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Message
The Old Time Radio Thread
Posted on 7/6/12 at 1:37 am
Posted on 7/6/12 at 1:37 am
Anybody ever listen to this old show? I've recently gotten into Old Time Radio shows and "Quiet, Please" is always mentioned as one of the best shows in the Horror/Sci-fi genre. Here's a little description of the show:
One the the most recommended episodes is "The Thing on the Fourble Board". I gave it a listen and it's a crazy story! This site has the majority of the episodes up for listen/download and I was wondering if anyone who has listened to this show before can suggest some episodes to check out. I'm tempted to just download as many as I can to my iPod so I can listen to them on the go.
quote:
Quiet, Please! is an old-time radio fantasy and horror program created by Wyllis Cooper, also known for creating Lights Out. Ernest Chappell was the show's announcer and lead actor. Quiet, Please! was first broadcast by on June 8, 1947 by the Mutual Broadcasting System, and its last episode ran on June 25, 1949, by ABC. A total of 106 shows were broadcast, with only a very few of them repeats.
Earning relatively little notice during its initial run, Quiet, Please! has since been praised as one of the finest efforts of the golden age of American radio drama. The shows range from deeply personal human interest shows to some of the most original horror and science fiction stories ever written.
One the the most recommended episodes is "The Thing on the Fourble Board". I gave it a listen and it's a crazy story! This site has the majority of the episodes up for listen/download and I was wondering if anyone who has listened to this show before can suggest some episodes to check out. I'm tempted to just download as many as I can to my iPod so I can listen to them on the go.
This post was edited on 9/18/13 at 7:48 pm
9
Posted on 7/9/12 at 6:18 am to ipodking
Whoa you are just about the last person I'd expect to have posted this 
I've occasionally posted some stuff about OTR (old time radio) before, never really got any responses (a motif among threads I've started). People interested in audio books should give these old shows a shot.
My favorite OTR dramas are The Adventures of Philip Marlowe (noirish private eye) and Dimension X / X Minus 1, science fiction.
DL Philip Marlowe episodes here
This series is probably the closest any medium ever came to the Marlowe of the novels. Even Raymond Chandler himself didn't completely hate it.
The highlights of the show -- in particular the early episodes -- are absolutely the opening and closing narrations. Some of them are classics. The great episode Red Wind opens with the famous description of L.A. nighttime taken directly from Chandlers story:
"There was a rough desert wind blowing into Los Angeles that evening. It was one of those hot, dry Santa Anna winds that comes down out of the mountain passes... On nights like that, every booze party ends in a fight, and meek little housewives finger the edge of a carving knife and study their husband's necks. Anything can happen when the Santa Anna blows in from the desert."
The plots are generally not so hot -- they invariably hinge on Marlowe spotting something which the audience can't see (obviously) and only explaining how he figured it out in the tag. But with only 30 minutes of show they clearly had to decide between Agatha Christie plotting and Chandler ambience. Fortunately they chose the latter.
The show is definitely a buried noir treasure. Maybe someday it will be rediscovered.
Dimension X
X Minus 1
Dimension X ran on NBC 1950-1. The show was later retooled as X Minus 1 in 1955-8. They dramatized stories from the pulp SF "golden age" of the 1940s by writers like Bradbury, Asimov, Heinlein etc.
While there are plenty of rocketmen and space travel stories, the most interesting episodes IMHO are those that prefigure the classic TWILIGHT ZONE situation -- ordinary people caught up in fantastic situations. Stephen King once commented that Richard Matheson took horror out of the gothic mansion and let it happen anywhere, even the minimart down the street. That's what these shows helped do for SF -- although Twilight Zone would get the credit. I wonder how often Rod Serling listened to them.
A few favorite episodes:
Dimension X:
Kaleidoscope - Bradbury
To The Future - Bradbury
Mars Is Heaven - Bradbury
Dwellers In Silence - Bradbury
Dr. Grimshaw's Sanitorium - I can't believe they got away with this ending in 1950.
