tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69774562338802085622024-02-08T01:56:22.342-08:00Ray's Radio RevivalRay Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.comBlogger189125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-23545091074169805062017-12-01T16:07:00.002-08:002019-02-21T11:56:53.812-08:00The Fog Horn (MWEB)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/foghorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/foghorn.jpg" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>A lighthouse's lonely fog horn calls up a primeval horror from of the deep.<br /><br />A version of this story by Ray Bradbury was produced by the BBC. It also served as the inspiration for the film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. In typical Bradbury fashion, the story is more metaphorical than literal, almost like science-fiction prose poetry. Michael Hanson does a credible job of reading it for <i>Mind Webs</i>. Music follows the story to finish out the time.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19770715(000)_MWEB_FogHorn.mp3">19770715(000)_MWEB_FogHorn.mp3</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-68003219597744645792016-06-25T11:21:00.006-07:002022-07-27T14:56:59.811-07:00The Martian Chronicles Playlist (DIMX)Radio script writers working in the 1950's loved the author, Ray Bradbury. His stories seemed perfectly suited to dramatization. I recently read through <i>The Martian Chronicles</i> for the fourth or fifth time and I had some thoughts on what would be the best approximation of the book, in terms of a playlist of vintage radio drama, and on how one should read the book itself. I left the reading notes to the end, so you can ignore them if you want.<br /><br /><b>The Martian Chronicles Playlist</b><br />This playlist uses the Dimension X lineup of the stories. The trick is that the actual episode titled The Martian Chronicles is split up in the playlist, so<b> pay attention to the notes at the end of the links!</b> The missing section is a shortened version of --And the Moon Be Still as Bright. There is a longer version of There Will Come Soft Rains I didn't include because it is so interwoven with Off Season and The Million-Year Picnic.<br /><b><br /></b>1. Rocket Summer/Ylla<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19500818(020)_DIMX_TheMartianChronicles.mp3">19500818(020)_DIMX_TheMartianChronicles.mp3</a> <b><i>- stop at 11:25. </i></b><br /><br />2. Mars is Heaven (MC chapter title: The Third Expedition)<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19500707(014)_DIMX_MarsIsHeaven.mp3">19500707(014)_DIMX_MarsIsHeaven.mp3</a><br /><br />3. —And the Moon Be Still as Bright<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19500929(026)_DIMX_AndTheMoonBeStillAsBright.mp3">19500929(026)_DIMX_AndTheMoonBeStillAsBright.mp3</a><br /><br />4. The Off Season, There Will Come Soft Rains, & The Million-Year Picnic montage<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19500818(020)_DIMX_TheMartianChronicles.mp3">19500818(020)_DIMX_TheMartianChronicles.mp3</a> <b><i>- start at 17:10</i></b><div><br />5. The Long Years (MC chapter title: Dwellers in Silence)<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19510719(040)_DIMX_DwellersInSilence.mp3">19510719(040)_DIMX_DwellersInSilence.mp3</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Or, you can download the whole thing as a "remix" by me.</div><div><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/20220727(xxx)_DIMXX_Martian_Chronicles_Mashup.mp3">20220727(xxx)_DIMXX_Martian_Chronicles_Mashup.mp3</a> </div><div><br /><b>Reading Notes</b><br />First, buy an old copy of the book. If the timeline in the TOC starts with 2029, you've got a newer one. It's not a big deal, but I don't like that the publishers have monkeyed with it.<br /><br />Second, you don't need to read every story. The stories are <i>so</i> good! <i>But</i>, I think <i>The Martian Chronicles</i>, as a book, was a mistake. The vignettes that are supposed to tie the stories together really cause confusion, as if Bradbury is telling you all of this is happening in the same universe. It isn't. You should read the stories as if each were happening in a slightly different dimension from the last. When viewed as a continuity there are discordant notes, but when taken as a collection of thematically-related stories the book is brilliant. This is no surprise as many of the chapters were written separately and published in pulp magazines in a radically different order than they appear in the book. The added vignettes are well-written, so they are seductive; you want them to belong, to have a home, but they really don't add anything except a kind of literary padding and false glue. I think that focusing on the core stories and taking out this glue, ironically, will make it a better book.