Showing results by author "Original Radio Broadcast" in All Categories

In October 1964, as the "British Invasion" of pop music came into its own, Playboy Magazine assigned Jean Shepherd to travel with, and interview, the Beatles on their tour of the United Kingdom. Shepherd also took advantage of his assignment to further travel the UK on his own, exploring from Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands to London with a portable recorder to record material for use on his own syndicated radio program. The result is a fascinating audio documentary of the UK at a distinct point in time, with Shepherd offering commentary and musings uniquely his own on the popular culture and mores of the day.

The listener is traveling on a train, the sound of its whistle echoing in the background followed by the clickity-clack of the tracks. A quiet, somber voice, the eponymous host, speaks: "This is the Mysterious Traveler, inviting you to join me on another journey into the strange and terrifying. I hope you will enjoy the trip; that it will thrill you a little, and chill you a little. So settle back, get a good grip on your nerves, and be comfortable - if you can!" With that each of the Mysterious Traveler radio dramas in this collection begin; journeys that might be horrific, a whodunit, or even science fictional.

Join radio's most popular crime-solving couple, Mr. & Mrs. North, in 12 episodes of mayhem and murder - with a light touch. The Norths aren't your standard detectives: husband Jerry is a book publisher by day, and wife Pam is his stay-at-home better half and most often the catalyst for their exploits when death falls in their laps!

When Phillips H. Lord created his long running Gang Busters radio series in January of 1936, crime was rampant and criminals (both actual and fictional) were being glamorized in movies and newspapers. In response, Lord brought the public this police procedural series, dramatizing stories of real cops who kept real counterfeiters, safe crackers, and killers off the streets - and even broadcasting alerts for criminals known to be at large.

John Dehner stars as J.B. Kendall, a reporter for the London Times who writes and fights his way through the Wild West. Roaming the territories in search of "colorful and unusual accounts", he has regular brushes with both the famous and the infamous. This 10-compact disc collection features 21 episodes of the classic adult Western created, produced, written, and directed by radio legend Antony Ellis - including the series' audition recording, starring Ben Wright in the lead role.

Douse the lights, and sharpen your imagination for this collection of unforgettable thrillers, based on the works of some of the world's greatest mystery authors! These spine-chilling tales by Edgar Allan Poe, Guy de Maupassant, Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and more are brought to life by radio favorites Santos Ortega, Lesley Woods, Ted de Corsia, Alfred Shirley, Stacy Harris, and Edwin Jerome.

From the late 1940s through the 1950s, in a world where space travel and nuclear annihilation were no longer merely the stuff of fantasy, science fiction began to achieve a new popularity. And the work of noted genre writers began to be adapted in movies and radio programs. Based (however implausibly) on science, these radio broadcasts reflected the depths of the nation's fears and the boundlessness of its imagination. The science fiction series presented here offer adventures that seek to find a place for humanity in a world of machines.

He'd rather use his head than his fists or a gun, but sometimes you can't be too choosy! Bob Bailey stars as freelance investigator George Valentine, roaming postwar California in search of adventure, mystery, and more! Wally Maher plays his contrary police contact, Lieutenant Riley, alongside many of radio's usual suspects: Joseph Kearns, Gloria Blondell, Howard McNear, Virginia Gregg, Larry Dobkin, Lurene Tuttle, and more.

From out of the murk of a terrifying night come tales of the unexplained, the unfathomable, and the uncanny! Howard Duff, William Conrad, Elliott Lewis, Jack Moyles, Marvin Miller, Lou Merrill, Betty Lou Gerson, and narrator John Lake take you on 10 radio journeys into the darkest reaches of the human soul!

He's a specialist in insurance fraud and the finer points of human nature. He's insouciant, cynical, and glib...but honest when it counts. Wherever he goes, there's intrigue, excitement, and mystery! He's the Man with the Action Packed Expense Account: Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.

