(Orig. launch date 5/7/21) Project Audion's 2nd season begins like our first season, with an episode of the classic radio drama Suspense. "Pearls are a Nuisance", aired on CBS 4/20/50, is a satirical detective drama based on a story by Raymond Chandler, which starred Ray Milland. Walter Gage is trying to track down some stolen pearls, and must call upon a gentleman of dubious morals to help him.

Our transcribed-live drama includes voice actors from California all the way to England:

Joe Mendell (UK) – Announcer

Pete Lutz (TX) - Harlow Wilcox, Henry

Doug Fain (TX) - Walter

Rhiannon McAfee (CA) - Ellen

Angela Young (FL) - Dora, Teller

Greg McAfee (CA) - Mr. Gallemore, Voice

Dana Gonsalves (TX) - Manager, Scandesi

Mr. Lutz directed, while Larry Groebe handled production and sound.

This Project Audion vintage radio recreation is an hour-long dramatization of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four...which was originally produced in August 1949, just months after the book, to great acclaim, was released. NBC University Theater adapted this scathing vision of a possible future where "Freedom is Slavery" and "Big Brother is watching you." Big Brother is part of our cultural currency now, but in 1949, "1984" was a new and daring novel, and this early audio adaptation feels fresh - and still terrifying.

WINSTON SMITH: Dana Gonsalves, TX

ANNOUNCER: John Bell, AL

O'BRIEN: Les Marsden, CA

JULIA: Jesirae Kesler, TX

MR. PARSONS & OTHERS: Tom Konkle, CA

MR. SYME: Jason Johnson, TX

MRS. PARSONS: Rachel Pulliam, MO

ASSORTED VOICES: Jessica Matthews, TX

CHARRINGTON, AMPLEFORTH AND DIRECTION: Pete Lutz, TX

MUSIC/FX/ASSTD. VOICES/PRODUCTION: Larry Groebe, TX

(Orig. launch date 7/24/20) Project Audion presents our recreation of an episode of Screen Guild Theatre, AKA Hollywood Soundstage. "The Ox-Bow Incident" was a best-selling book in 1940, a blockbuster Western movie in 1943, and adapted for the Screen Guild Theatre radio show no less than three times. Our version is from 1952. It's a story of vengeance and violence -- a gritty look at a group of men who turned into a mob.

"The Ox-Bow Incident" was directed by Pete Lutz / Corpus Christi, Texas and produced by Larry Groebe / Grapevine, Texas, and used a coast-to-coast cast of 14 people situated from Nova Scotia to San Francisco:

Paul Arbisi / Peoria, Illinois

John Bell / Alabaster, Alabama

Denise Cline / Nicholasville, Kentucky

Norman Cline / Nicholasville, Kentucky

Dana Gonsalves / Corpus Christi, Texas

John Mauldin / Nashville, Tennessee

Chris Messersmith / Dallas Texas

Ken Raney / Arlington, Texas

Carl Thomas / Rockport, Texas

Lothar Tuppan / San Francisco, California

Jack Ward / Halifax, Nova Scotia

Angela Young / Palm Coast, Florida

(Orig. launch date 10-25-20) Season Two of Old-Time Radio Essentials continues! In this installment, Pete, Paul and Dave present another of Pete's selections, this time an episode of "Escape": THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, adapted from Poe's classic Gothic horror tale. Will our discussion lead to property values in the 19th century? TUNE IN AND FIND OUT! 

And since we're on the subject of discussion, we hope to determine whether this entry meets the following criteria:

Your feedback means a lot to us! A review at iTunes or at your usual podcatcher would be appreciated.

Originally released 5/29/20. Transcribed live from California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennesee, and Texas... Project Audion presents a recreation of the 1937 Columbia Workshop broadcast of "R.U.R: Rossum's Universal Robots."

Pete Lutz of Narada Radio Company, director of this radio drama, says this about his choice of show: "I love the historical sense of the story. Here's Carel Kapek, in 1920 or 21, foreseeing AI, prophesying humans' dependence on technology. Of course, robots themselves, thank the gods, haven't been perfected to the same extent. But there are so many wonderful elements in the story: all the men on the island are in love with Helena, and this unrequited love felt by Dr. Gall leads to their downfall. The robots evolve in different ways, though: some become murderous, yet two show more humane tendencies: love, compassion, sacrifice. I first heard the BBC's radio adaptation of this, which was about two hours long. Then I found the script we use here and felt that the main points of the story were covered sufficiently in a half-hour. It's exciting, dramatic, and sentimental. Columbia Workshop had geniuses working for them."