<br /><br />Here are the stories and reading order I recommend. I keep to the same chronology as the book. The structure (three headings) is something I added, but I'm rather fond of it. It divides the stories into 1) first contact stories, 2) the struggles of the settlers to feel at home on Mars and deal with the Martian remnants, and 3) the stories of humans as a species caught between two worlds. (I don't want to explain that because ... spoilers.)<br /><br /><u>Part I: First Contacts</u><br />Ylla: February 1999<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />The Earth Men: August 1999<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />The Third Expedition: April 2000<br /><br /><u>Part II: Mars is Ours?</u><br />—And the Moon Be Still as Bright: June 2001<br />Night Meeting: August 2002<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />The Martian: September 2005<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />The Off Season: November 2005<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br /><br /><u>Part III: Between Worlds</u><br />The Long Years: April 2026<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />There Will Come Soft Rains: August 4, 2026<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />The Million-Year Picnic: October 2026<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br /><br />If you read/re-read it this way, I'd love to hear about it!<br /><br />By the way, I know there are other good stories in the book! But honestly, they don't add much and some of them don't have anything to do with the story of Mars ("Usher II" for instance, seems repurposed to fit the book). I think the pattern above will be a more condensed, coherent, and potent reading experience.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/martianchron1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/martianchron1.jpg" width="193" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-4209371158040621442016-06-25T10:55:00.002-07:002019-02-21T11:56:54.081-08:00The Petrified World (MWEB)A man’s dream world threatens to take over his absurd and unpredictable everyday reality.<br /><br />You can see this one coming, but it's still good. There's a kind of topical relationship between this and Sheckley's <i>Dimension of Miracles,</i> a brilliant book in which the main character experiences alternate Earths.<br /><br /><i>Mind Webs</i><br /><i>The Petrified World</i><br />5 August 1977<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19770805(000)_MWEB_PetrifiedWorld.mp3">19770805(000)_MWEB_PetrifiedWorld.mp3</a><br />WHA Madison, Wisconsin, Michael Hanson (host), Robert Sheckley (author).<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/sheckley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/sheckley.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Robert Sheckley</div><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-18861818173427012612016-06-25T08:56:00.005-07:002019-02-21T11:56:54.265-08:00The Martian Chronicles (DIMX)A blend of stories from The Martian Chronicles, including pieces of Rocket Summer, Ylla, And the Moon Be Still as Bright, There Will Come Soft Rains, Off Season, and The Million Year Picnic.<br /><br />Where the dramatization hews closely to the original tales, e.g. Ylla, it is pretty good. Otherwise it doesn't hold together quite as well. But the last half of the show is an admirable attempt blend multiple stories nonetheless.<br /><br />FYI, there are full-length adaptations of And the Moon Be Still as Bright and There will Come Soft Rains in <i>Dimension X</i> episodes 26 and 11, respectively. Also, <i>Dimension X </i>did versions of The Third Expedition (Mars is Heaven) and The Long Years (Dwellers in Silence).<br /><br /><i>Dimension X </i>#20<br /><i>The Martian Chronicles</i><br />18 August 1950<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19500818(020)_DIMX_TheMartianChronicles.mp3">19500818(020)_DIMX_TheMartianChronicles.mp3</a><br />Author: Ray Bradbury. Voices: Donald Buka, Inge Adams, Roger De Koven (doubles), David Anderson, Ian Martin, Jan Miner. Summary: Vignettes about the colonization of Mars.<br /><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-3581407517154196012016-06-25T08:56:00.004-07:002019-02-21T11:56:54.191-08:00And the Moon Be Still as Bright (DIMX)This third expedition to Mars finds the Martian cities deserted and the Martians dead from exposure to Chicken Pox. (Funny how in these tales Earthmen never get any Martian diseases and die out!) One spaceman is disgusted by his alcohol-loving, window-smashing crewmates, and he appoints himself the sole defender of the artifacts of the dead race.<br /><br /><i>Dimension X </i>#26<br /><i>And the Moon Be Still as Bright</i><br />29 September 1950<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19500929(026)_DIMX_AndTheMoonBeStillAsBright.mp3">19500929(026)_DIMX_AndTheMoonBeStillAsBright.mp3</a><br />Albert Buhrman (music), Alexander Scourby, Bill Chambers (engineer), Bob Warren (announcer), Edward King (director), Ernest Kinoy (adaptor), Norman Rose (host), Ray Bradbury (author), Wendell Holmes, Van Woodward (producer), Dan Ocko, John McGovern, Joseph Julian, Arthur Gary (announcer).