showcase Archives - Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama

Showcase #S9 – Yours Truly Johnny Dollar – The Todd Matter

Philip Robotham — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 01:08:55 +0000

Hi folks,
This is a special edition of our audio drama showcase highlighting radio material referred to in our forthcoming series of lessons on Audio Drama for schools.
This week we feature one of the best of the Yours Truly Johnny Dollars serials (with all five episodes in the one download). The Todd Matter provides a great example of the fun, humour, drama, and excitement that made this one of the most popular radio shows on the air (and the last to exit the U.S. airwaves).

Audio cover for Yours Truly Johnny Dollar – The Todd Matter

Showcase #Sp09 (28.1 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

Don’t forget to check out the scripts we publish at http://weirdworldstudios.com/product-category/our-products/. We also have great free samples and wallpapers you can download from our downloads page.

The post Showcase #S9 – Yours Truly Johnny Dollar – The Todd Matter appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Showcase #S8 – Suspense – Ghost Hunt

Philip Robotham — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 00:10:42 +0000

Hi folks,
This is a special edition of our audio drama showcase highlighting radio material referred to in our forthcoming series of lessons on Audio Drama for schools.
Suspense, having a reputation for its clever and experimental stories, presented “Ghost hunt”, an early example of the “found footage” genre.

Audio cover for Suspense – Ghost Hunt

Showcase #Sp08 (27.4 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Showcase #S8 – Suspense – Ghost Hunt appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Showcase #S7 – Lights Out – Death Robbery

Philip Robotham — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 00:02:53 +0000

Hi folks,
This is a special edition of our audio drama showcase highlighting radio material referred to in our forthcoming series of lessons on Audio Drama for schools.
Here we present Death Robbery from Lights out, a tale of mummies and curses.

Audio cover for Lights Out – Death Robbery

Showcase #Sp07 (6.67 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Showcase #S7 – Lights Out – Death Robbery appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Showcase #S6 – Have Gun Will Travel – The Outlaw Manfred Holt

Philip Robotham — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 23:54:03 +0000

Hi folks,
This is a special edition of our audio drama showcase highlighting radio material referred to in our forthcoming series of lessons on Audio Drama for schools.
Have Gun Will Travel began on television and made the unlikely transition to radio where it flourished. It was designed as adult fare as the somewhat tragic story of “The Outlaw Manfred Holt reveals.

Audio cover for Have Gun Will Travel – The Outlaw Manfred Holt

Showcase #Sp06 (5.54 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Showcase #S6 – Have Gun Will Travel – The Outlaw Manfred Holt appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Showcase #S5 – The Six Shooter – Britt Ponsett’s Christmas Carol

Philip Robotham — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 05:55:38 +0000

Hi folks,
This is a special edition of our audio drama showcase highlighting radio material referred to in our forthcoming series of lessons on Audio Drama for schools.
The Six Shooter, starring James Stewart was a little known, yet high quality and innovative, show. This episode, a western retelling of the Dickens classic, showcases these qualities in spades.

Audio cover for The Six Shooter – Britt Ponsett’s Christmas Carol

Showcase #Sp05 (13.2 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Showcase #S5 – The Six Shooter – Britt Ponsett’s Christmas Carol appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Showcase #S4 – Gunsmoke – The Blacksmith

Philip Robotham — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 05:42:26 +0000

Hi folks,
This is a special edition of our audio drama showcase highlighting radio material referred to in our forthcoming series of lessons on Audio Drama for schools.
The Gunsmoke episode, The Blacksmith, provides a look at racism and revenge as measured by the code of the old west.

Audio cover for Gunsmoke – The Blacksmith

Showcase #Sp04 (5.75 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Showcase #S4 – Gunsmoke – The Blacksmith appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Showcase #S3 – Gunsmoke – Home Surgery

Philip Robotham — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 05:35:44 +0000

Hi folks,
This is a special edition of our audio drama showcase highlighting radio material referred to in our forthcoming series of lessons on Audio Drama for schools.
Home surgery is one of the grittier episodes of Gunsmoke and shows off the quality of the show’s writing to good effect.

Audio cover for Gunsmoke – Home Surgery

Showcase #Sp03 (6.62 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Showcase #S3 – Gunsmoke – Home Surgery appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Showcase #S2 – Winston Churchill – We Shall Fight on the Beaches

Philip Robotham — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 05:23:17 +0000

Hi folks,
This is a special edition of our audio drama showcase highlighting radio material referred to in our forthcoming series of lessons on Audio Drama for schools.
Winston Churchill’s “fight them on the beaches” speech is credited with galvanising the United Kingdom into resisting German aggression. While the speech was never broadcast live (as popularly believed) , but rather read by newscasters across the country, Churchill did record the speech after the war’s conclusion.