Project Audion is a collection of voice actors from across North America who are recreating classic shows from Radio's Golden Age via videoconference .

[Orig. launched 9/6/20] Season Two of Old-Time Radio Essentials continues! In this installment, Pete, Paul and Dave welcome Essential Listener Kelly, who brings us this episode of OUR MISS BROOKS from 1950, "School on Saturday", starring Eve Arden! Will our post-show discussion cause Kelly to give us all detention? TUNE IN AND FIND OUT! 

And since we're on the subject of discussion, we hope to determine whether this entry meets the following criteria:

Your feedback means a lot to us! A review at iTunes or at your usual podcatcher would be appreciated.

"Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar" - that was both the title and the closing phrase of each episode of this well-loved crime drama, which aired on CBS for over 800 episodes and 13 years. The setup was always a big insurance settlement that will have to be shelled out... unless "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator" can crack the case open - which he invariable does.

Project Audion's transcribed-live episode recreates the fourth-ever show from March 11, 1949, before the more-familiar cliches of the series took over.

Charles Russell played Johnny Dollar 73 years ago, but OUR transcontinental cast includes:

JOHNNY DOLLAR: Kim Titus, TX

ANNOUNCER: Geoffrey Mark, CA

LOUISA PEPPER: Jan Welch, NC

MYRTLE PEPPER: Rhiannon McAfee, CA

SHANTY BRENNAN: Greg McAfee, CA

CARTER LACEY: Tom Konkle, CA

It was directed by Joe Mendell from England, and Production was by Larry Groebe in Dallas Texas

(Orig. rel. 8/2/20) Season Two of Old-Time Radio Essentials continues! In this installment, Pete, Paul and Dave bring you this episode of THE SHADOW from 1946, "Gang Doctor", starring Bret Morrison! Will our post-show discussion have the ability to cloud men's minds? TUNE IN AND FIND OUT! 

And since we're on the subject of discussion, we hope to determine whether this entry meets the following criteria:

Your feedback means a lot to us! A review at iTunes or at your usual podcatcher would be appreciated.

(Orig. rel. date: 6/20/20) It's Season Two of Old-Time Radio Essentials! And to kick off our new round of classic dramas, Pete, Paul and Dave bring you this episode of SUSPENSE from 1945, "Donovan's Brain", starring Orson Welles! Come for the radio drama, stay for the scintillating (OK, "scintillating" is a bit much, but at least we hope you find it interesting) discussion afterward! 

And since we're on the subject of discussion, we hope to determine whether this entry meets the following criteria:

Your feedback means a lot to us! A review at iTunes or at your usual podcatcher would be appreciated.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS - Originally released 10/2/20

Project Audion's live-transcribed cross-continental Zoom-based production for October [2020] is an episode from Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre On the Air from 1938. No, not the "War of the Worlds" which everyone knows, but "Around the World in 80 Days" which aired the week before. Welles, John Houseman, and Howard Koch condensed Jules Verne's 1872 novel into a fast-paced 60 minutes, and fewer than 20 characters (which we handle by doubling each actor's part.) Phileas Fogg's journey started October 2, 1872 at about 9 PM: Project Audion's recreation premieres exactly 148 years later!

In our sterling cast:

Paul Arbisi / Illinois

John Bell / Alabama

Norman Cline / Kentucky

Aileen Corpos / Texas

Dana Gonsalves / Texas

Larry Groebe / Texas

Pete Lutz / Texas

Les Marsden / California

Pete Lutz directed, and Larry Groebe produced

ORIG. REL. 5/31/20 with the following commentary:

WELCOME TO SEASON TWO OF OLD-TIME RADIO ESSENTIALS!

Well, friends, here we are, two or three (or four) months into this COVID-19 pandemic, so Paul, Dave and I decided to kick off our second season with something reflecting the times. And so we present "The Peoria Plague", a one-shot original radio drama about an alien invasion and deadly plague that was produced by radio station WUHN in Peoria, Illinois, in 1972. While it has familiar overtones of "The War of the Worlds" 1938 broadcast, this program seems to have had no effect whatsoever to radio audiences of its day -- we could find nothing that reported how listeners reacted. Anyway, we three discuss that and many other things about this broadcast, and we hope you enjoy it. Remember to stay safe, keep your social distance, and DON'T DRINK THE TAP WATER! (P.S. watch out for Zombies...)