<br /><br /><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-50711028016700733562016-06-02T22:44:00.004-07:002019-02-21T11:56:54.340-08:00The Hall of Machines (MWEB)This haunting story about an ancient and seemingly unending hall filled with mysterious machines has echoes of Borges and Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's <i>Roadside Picnic</i>.<br /><br />This one is cool, but it's not for everyone. Some machines are more interesting than others. A few I feel like I have seen in real life, others are just downright disturbing!<br /><br />The story was first published in <i>The Eye of the Lens</i> (1972).<br /><i><br /></i><i>Mind Webs</i><br /><i>The Hall of Machines</i><br />9 September 1977<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19770909(000)_MWEB_TheHallOfMachines.mp3">19770909(000)_MWEB_TheHallOfMachines.mp3</a><br />WHA Madison, Wisconsin, Michael Hanson (host), Langdon Jones (writer).<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/eye-of-the-lens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/eye-of-the-lens.jpg" height="320" width="250" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: start;">The Eye of the Lens</i><span style="text-align: start;"> (1972).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-58249616085551997382016-06-02T22:27:00.004-07:002019-02-21T11:56:54.427-08:00The Sentinel (MWEB)In the late summer of '96 a lunar expedition exploring the great walled plain of the Mare Crisium detours to investigate a metallic glitter high on the ridge of an unclimbed peak.<br /><br />This story, originally published in 1951 in <i>10 Story Fantasy</i>, was the partial basis for the 1968 film and novel <i>2001: A Space Odyssey</i>.<br /><br />This was an interesting story that unfolds slowly to a fairly dramatic conclusion, but it is in many ways upstaged by the early chapters of 2001.<br /><br /><i>Mind Webs</i><br /><i>The Sentinel</i><br />28 January 1979<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19790128(000)_MWEB_TheSentinel.mp3">19790128(000)_MWEB_TheSentinel.mp3</a><br />WHA Madison, Wisconsin, Michael Hanson (host), Arthur C. Clarke (writer).<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/clark-and-kubrick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/clark-and-kubrick.jpg" height="320" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick</div>Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-70416773023564318692016-06-01T08:40:00.002-07:002019-02-21T11:56:54.514-08:00Desertion (MWEB)Four men have been transformed into native Jovian life forms and sent from the protective dome to explore the surface of Jupiter. None have returned.<br /><br />As I started listening to this one I remembered reading it in some collection decades ago. It's a cool little story. At first I was annoyed at the title, which seems to give something away. Also, the scientific ideas relative to the transformation are really shaky and hand-waived. Even so, the story pays off with a rich texture and interesting idea.<br /><br />What is it with Simak and dogs? :)<br /><br /><i>Mind Webs</i><br /><i>Desertion</i><br />18 February 1982<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19820218(000)_MWEB_Desertion.mp3">19820218(000)_MWEB_Desertion.mp3</a><br />WHA Madison, Wisconsin, Michael Hanson (host), Clifford Simak (author).<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/simak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/simak.jpg" height="320" width="253" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Clifford D. Simak</div><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-90354094337235502212016-04-25T19:29:00.002-07:002019-02-21T11:56:54.599-08:00The Man Who Would Be King (ESCP)English military officers stationed in India tire of life as soldiers and wander off into the hinterlands of Afghanistan to be play at being gods to remote the remote villagers of Kafiristan. How long can they keep up the deception?<br /><br />Great story. I can't believe this is the first Rudyard Kipling story I have covered in this blog! I need to fix that. My man, my favorite script-writer, Les Crutchfield delivers another faithfully adapted classic in 30 minutes!<br /><br /><i>Escape</i> #1<br /><i>The Man Who Would Be King</i><br />7 July 1947<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19470707(001)_ESCP_TheManWhoWouldBeKing.mp3">19470707(001)_ESCP_TheManWhoWouldBeKing.mp3</a><br />CBS net. Rudyard Kipling (author), Cy Feuer (music effects), William N. Robson (producer, director), Les Crutchfield (adapter), Raymond Lawrence, Eric Snowden, Herbert Rawlinson.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/rudyard-kipling.