Academy Award-winner Mercedes McCambridge stars as Martha Ellis Bryant, an experienced lawyer in private practice who has accepted the "challenge of defending the defenseless." Howard Culver plays her loving boyfriend, Jud Barnes, a reporter for the City Dispatch. In search of justice (and a good story), the two work both independently and together, checking records, talking to witnesses, and exchanging information with the police.

The unpredictable adventures of freelance troubleshooter George Valentine entertained West Coast audiences for nearly a decade. Bob Bailey delivers a definitive performance in the title role, with able support from Frances Robinson as Brooksie, Eddie Firestone as Sonny, Wally Maher as Lieutenant Riley, and Joe Kearns as Caleb the Elevator Man. Together, they gave radio one of its most distinctive private-eye programs. Come experience the exciting exploits of an intelligent investigator who'd rather think than throw down...but, who could certainly handle himself in a scrap!

They say the "Old Time Radio Era" ended in 1962, but radio drama carried right on...and here's the proof! Provocative, thoughtful, and up-to-the-minute in its treatment of life as it was lived, that was Theatre 5! This powerful anthology series featured an invigorating combination of veteran performers and rising young actors in sharp, concise stories with a message and an impact!

Can a high-stepping star of the London stage find happiness as the wife of a dignified college president? Find out when you visit The Halls of Ivy! Ronald Colman and Benita Hume star in this gently comic tale of academic life, where the kindly President Hall of Ivy College and the witty Mrs. Hall find themselves embroiled in the troubles and travails of their students, their staff, and - every now and then - themselves. Here are 16 delightful episodes of this erudite 1950s classic, bridging comedy and drama with the utmost class.

From the archives of "Geoffrey Barnes, Connoisseur of Mysteries" come high tension tales of suspense, of intrigue, of crime and passion. These are presented by some of radio's top professionals in a style that's "smooth…so smooth - and slick…so slick!" A Tuesday night radio favorite for years, here's your ticket to the Molle Mystery Theatre! Step inside for 16 digitally restored and remastered episodes of "the best in mystery and detective fiction."

He might seem like just a regular guy, but don't let that fool you. Beneath the affable exterior he's tough as nails, smart as a whip, and ready for whatever crime wants to dish out! He's Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator - and he's on the track of 16 red-hot cases in this exciting eight-hour collection starring William Gargan! Cases cross the threshold of his Madison Avenue office, and he's got a crack team of supporting cast members to back him up.

He's a real character! In fact, Red Skelton's a whole lot of real characters! He's Clem Kadiddlehopper and Sheriff Deadeye...he's Willie Lump-Lump and Cauliflower McPugg...and, of course, he's Junior The Mean Widdle Kid! Skelton's material is broad, his creations are wild, and his catch-phrases go straight for the breadbasket. Even his rehearsals - some of which are included in this collection - are stunningly silly. Join Red, Rod O'Connor, Pat McGeehan, Lurene Tuttle, Dick Ryan, and Martha Wentworth for eight hours of fast and furious fun!

Once she has your rapt attention, she begins to tell you - with a gleeful cackle - her tales of ghosts, devils, and curses. The narratives she weaves convey countless examples of how jealousy, revenge, greed and ambition can result in circumstances as frightening as any caused by supernatural beings.

Before the dawn of television, radio ruled the airwaves. The sting of The Green Hornet! Tales well calculated to keep you in Suspense! U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon and the smell of Gunsmoke! The irrepressible charm and laughter of The Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show! There's something for everyone in this digitally remastered and restored set, including two previously uncirculated episodes (one each of The Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show and The Green Hornet) that are available here for the first time anywhere!

Unsettling accounts of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances, the weight of which carry them to an inevitable fate, are presented here by the grim-voiced Father Time. This omniscient and ominous host, portrayed by both Charles Webster and William Conrad, lends the proceedings an appropriate atmosphere of foreboding. The Clock brings you the desperate obsessions, investigations, attractions, nightmares and violence of the underhanded, the unsuspecting, and the insane.