The Saint - "the Robin Hood of modern crime" and star of scores of books, TV shows, movies, and also a well-remembered radio series - is Project Audion's latest radio recreation. Vincent Price was urbanely brilliant as Simon Templar on the radio, but he only came to the show in 1947. The first series aired in 1945 with Edgar Barrier, and no recordings exist.

Project Audion's vintage script of the episode "The Million Dollar Day" was only the 4th-ever episode. This Saint has sidekicks! We were also lucky to speak with Saint expert Ian Dickerson in England for a pre-show interview, and doubly lucky to locate a still-working SONOVOX (and experienced operator Ken Justiss) to recreate the once-famous sound effect of the "Bromo-Seltzer Train."

Our transcontinental transcription recording session was challenged by electrical storms and some camera glitches, but we pulled it off!

Our cast includes:

THE SAINT: Les Marsden, CA

HOPPY/JANITOR: Pete Lutz, TX

PATRICIA: Rhiannon McAfee, CA

MONTEIRO: Dana Gonsalves, TX

KUZELA: Frank Guglielmelli, PA

FERNACK/ANNOUNCER: John Bell, AL

Mr. Lutz directed this episode, and Larry Groebe produced, managed sound, and growled.

Old Time Radio Theatre offers our very first holiday episode, “Holiday Affair” from Lux Radio Theatre! When a widowed comparison shopper attempts to return a toy train, a smitten store clerk is fired and she finds herself caught in a love-triangle during the Christmas season. SOLE TWIN AUDIOS

With the voice talents of Gina Moravec, John Farrington, Dorothy Farrington, Karl Werner, Jack West, Wyatt Henry, Alexxandra Macedo, Eleiece Krawiec, Jerry Kokich, Ever Lui, and Tiffany Perdue.

Incidental music was composed by Ross Bernhardt.

Find more at https://anchor.fm/soletwinaudios

Greetings, fellow Wellesians, Wellsians, OTR-lovers, Mars-lovers (not Bruno), historians, and seekers! In honor of World Audio Drama Day (observed annually, every October 30th) 2018, the following friends and fellow audio drama makers gathered via Skype to create a special panel discussion (in alphabetical order):

Ed Champion of "The Gray Area" podcast

Joe Griffin and Ele Matelan of Wildclaw Theatre Chicago

Pete Lutz of 63audio/Narada Radio Company (Host)

Jeff Niles of 4077th Productions

Aimee Pavy of "12 Chimes, It's Midnight" podcast

We're discussing the historic and fateful "War of the Worlds" radio program from the Mercury Theatre on the Air, first broadcast on CBS on 10/30/38. Then we're playing the 50th anniversary tribute-remake first broadcast on NPR on 10/30/88. Then we come back and talk about that, comparing it to the original. Fun, freewheeling discussion abounds! So what are you waiting for? Start listening, eh? And enjoy!

Episode 9 -- "Christmas Show 1950", The Bing Crosby Chesterfield Show

Welcome to Old-Time Radio Essentials, a new podcast wherein a specific episode from a selected OTR series is presented, and then discussed by three co-hosts: Pete Lutz, Jane St. John and Paul Arbisi; to determine whether or not it meets the following criteria:

1. Is it truly representative of that series? (Can anyone point to it and say, "Yes, that is what [NAME OF SERIES] was all about.")

2. Is it an episode worthy of inclusion in any and every OTR aficionado's private collection?

So with this in mind, we three bring you, as our ninth installment (and Pete's selection), this episode of The Bing Crosby Show from 1950. We'll introduce the show, play it in its entirety, then discuss it at length. Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoy it! 

Episode 8 -- "Gracie Buys a Live Turkey", The Burns & Allen Show

Welcome to Old-Time Radio Essentials, a podcast wherein a specific episode from a selected OTR series is presented, and then discussed by three co-hosts: Pete Lutz, Jane St. John and Paul Arbisi; to determine whether or not it meets the following criteria:

1. Is it truly representative of that series? (Can anyone point to it and say, "Yes, that is what [NAME OF SERIES] was all about.")