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/rudyard-kipling.png" height="320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rudyard Kipling</div><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-41205126442259108382016-04-24T17:49:00.002-07:002019-02-21T11:56:54.687-08:00Six Tales by Lord Dunsany (BLKM)Six Tales by Lord Dunsany: <i>Lobster Salad, The Workman, The Charm against Thirst, How the Enemy Came to Thlunrana, The Dream of King Karna-Vootra, </i>and <i>Charon</i>. The stories are quick, largely allegorical tales with fanciful themes. My favorite was <i>The Charm Against Thirst</i>, which starts at 11:40.<br /><br />Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany (24 July 1878 – 25 October 1957) was an Irish writer and dramatist, notable for his work, mostly in fantasy, published under the name Lord Dunsany. More than eighty books of his work were published, and his oeuvre includes many hundreds of published short stories, as well as successful plays, novels and essays. Dunsany lived much of his life at what may be Ireland's longest-inhabited house, Dunsany Castle near Tara. He was chess and pistol-shooting champion of Ireland, and travelled and hunted extensively. [Excerpts from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Plunkett,_18th_Baron_of_Dunsany">Wikipedia</a>.]<br /><br />The Black Mass #10<br />Six Tales by Lord Dunsany<br />29 Jan 1964<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19640129(010)_BLKM_SixTalesByLordDunsany.mp3">19640129(010)_BLKM_SixTalesByLordDunsany.mp3</a><br />Technical Production: John Whiting, Music: Peter Winkler, Adapted and Produced by: Erik Bauersfeld<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/lord-dunsany.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/lord-dunsany.jpg" height="320" width="252" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lord Dunsany</div><br /><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-13948720773371751322016-04-03T22:13:00.002-07:002019-02-21T11:56:54.798-08:00The Impolite Corpse (NANW)A tyrannical businessman ends up with a hole in his chest and there is no shortage of suspects!<br /><br />This one has about everything you want in a Nero Wolfe mystery. A beautiful dame to distract Archie and befuddle Nero. References to beer, orchids, and food. A ruse to get Nero to leave the house. Oh, and of course a murder that requires Mr. Wolfe's impressive intellect.<br /><br />The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe #8<br />The Impolite Corpse<br />8 December 1950<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19501208(008)_NANW_TheImpoliteCorpse.mp3">19501208(008)_NANW_TheImpoliteCorpse.mp3</a><br />NBC net. Barney Phillips, Betty Lou Gerson, Donald Morrison, Edwin Fadiman (executive producer?), Howard McNear, J. Donald Wilson (producer, director), John Storm (announcer), Lawrence Dobkin, Mary Lansing, Rex Stout (author, Chairman Of The Writer's War Board), Sydney Greenstreet, William Johnstone, William Kendall Clarke (writer).<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/sydneygreenstreet-orchids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/sydneygreenstreet-orchids.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sydney Greenstreet as Nero Wolfe with his orchids</div><div><br /></div>Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-85702234083129223542016-04-02T17:48:00.005-07:002019-02-21T11:56:54.886-08:00Meet the Moleman (FAN4)Stan Lee as narrator and Bill Murray as The Human Torch, what more could you ask for?<br /><br />Well. It sounds good, but unfortunately it ends up being a bit silly. It reminds me of the old Power Records.<br /><br />The Fantastic Four radio show ran for 13 episodes in 1975. This first episode features the origin story followed by an encounter with the Moleman, straight from issue #1 (1961). Also in the cast are Bob Maxwell as Reed Richards, Cynthia Adler as Sue Storm, and Jim Pappas as Ben Grimm.<br /><br />Fantastic Four #1<br />Meet the Moleman<br />? ? 1975<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19750000(001)_FAN4_MeetTheMoleman.mp3">19750000(001)_FAN4_MeetTheMoleman</a><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/ff4-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/ff4-1.jpg" height="320" width="216" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fantastic Four #1, 1961</div><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-23074466683275375512016-04-02T15:33:00.002-07:002019-02-21T11:56:54.974-08:00The Ring of Thoth (ESCP)The story of a romance lasting millennia with an interesting twist.<br /><br />The pacing of this is a little slower than most, but the payoff is worth it, I think. Another Les Crutchfield script based on a story by Arthur Conan Doyle.<br /><br />Escape #6<br />The Ring of Thoth<br />11 August 1947<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19470811(006)_ESCP_RingOfThoth.mp3">19470811(006)_ESCP_RingOfThoth</a><br />CBS net. Arthur Conan Doyle (author), Jack Webb, Joan Banks, Les Crutchfield (adaptor), William N. Robson (director).