Audio cover for Winston Churchill – We Will Fight On the Beaches

Showcase #Sp02 (0.5 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Showcase #S2 – Winston Churchill – We Shall Fight on the Beaches appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Showcase #S1 – Yours Truly Johnny Dollar – The Tip-Off Matter

Philip Robotham — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 05:17:34 +0000

Hi folks,
This is a special edition of our audio drama showcase highlighting radio material referred to in our forthcoming series of lessons on Audio Drama for schools.
On September 30 of 1962 the last ever episode of “Yours Truly Johnny Dollar” was aired. In the eyes of many this marked the official death of radio drama. Whatever truth there is in this claim, it is certainly the case that it marked the end of radio drama in the U.S. The U.K. in particular, has continued to produce high quality radio drama all the way to the present.

Audio cover for Yours Truly Johnny Dollar – The Tip-Off Matter

Showcase #Sp01 (13.6 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Showcase #S1 – Yours Truly Johnny Dollar – The Tip-Off Matter appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Showcase #32 – Columbia Workshop – On a Note of Triumph

Philip Robotham — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 21:47:39 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter and registered on our site you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
As a bookend to Norman Corwin’s famous “We hold these Truths” broadcast (showcased here a few weeks ago) we thought you might enjoy “On a Note of Triumph”. In this episode Corwin celebrates the close of the war in Europe. For those of us who were born after the terrible years of the second world war it is hard to imagine the relief that victory brought. In the immediate aftermath of the war optimism was high, the horrors of the death-camps were now known, the cold war had not yet begun, and the threat from Japan still remained. Celebration was mixed with grief over the extraodinary loss of life and the prospect of more losses to come. This broadcast is an extraodinary window into the experience of those days. If we feel a shudder at some of the more obvious elements of propaganda in the piece, it is also hard to miss how little we have learned from the horror of that war.

Audio cover for Columbia Workshop – On a Note of Triumph

Showcase #32 (27.0 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Showcase #32 – Columbia Workshop – On a Note of Triumph appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Showcase #28 – The Columbia Workshop – We Hold These Truths

Philip Robotham — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 22:47:22 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter and registered on our site you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
We’ve got something a little bit different for you today. In 1941 Norman Corwin was asked to produce a special broadcast on the outbreak of war. It was a reminder to the people of the United States of what was at risk in the great conflict. Freedom, democracy, and human rights. It is instructive during a time where, in my own country we are @#!*% bent on dismantling long held freedoms for the sake of extra security. Please Enjoy.

Audio cover for Columbia Workshop – We hold these truths

Showcase #28 (27.5 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Showcase #28 – The Columbia Workshop – We Hold These Truths appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase # 17 – Arch Oboler’s Plays – Johnny Got His Gun

Philip Robotham — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 23:44:27 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter and registered on our site you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
Today we showcase the genius of Arch Obler, one of the truly great radio dramatists of his time. Obler consistently set the standard against which audio drama was to be judged through his innovative and daring plays. In this anthology (Arch Obler’s Plays) he regularly took material that was considered impossible to dramatise and turned it into riveting drama. Highly controversial in its day, Johnny Got His Gun, the story of returned soldier trapped in a body without sight, and having lost all of his limbs, is harrowing listening by any standard. Obler does give the story a more upbeat ending than is provided by the book it is based on (Johnny finally learns to communicate with the outside world through morse code instead of (more faithful to the original material) pleading, unheard to be euthenased).
This is not cheerful fair, but is nonetheless a brilliant piece of audio drama!

Showcase #7 (13.7 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase # 17 – Arch Oboler’s Plays – Johnny Got His Gun appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase # 16 – Inner Sanctum – The Amazing Death of Mrs Putnam

Philip Robotham — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 10:12:47 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter and registered on our site you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
Inner Sanctum – one of the creepy greats of the golden age of radio. It’s trademark opening sound effect of the creaking door is still remembered fondly by those with memories that go back to these early days. The Amazing Death of Mrs Putnam is a fun little mystery from the show’s earliest days. It really only hints at the chills that show would deliver as it developed. But still it’s great fun.
Enjoy!