2. Is it an episode worthy of inclusion in any and every OTR aficionado's private collection?

So with this in mind, we three bring you, as our eighth installment (and a selection from Essential Listener Melissa), this episode of Burns & Allen from 1942. We'll introduce the show, play it in its entirety, then discuss it at length. Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoy it! 

Welcome to Old-Time Radio Essentials, a new podcast wherein a specific episode from a selected OTR series is presented, and then discussed by three co-hosts: Pete Lutz, Jane St. John and Paul Arbisi; to determine whether or not it meets the following criteria:

1. Is it truly representative of that series? (Can anyone point to it and say, "Yes, that is what [NAME OF SERIES] was all about.")

2. Is it an episode worthy of inclusion in any and every OTR aficionado's private collection?

So with this in mind, we three bring you, as our seventh installment (and a listener's choice from Joshua, a co-host of another OTR panel show), this episode of Inner Sanctum Mysteries from 1949, "A Corpse for Halloween". We'll introduce the show, play it in its entirety, then discuss it at length. Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoy it! 

To comment on how we might improve this podcast, or give suggestions for future discussions, please write to us at f6point3@gmail.com .

Another thrilling entry from Sonic Summerstock 2021! Rachel Pulliam and Dream Realm Enterprises bring you an exciting double-feature from the classic SUSPENSE radio series and renowned radio writer Louise Fletcher. “Dark Journey” tells of Alice, who ventures to New York with her friend, Anne, to try and win back her beau, but Alice becomes increasingly frightened by Anne’s ability to make things happen simply by wishing for them. In “That Thing in the Window,” a man is disturbed when he cannot stop seeing the figure of a man in his neighbor’s apartment. SOLE TWIN AUDIO

CAST:

ESCAPE: The Derelict

Recently released on the Mutual Audio Network's Sonic Summerstock Playhouse, the Narada Radio Company presents their re-imagining of "The Derelict", an episode of the OTR series ESCAPE, first aired in 1953. Originally set in one of Earth's oceans, director Pete Lutz picked up our castaways and placed them in outer space. Listen as one woman and three men survive the destruction of their spacecraft and take refuge on a deserted, ancient rocketship. Once onboard, personalities collide and tempers flare after the discovery of an abandoned treasure.

CAST:

ANNOUNCERS: Jason D. Johnson, Pete Lutz

CORA: Kristy Glick

KEETMAN: Karim C. Kronfli

MIKE: Larry Groebe

LU WA: Pete Lutz

COMMERCIAL: Mrs. Holepuncher

Music by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

Regular contributor Rachel Pulliam (Jane Eyre, Rebecca, etc.) has created a new audio drama company that will be devoting itself to re-enacting classic OTR favorites, plus other original programming with a vintage vibe. Sole Twin Audios will kick off its Old-Time Radio Theatre series with that tense drama from Suspense, "Short Order", which takes place in a roadside diner shortly after the end of World War II. Get a little "taste" of that now, with this trailer, and watch for the launch at https://anchor.fm/soletwinaudios

SONIC SUMMERSTOCK PLAYHOUSE 2021: Algiers, from Lux Radio Theatre

Director Pete Lutz presents an extended adaptation of Lux Radio Theatre’s ALGIERS - the story of French jewel thief Pepe Le Moko, who evades capture by hiding in plain sight, in the maze-like Casbah district. When he meets the beautiful Gabrielle, he begins to hate his surroundings — and realizes that he has made his own prison within these ancient walls.

CAST OF CHARACTERS:

Announcer: Darren Rockhold

Hedy Lamarr/Gaby: Victoria Fancki

Charles Boyer/Pepe Le Moko: Pete Lutz

Slimane: Les Marsden

DeMille: Joe Martinez

Prefect of Police: Pete Lutz

Ines: Jessica Mathews

Regis: Dana Gonsalves

Grandpere: Paul Arbisi

Janvier: John Bell

Andre: Carl Yowell

L'Arbi and Maxim: Gareth Severn

Carlos: Jason D. Johnson

Marie: Aileen Corpos

Pierrot: Rachel Pulliam

Aicha: Dawn Robertson

Additional voices were provided by Geri Elliff, Kendra Murray, and members of the cast.

Music by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

NARADA RADIO COMPANY