<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/arthurconandoyle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/arthurconandoyle.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Arthur Conan Doyle</div><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-34192422120333384902016-04-02T15:08:00.004-07:002019-02-21T11:56:55.067-08:00Report on ESP (CBSW)Dramatizations of "true" cases of telepathy and discussions of investigations into the possibilities of extra sensory perception.<br /><br />This one is just as goofy and frustrating as any faux journalistic investigation of the supernatural on TV today. It's not amazing listening, but it's interesting to hear how the "facts" are staged and dramatized in order to sell the notion of ESP.<br /><br /><i>CBS Radio Workshop</i> #7<br /><i>Report on ESP</i><br />9 March 1956<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19560309(007)_CBSW_ReportOnEsp.mp3">19560309(007)_CBSW_ReportOnEsp.mp3</a><br />CBS net. Russell Thorson, John McIntire (narrator), Raymond Burr, Jack Johnstone (director), Leonard St. Clair (researcher, writer), Lillian Buyeff, Lucille Meredith, Don Diamond, Lawrence Dobkin, Stacy Harris, Bob Ballin (performer), Forrest Lewis, Sam Edwards, Bert Holland, Norma Zimmer (vocal), Amerigo Moreno (composer, conductor), William Froug (producer), Hugh Douglas (announcer).<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://wwww.rayotus.com/otr/images/esp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://wwww.rayotus.com/otr/images/esp.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-16934319192770748562016-04-02T15:00:00.005-07:002019-02-21T11:56:55.156-08:00Archimedes and the Roman (BX13)Dan answers a letter from his youngest correspondent yet, a junior astronomer who is worried about his friend who works up at the observatory. When Dan gets into a tight spot, he tells an old fable to make a point.<br /><br /><i>Box Thirteen </i>#50<br /><i>Archimedes and the Roman</i><br />31 July 1949<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19490731(050)_BX13_ArchimedesAndTheRoman.mp3">19490731(050)_BX13_ArchimedesAndTheRoman.mp3</a><br />Mutual net origination, Mayfair syndication. Commercials added locally. Alan Ladd, Vern Carstensen (production supervisor), Richard Sanville (director), Rudy Schrager (composer, conductor), Frank Lovejoy, Russell Hughes (writer).Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-29467093524909859292016-03-30T22:27:00.002-07:002019-02-21T11:56:55.270-08:00The Secret Word is Chair (YBYL)Not much to say about this other than these old game shows are still a great listen. Groucho was really fast on his feet and its great to listen to him try to steer the conversation toward a joke.<br /><i><br /></i><i>You Bet Your Life</i><br />The Secret Word is Chair<br />5 Oct 1949<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19491005(000)_YBYL_Word=Chair.mp3">19491005(000)_YBYL_Word=Chair.mp3</a><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/groucho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/groucho.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Groucho Marx</div><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-28692259218682860242016-03-28T22:14:00.002-07:002019-02-21T11:56:55.359-08:00The Last Objective (DIMX)Deep beneath the earth's irradiated crust, the crew of a mole-like death machine wage a final war against the enemy and themselves.<br /><br />I like to think of this one as the "imperfect storm." It has all kinds of stuff in it that should make me giggle with glee. An android that fails to understand its inhumanity and is apparently addicted to cigarettes. A post-apocalyptic landscape of the wildest description. A society run by tyrannical psychological profilers. And yet, it fails to make much sense beyond the typical 1950's cautionary note about the horrors of atomic war. I keep listening to it anyway, though, hoping I'm wrong. I think this is the third time. Maybe just one more...<br /><br /><i>Dimension X</i> #35<br /><i>The Last Objective</i><br />3 June 1951<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19510603(035)_DIMX_TheLastObjective.mp3">19510603(035)_DIMX_TheLastObjective.mp3</a><br />NBC net. Ernest Kinoy (adaptor), George Mathis (engineer), Jack Grimes, Lawson Zerbe, Norman Rose (host), Paul Carter (author), Ralph Bell, Wendell Holmes, William Welch (producer), Albert Buhrman (music), Edward King (director), Joseph Julian, Bob Warren (announcer), William Zuckert, Cameron Prud'Homme, Staats Cotsworth.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/staatscosworth.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/staatscosworth.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;">Staats Cotsworth</span></div><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-38775859427316186742016-03-25T15:27:00.002-07:002019-02-21T11:56:55.446-08:00A Dream of Armageddon (ESCP)In dreams, a man visits the year 2200 and watches as civilization crumbles before the horrors of war.