Audio cover for Inner Sanctum Mysteries – The Amazing Death of Mrs Putnam

Showcase #16 (11.5 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase # 16 – Inner Sanctum – The Amazing Death of Mrs Putnam appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase #15 – The Lives of Harry Lime – Too many crooks

Philip Robotham — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 00:40:51 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter and registered on our site you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
You may have picked up from earlier posts that I am a fan of Orson Welles. “The Third Man” was quite the cinema sensation in its day and Orson Welles’ portrayal of Harry Lime would see him forever associated with this character. Sadly, the cinematic brilliance of Orson Welles was held back by studio interference and the malevolence of a newspaper magnate who took offence at Citizen Kane. On the plus side, it forced Welles back to radio, over and over again, in order to raise the money needed for his creative projects. The Lives of Harry Lime was one of many fund-raising projects. But, never one to skimp, the purpose of the project did not become an excuse for poor work. Orson Welle provides a wonderful portrayal and an expansion of one of his most famous screen roles in these “prequel” stories.
The Lives of Harry Lime, like Orson Welles himself, were such singular stories that they don’t really fit into any particular category of drama.
Enjoy!

Audio cover for The Lives of Harry Lime – Too Many Crooks

Showcase #17 (50.5 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase #15 – The Lives of Harry Lime – Too many crooks appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase #14 – Have Gun Will Travel – Strange Vendetta

Philip Robotham — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 00:34:05 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter and registered on our site you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
Have Gun Will Travel was a genuine oddity among radio shows. It is the only television show to have successfully transitioned to radio! That’s right. It began as a TV show and moved to radio. Not only that, it was extremely popular. The hero of the piece ran a classified add which read “have gun will travel” and would receive mail each week from individuals in need of help that the law just couldn’t provide. This is one of the earliest episodes.

Audio cover for Have Gun Will Travel – Strange Vendetta

Showcase #14 (5.6 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase #14 – Have Gun Will Travel – Strange Vendetta appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase #13 – Yours Truly Johnny Dollar – Milford Brooks III

Philip Robotham — Sat, 14 Jun 2014 00:33:19 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter and registered on our site you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
Yours Truly Johnny Dollar was an extremely successful crime show with a unique premise. The titular hero was a somewhat unscrupulous insurance investigator who would outrageously pad his expense account at the end of each episode. Warning: Johnny Dollar is a cad and his treatment of women is fairly awful. If you have a hard time getting over the open sexism of past generations then this may not be for you. That said, and in spite of the sexism, the show remains quite entertaining.

Audio cover for Yours Truly Johnny Dollar – Milford Brooks III

Showcase #13 (13.2 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase #13 – Yours Truly Johnny Dollar – Milford Brooks III appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase #12 – Cloak and Dagger – Frank Baker’s Story

Philip Robotham — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 01:08:16 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter and registered on our site you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
Cloak and dagger was a show that purported to bring fictionalised versions of true stories regarding operations undertaken by the OSS (precursor to the CIA) during the Second World War. These stories of war time heroism and risk have all the elements of great adventure yarns. Enjoy!

Audio cover for Cloak and Dagger – Frank Baker’s Story

Showcase #12 (27.0 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase #12 – Cloak and Dagger – Frank Baker’s Story appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase #11 – Suspense – The Burning Court

Philip Robotham — Sat, 31 May 2014 00:57:09 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter and registered on our site you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
Suspense is probably the most famous and successful of the anthology programs of radio’s golden age. It ran successfully for years bringing new stories each week (no small challenge for a show that had no recurring characters for the audience to connect with or care about). Today’s episode, The Burning Court, is one of the earliest surviving episodes in the Suspense Anthology. Enjoy!

Audio cover for Suspense – The Burning Court

Showcase #11 (27.2 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase #11 – Suspense – The Burning Court appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase #10 – X Minus One – No Contact

Philip Robotham — Sat, 24 May 2014 00:52:43 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter and registered on our site you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
X Minus One was the successor to the highly successful science fiction anthology program Dimension X. Like its predecessor it was full of great stories written by many of the most famous writers of science fiction of the time. This week’s episode is the first belonging to X Minus One and presents a mystery (exploratory ships have been going missing in deep space) that ends with a wonderful twist. Enjoy!

Audio cover for X Minus One – No Contact

Showcase #10 (12.7 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase #10 – X Minus One – No Contact appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase #9 – Our Miss Brooks – Lack of Coal at Madison High

Philip Robotham — Fri, 16 May 2014 23:45:54 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter and registered on our site you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
This week we look at one of the first genuine situation comedies to come out of Radio. Jack Benny, and Fibber McGee and Molly pioneered the form developing the running comedy narrative as part of their variety presentations, and Baby Snooks developed it in short-form, but Our Miss Brooks is a highpoint in comedy storytelling.

