of the bushes a table and chair Tablecloth dishes and silver caviar bottle of wine roast turkey then a string quartet and finally a line of dancing girls And the payoff's a shaggy dog. He says look we were shipwrecked together How you doing all of this and I say it's easy. I got a cousin in Congress It's a lot better on film Johnny a lot better than it sounds, you know stripped down this way Yeah, well, I'm not exactly a fan of Burton's. Oh, he's got some good stuff in this one, mr. Dollar In fact, he's got all the good stuff only thing. I'm in there for us to feed him the lines as usual of course If I ever get a decent role in his show, I'll drop dead. Oh really attention That's not funny. Oh Addies I said it's not funny You thought I was when you did it on the show last month may I remind you that your services can be easily dispensed with good fire me Oh, I could get out of this lousy contract with you I could start on the PCT tomorrow and at five times what you're paying take it easy Oh no by all means they'll set me up in my own show and they'll put it in a time slot right opposite yours in three months Charlie, I could bump you clear off the screen. You don't say I'll beat it. Will you? Okay Frank Sorry you had to get caught in the crossfire mr. Dollar nothing personal forgetting see you later gentlemen You'll be on that set in a half hour not a minute later. Yes, sir You certainly are one big happy family aren't you dollar that kid was a nobody when I picked him up You're wrong Charlie that kid is a real talent and you know it you see you see what I have to deal with He's done as much for this show in the past year as you have you see dollar I'm forced to live in the very presence of my enemy who made them your enemies Burton look My only concern has always been the welfare of those less fortunate than myself those who depend on me For their professional careers and they're lively. I understand there's some difference of opinion about that But it's envy and nothing but envy would you like some more coffee Johnny? No, thanks. I've had about all I can stand Yes, so have I May I ask what you're doing to protect my life mr. Dollar if anything at all Oh, I've taken the usual routine precautions routine. I demand more than routine not for me You don't demand anything. I'm working for the insurance company and I'll complain to them Good good. Why don't you cancel your policy at the same time then I can get off this assignment Couldn't cancel it if I wanted to my sponsors wouldn't allow it. It's for their protection not mine. I know that I think you'd like to see me murdered. Oh, no, no, you're wrong there That would mean I'd loused up an assignment and I'd take pride in my work But you wouldn't care personally No comments. I'll demand protection from the local police. You've already got it Captain Peral had two men on duty the last night after that shot was fired watching your room I didn't see them. They didn't intend for you to see them relax Burton If the worst does happen ballistics can probably identify the killer After we get the slug out of your body dollar. This is no laughing matter Then why did you treat it like one? Why did you tear up that threatening letter? Why didn't you call the police in right then? Why didn't you cooperate with me yesterday when I got here and why the devil? Did you make a pass at an 18 year old girl in the first place and get her husband out gunning for you? You mean you know who is trying to kill me? If it's any satisfaction to you Burton just in case he gets past us You probably have been killed by a man named nacho morales His wife is a maid here at the hotel As you no doubt know uh that uh little Native girl yeah That little native girl oh now look look both of you. No, I was wrong I admit it. I just just lost my head. I guess When a man's under pressure all this time as I am he doesn't always think straight I didn't mean any harm toward her Maybe you'll be able to convince nacho of that if he waits long enough to listen. No don't don't please I I know you hate me all of you do but I'm not as bad as you think you just don't know the load a star has to carry Then why don't you tell us about it you frank? You don't think I'm being fair with al you think I'm holding him back not giving him a chance. Well, you're wrong I'm actually carrying him Teaching him things I've learned over the years. Oh, he knows quite a bit now charlie. So you don't believe me You don't think I know what I'm talking about. Well, all right All right, I'll show you Al said he was written down in today's sequence. He said that I I had the great role you heard him say Then let him have it. I'll trade with him You mean that yes, I mean it let him change any line he wants if it is style. He can play it any way he likes I'll take that role. He says it's so bad and I'll still come out to star. All right. All right. All right charlie We'll have a go at it fine. I'll see you on the set unless somebody manages to kill me first Good morning gentlemen Oh I never thought I'd live to see the day. Yeah, that shot last night must have really shaken him up Oh, that kid will make him look sick johnny. He doesn't know what he's in for Well, there's one way to find out. Oh, wait a minute johnny. I've been thinking about something you said That made uh morales his wife. Does she speak english? No, just spanish. Well, what about our husband? Same deal only spanish Well, but the note johnny the murder threat charlie got that was written in english Yeah, I know The south sea island set was built on the beach at the far end of the bay The technicians and the rest of the cast were already there when malts and I arrived and they started shooting 15 minutes later Gloria dale wasn't in the sequence. So she slept in at the hotel Some of captain perals men were on hand on the lookout for nacho morales, but he didn't show By three in the afternoon. They were nearly finished. They'd shot the last scene once but malts decided on a retake So how sat down again at the fully laid table on the beach and they started to roll He poured himself another glass of colored water from the prop wine bottle and began to carve the roast turkey while he exchanged lines with burton Then suddenly al missed a cue faulted on a line and malts cut the cameras Al pushed back from the table stood up slowly then staggered and fell I rushed toward him push through the crowd that was gathering and kneel down beside But he was already dead And now here's our star to tell you about the final intriguing episode of this week's story tomorrow A frantic game of musical chairs with every player desperate Because the loser in this game gets the electric chair Join us won't you yours truly johnny dollar truly johnny dollar starring bob bailey is transcribed in hollywood written by less crutchfield It is produced and directed by jack johnson Be sure to join us tomorrow night same time and station for the next exciting episode of yours truly johnny dollar roi roan speaking