<br /><br />When you want a great script, especially when you have a classic on your hands, there's nobody better than Les Crutchfield. The cautionary note about future war and the back-and-forth transference in this tale remind me a lot of the excellent <i>Dimension X</i> episode, <i><a href="http://radiorevival.blogspot.com/2013/12/time-and-time-again-dimx.html">Time and Time Again</a>. </i><br /><i><br /></i>In some ways the best part of this episode is the end sequence. The narrator is well and truly trapped in the horror of the future.<br /><br /><i>Escape</i> #52<br /><i>Dream of Armageddon</i><br />September 09 1948<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19480905(052)_ESCP_DreamOfArmageddon.mp3">19480905(052)_ESCP_DreamOfArmageddon.mp3</a><br />CBS net. Betty Lou Gerson, Charlotte Lawrence, Erik Rolf, H. G. Wells (author), Jack Kruschen, John Dehner, Les Crutchfield (adaptor), Stacy Harris (doubles), John Dunkel (script supervisor), Ivan Ditmars (music), Roy Rowan (announcer), Norman Macdonnell (director).<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/lescrutchfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/lescrutchfield.jpg" height="320" width="205" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Les Crutchfield</div><br /><div><br /></div>Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-32864608423536696742016-03-19T19:40:00.003-07:002019-02-21T11:56:55.536-08:00Present Tense (ESCP)Vincent Price plays a raving lunatic, axe murder, and yoga master?<br /><br />This is a pretty weird one.<br /><br /><i>Escape</i> #96<br /><i>Present Tense</i><br />31 January 1950<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19500131(096)_ESCP_PresentTense(2).mp3">19500131(096)_ESCP_PresentTense(2).mp3</a><br />CBS net origination, AFRTS rebroadcast. Vincent Price, James Poe (writer), William N. Robson (producer, director), Charles McGraw, Joan Banks, Harry Bartell, Ben Wright, Tom Tully, William Lally, Jeff Corey, Paul Frees, Del Castillo (arranger, conductor)<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/vincentprice1938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/vincentprice1938.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Vincent Price, 1938</div><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-10763277323017607052016-03-19T10:18:00.004-07:002019-02-21T11:56:55.625-08:00The Fourth Man (ESCP)Three escaped convicts aboard a raft in the South Pacific talk of what they will do with their freedom after being picked up by a pre-arranged boat. The fourth man in the raft is a savage, a cannibal that the convicts consider to be subhuman, who has been charged with conveying them to the boat. But the boat is late, and the convicts begin to quarrel and resent the savage's composure.<br /><br /><i>Escape</i> #7<br /><i>The Fourth Man</i><br />August 18 1947<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19470818(007)_ESCP_TheFourthMan(PaulFrees).mp3">19470818(007)_ESCP_TheFourthMan(PaulFrees).mp3</a><br />CBS net. William Johnstone (narrator), Paul Frees, Joseph Kearns, John Russell (author), Irving Ravetch (adaptor), William N. Robson (producer, director), Nestor Paiva, Cy Feuer (composer, conductor)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/paul-frees-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/paul-frees-2.jpg" height="320" width="253" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Paul Frees, man of a thousand voices</div><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-88795283321786739082016-02-14T18:14:00.002-08:002019-02-21T11:56:55.712-08:00The Grove of Ashtaroff (ESCP)A pair of big game hunters are visiting Africa when one of them spots a strange grove and suddenly decides to build a home there. What is the mystery of the grove and why does it seem to hold sway over his mind?<br /><br />This is a great little tale of weird horror, worthy of comparison to Algernon Blackwood or Arthur Machen, but written by neither. Instead, it was penned by His Excellency the Right Honourable <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Buchan">Lord Tweedsmuir</a>, the 15th Governor General of Canada and "<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2004/03/great-scot/302897/">the father of the modern spy thriller</a>," John Buchan. His most famous work was <i>The Thirty-Nine Steps</i>.<br /><br /><i>Escape</i> #30<br /><i>The Grove of Ashtaroff</i><br />29 February 1948<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19480306(030)_ESCP_TheGroveOfAshtaroth.mp3">19480306(030)_ESCP_TheGroveOfAshtaroth.mp3</a><br />West Coast broadcast. Paul Frees, William Conrad, John Buchan (author), Les Crutchfield (adaptor), William N. Robson (producer), Norman Macdonnell (director), Kaye Brinker, Raymond Lawrence, Eric Snowden, Cy Feuer (music conceiver), Eddie Dunstedter (organist).<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/john-buchan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/john-buchan.