Audio cover for Our Miss Brooks – Lack of Coal at Maddison High

Showcase #9 (5.9 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase #9 – Our Miss Brooks – Lack of Coal at Madison High appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase #8 – The Shadow – Death-house Rescue

Philip Robotham — Fri, 09 May 2014 23:56:35 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter and registered on our site you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
This week we’ve got a real treat for you. This is one of the earliest extant episodes of one of the defining radio adventure programs of its time. The Shadow began life as the narrator of a mystery show intended to boost sales of Street and Smith’s detective magazines. So popular was this narrator that he soon engendered his own line of magazines. The character got his own show in 1937, voiced by none other than Orson Welles (who left the show in 1938). Death-house Rescue is the earliest of the existing Orson Welles performances of the Shadow.
Enjoy and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Audio cover for The Shadow – Death-House Rescue

Showcase #8 (6.7 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase #8 – The Shadow – Death-house Rescue appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase #7 – Lights Out – Chicken Heart

Philip Robotham — Sat, 03 May 2014 00:28:37 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a bi-weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter and registered on our site you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
This week we showcase a play by the famous Arch Obler. It is a short (7 minute) story of weird science fiction showing off his trademark mixture of humor and horror. The ending will leave you laughing while simultaneously horrifying you. In particular, note the way he cleverly transitions between scenes. Short though it is, there is a lot to appreciate in Obler’s mastery of the form.
Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Audio cover for Lights Out – Chicken Heart

Showcase #7 (0.92 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase #7 – Lights Out – Chicken Heart appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase #5 – Suspense – Three Skeleton Key

Philip Robotham — Sat, 19 Apr 2014 02:07:02 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a bi-weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter and registered on our site you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
This week we showcase one of the truly great suspense stories in audio drama. After it was first aired radio stations received hundreds of requests for a replay. Sit back, relax, and turn the lights down low as we present “Three Skeleton Key”. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Audio cover for Suspense – Three Skeleton Key

Showcase #5 (26.4 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase #5 – Suspense – Three Skeleton Key appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase #4 – Mercury Theatre – War of the Worlds

Philip Robotham — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 01:26:46 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a bi-weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
This week (and by request) we showcase Orson Welles’ famous Mercury Theatre Company broadcast of the War of the Worlds, famous for panicking listeners across the United States for its realistic sounding reporting of an alien invasion that begins in the town of Grover’s Mill. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Audio cover for Mercury Theatre – War of the Worlds

Showcase #4 (27.1 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase #4 – Mercury Theatre – War of the Worlds appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase #3 – Gunsmoke – Billy the Kid

Philip Robotham — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 22:43:40 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a bi-weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
This week we showcase Gunsmoke, one of the longest running and best audio dramas of the golden age of radio. The thing which makes Gunsmoke stand out among its peers is the incredibly immersive sound design that accompanied each episode. This is the first episode of Gunsmoke. Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Audio Cover for Gunsmoke – Billy the Kid

Showcase #3 (13.4 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase #3 – Gunsmoke – Billy the Kid appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase #2 – Escape – The Man who would be King

Philip Robotham — Sun, 30 Mar 2014 07:23:46 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a bi-weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
For our second topic we are looking at one of the true greats of anthology radio drama. Along with Suspense, Escape was one of the great anthology series of Radio’s golden age. This was the very first broadcast – The Man who would be King – adapted from Rudyard Kipling’s story of the same name.
Leave a reply below and let us know what you think of this one.

Audio cover for Escape – The Man who would be King

Showcase #2 (27.1 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase #2 – Escape – The Man who would be King appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Audio Showcase #1 – Dimension X – The Outer Limit

Philip Robotham — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 12:35:26 +0000

Hi folks,
This is our audio drama showcase where we discuss great public domain audio dramas on a bi-weekly basis. If you are subscribed to our newsletter you will have free access to these great audio downloads.
For our first topic we are looking at one of the true greats of sci-fi audio drama. Some of the world’s finest science fiction writers contributed to the stories aired on Dimension X and its later off shoot X Minus One. This was the very first broadcast – The Outer Limit.
Leave a reply below and let us know what you think of this one.

Audio Cover for Dimesnion X – The Outer Limit

Showcase #1 (27.6 Mb) Right-click and select “Save Target As” to Download.

The post Audio Showcase #1 – Dimension X – The Outer Limit appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.