Adventures In Radio

This week our adventure takes us out of this world as we hear a science fiction story from a top notch series called Hollywood Star Playhouse. The story is taut and suspenseful and stars Joseph Cotten (right).  I'll look at both the series and the story.

This week a look at one of the most suspenseful radio plays ever broadcast and the story's author. Lucille Fletcher (right) was best known for her play and film "Sorry, Wrong Number." But before that Orson Welles starred in her play about a man traveling across the country and what he saw - "The Hitchhiker." It was broadcast over several different radio series. The one you'll hear this week is from Suspense.

This week our adventure takes us to the high Sierra Mountains in 1846 and the cold freezing climes of the Donner Pass. An excellent tale from director and producer Elliott Lewis and Suspense.

The week's adventure takes us to the comedy genre. A look at one of the earliest sitcoms on radio - The Aldrich Family starring Ezra Stone (right) as Henry Aldrich, a typical teenage boy.  A timeless series that still provokes much laughter today.Music under is "Take It Easy" by The Gabor Bolla Quartet on the Podshow Music Network.

The prestigious and highly experimental radio series from CBS under the direction of Irving Reis produced some excellent drama. This week a look at how time and the telephone is intertwined to produce a suspense story about death and sadness. Ironically, the telephone like the radio brought people together though radio was much more comprehensive. A first rate production.

Escape with us now as we follow a Navy flyer who crash lands on a remote island in the Pacific only to be swept into a strange world in which he is thrust into the future. This play is based on a short story by Science Fiction writer Nelson Bond (right). Music under is Pearls Before Swine - "Another Time"

A Halloween scary story! Lights Out was one of the best horror radio dramas ever produced. The genius behind it was Wyllis Cooper, but when he left, another radio genius brought it to new levels in sound horror - Arch Oboler (right). Be sure to listen to this one in the dark and alone!Music under is the theme from Dark Shadows.

In the fifties sponsors were abandoning network radio drama in droves. Because the networks sustained (paid for) many of the programs they were broadcasting, a new sense of creative freedom took hold. During this time, many excellent series were heard. One was produced by actor, writer, director Elliott Lewis (right) called Crime Classics. A bit tongue-in-cheek, this series was well written and acted. This week, I'll look at a more dramatic one from that series.Music under is Baroki by Kila.

One of the most notable horror radio series was created by Himan Brown and initially starred Raymond Edward Johnson as the host, "Raymond." This week a short history on the genesis of the series and its impact on future horror shows.

This week's adventure takes us on a journey - in the year 1962 and the first lunar landing by man!  The episode is called "Journey of the Pegasus" and the scriptwriter missed the actual moon landing by only 7 years, even though this episode is from 1953.This science fictional morality play stars Raymond Burr (right) when he was appearing on radio and the future Johnny Dollar, Bob Bailey.

A long episode: what happens if the leading actor in a radio series, who has a distinctive voice and devoted listenership, is suddenly killed in an accident? Back in 1941, radio was live and such an event could be catastrophic.It happened to Earl Graser (right), who was tragically killed in a single car accident in 1941, Graser was the distinctive voice of The Lone Ranger. Suddenly a scramble was on to replace him.

Part 2 of our look at Radio Noir. This week I'll look at a radio series that contained elements of noir in its style. The series was Night Beat starring Frank Lovejoy (right)

This begins the first of several podcasts looking at what I call "Radio Noir." This week a look at the Cornell Woolrich story, "Deadline At Dawn" as heard over Suspense starring Helen Walker (right) and John Beals.Music under is "Saturday Morning" by Anne Farnesworth on the Podshow Music Network.I'll be taking a week off as I attend the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in Maryland.

With the recent death of actor Glenn Ford, I want to look at one his more devious roles on radio in this Suspense thriller in which he plays a killer.Ford had limited but multiple appearances on radio and by this last one in 1957, he was a veteran radio actor.Music under is "Leaving" by Chillerstadt from Podshow.com

This week two of the bests come together: one of the best radio adventure serials - Escape and one of the best crime fiction writers - Cornell Woolrich (right). A brief look at both Woolrich and his story about a woman who mysteriously and completely vanishes.Music under is by "Jazz at the Movies."

A look at a short run summer replacement for the Lux Radio Theater - Forecast. It was an eight week run by the Columbia Broadcasting System to provide varied genre of radio drama and gauge the listener interest. Several ultimately became full blown radio series.This week, a look at the "suspense" entry of Forecast - Marie Belloc-Lowndes' "The Lodger" starring Herbert Marshall (right) and Edmund Gwenn and directed by Alfred Hitchcock in his only directorial appearance on dramatic radio.

In 1938 Warner Brothers released a film based on the play by Barre Lyndon and called "The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse." The film starred Edward G. Robinson and in a supporting role, Humphrey Bogart. The first two appearances of the story appeared on radio in 1941 and 1944. But in 1947, a longer slightly different version was broadcast over the radio program Studio One starring Paul Muni (right).This week a look at that broadcast.Music under commentary is by Chillerstadt called Seven Eleven from the Podshow Music Network.

Continuing a look at the genius of Orson Welles, I look at probably his most public role on radio as Lamont Cranston and The Shadow. Welles had good and bad elements in his portrayal but it was a defining creation. You can also hear a rare clip of one of the original Shadow voices.

Continuing my look at the radio career of Orson Welles, you'll hear another selection from the Mercury Theater on the Air. In this episode we look at Welles, the script writer/adapter in this exciting and tense drama about survival in the North Pole.  Hell on Ice is based on the book of the same name by Commander Edward Ellsberg (right).

Orson Welles was probably one of radio dramas greatest geniuses. He got his start at a young age and continued growing creatively. The Mercury Theater on the Air founded by him and John Houseman was one of the shining moments in radio history. This week you'll hear the first radio play from that series - Bram Stoker's Dracula.