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">John Buchan</div><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-8593853610123988812016-02-13T19:52:00.002-08:002019-02-21T11:56:55.800-08:00The Young Man with the Cream Tarts (ESCP)Two travelers encounter a man down on his luck who introduces them to the Suicide Club!<br /><br />This is a dramatization of the first story in a trilogy by Robert Luis Stevenson, collectively called <i>The Suicide Club. </i>The story first appeared in <i>London Magazine</i> (1878) and all three stories were later collected in the <i><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/839/839-h/839-h.htm#page1">New Arabian Nights</a>. </i>The stories feature Prince Florizel of Bohemia and his sidekick Colonel Geraldine who infiltrate a secret society of people intent on losing their lives, and later deal with the further machinations of the club's founder.<br /><br /><i>Escape </i>#14<br /><i>The Young Man with the Cream Tarts</i><br />12 November 1947<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19471112(014)_ESCP_TheYoungManWithTheCreamTarts.mp3">19471112(014)_ESCP_TheYoungManWithTheCreamTarts.mp3</a><br />CBS net. Robert Louis Stevenson (author), Paul Frees, William Johnstone, Barton Yarborough, William N. Robson (producer, director, adaptor), Cy Feuer (music conceiver, conductor), William Conrad (announcer).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/paul-frees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/paul-frees.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Paul Frees</div><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-61838553389990971342015-12-31T08:00:00.001-08:002019-02-21T11:56:55.890-08:00Liz and George are Handcuffed (MYFH)Liz and George are handcuffed together and George needs to get to the bank for an important meeting.<br /><br />Some skips in the audio, but nothing terrible. Happy new year!<br /><br />My Favorite Husband #69<br />Liz and George are Handcuffed<br />30 December 1949<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19491230(069)_MYFH_LizAndGeorgeAreHandcuffed.mp3">19491230(069)_MYFH_LizAndGeorgeAreHandcuffed.mp3</a><br />Hans Conried, Hal March, Johnny McGovern.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/lucille-ball-cbs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/lucille-ball-cbs.png" height="320" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lucille Ball</div><br /><br /><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-86965991483621431652015-12-21T08:43:00.002-08:002019-02-21T11:56:55.979-08:00The Plot to Overthrow Christmas (COLW)The Devil and the historic denizens of Hell plot to kill Santa Claus and eliminate the celebration of Christmas. A story told in clever verse.<br /><br />On Sunday, December 4, 1938, Norman Corwin’s Words Without Music debuted, beginning its 26-week run. The fourth program was to air on Christmas Day and Corwin was asked by the CBS publicity department for a title to advertise. Impulsively he replied, The Plot to Overthrow Christmas. After the publicity man left, Corwin realized that no such poem existed to adapt for radio. So, he would write it himself. The resulting program, told entirely in rhyme, won Corwin new fans, including Edward R. Murrow.<br /><br /><i>The Columbia Workshop</i><br /><i>The Plot to Overthrow Christmas</i><br />24 December 1942<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19421224(000)_COLW_PlotToOverthrowChristmas.mp3">19421224(000)_COLW_PlotToOverthrowChristmas.mp3</a><br />CBS net. Norman Corwin (writer, producer, director), Martin Gabel, Ray Collins, Karl Swenson, Luis Van Rooten, Everett Sloane.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/normancorwin1973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/normancorwin1973.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Norman Corwin, 1973</div><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6977456233880208562.post-24099504340186210742015-12-21T08:31:00.004-08:002019-02-21T11:56:56.070-08:00Holiday Inn (LSGT)An adaptation of the movie, Holiday Inn, in which Bing narrates the plot between songs.<br /><br /><i>The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theatre</i><br /><i>Holiday Inn</i><br />11 January 1943<br /><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/audio/19430111(000)_LSGT_HolidayInn.mp3">19430111(000)_LSGT_HolidayInn.mp3</a><br />CBS net. Sponsored by: Lady Esther cosmetics. Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore, Truman Bradley (announcer), Wilbur Hatch (arranger, conductor), Bill Hampton (adaptor).<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/holidayinn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rayotus.com/otr/images/holidayinn.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds, in <i>Holiday Inn</i></div><br />Ray Otushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18398394072713660199noreply@blogger.com0