X Minus 1
Zero Hour - Bradbury (notice a pattern here?). The ending is a masterpiece.
The Last Martian - Fredric Brown. This was later filmed as an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents starring Steve McQueen. IMHO this radio version is superior.
Hostess - Asimov
Cold Equations
Time and Time Again - a really interesting time travel story
Venus Is A Man's World - not all that great an episode, but a fascinatingly prescient satire on feminism (from 1957!)
X Minus 1 also did two stories by a very young, little-known writer named Philip K Dick, "Colony" and "The Defenders". They're nothing special, although "The Defenders" is not a bad cold war allegory -- apparently a frequently-used device in SF of this period, at least judging by these two series.
I've occasionally posted some stuff about OTR (old time radio) before, never really got any responses (a motif among threads I've started). People interested in audio books should give these old shows a shot.
My favorite OTR dramas are The Adventures of Philip Marlowe (noirish private eye) and Dimension X / X Minus 1, science fiction.
DL Philip Marlowe episodes here
This series is probably the closest any medium ever came to the Marlowe of the novels. Even Raymond Chandler himself didn't completely hate it.
The highlights of the show -- in particular the early episodes -- are absolutely the opening and closing narrations. Some of them are classics. The great episode Red Wind opens with the famous description of L.A. nighttime taken directly from Chandlers story:
"There was a rough desert wind blowing into Los Angeles that evening. It was one of those hot, dry Santa Anna winds that comes down out of the mountain passes... On nights like that, every booze party ends in a fight, and meek little housewives finger the edge of a carving knife and study their husband's necks. Anything can happen when the Santa Anna blows in from the desert."
The plots are generally not so hot -- they invariably hinge on Marlowe spotting something which the audience can't see (obviously) and only explaining how he figured it out in the tag. But with only 30 minutes of show they clearly had to decide between Agatha Christie plotting and Chandler ambience. Fortunately they chose the latter.
The show is definitely a buried noir treasure. Maybe someday it will be rediscovered.
Dimension X
X Minus 1
Dimension X ran on NBC 1950-1. The show was later retooled as X Minus 1 in 1955-8. They dramatized stories from the pulp SF "golden age" of the 1940s by writers like Bradbury, Asimov, Heinlein etc.
While there are plenty of rocketmen and space travel stories, the most interesting episodes IMHO are those that prefigure the classic TWILIGHT ZONE situation -- ordinary people caught up in fantastic situations. Stephen King once commented that Richard Matheson took horror out of the gothic mansion and let it happen anywhere, even the minimart down the street. That's what these shows helped do for SF -- although Twilight Zone would get the credit. I wonder how often Rod Serling listened to them.
A few favorite episodes:
Dimension X:
Kaleidoscope - Bradbury
To The Future - Bradbury
Mars Is Heaven - Bradbury
Dwellers In Silence - Bradbury
Dr. Grimshaw's Sanitorium - I can't believe they got away with this ending in 1950.
X Minus 1
Zero Hour - Bradbury (notice a pattern here?). The ending is a masterpiece.
The Last Martian - Fredric Brown. This was later filmed as an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents starring Steve McQueen. IMHO this radio version is superior.
Hostess - Asimov
Cold Equations
Time and Time Again - a really interesting time travel story
Venus Is A Man's World - not all that great an episode, but a fascinatingly prescient satire on feminism (from 1957!)
X Minus 1 also did two stories by a very young, little-known writer named Philip K Dick, "Colony" and "The Defenders". They're nothing special, although "The Defenders" is not a bad cold war allegory -- apparently a frequently-used device in SF of this period, at least judging by these two series.
Posted on 7/9/12 at 10:04 am to Kafka
My dad got an 8-track player with a new car and would buy old radio show cassettes. I loved to listen to them on long drives sitting in the rear facing back seat in the old 74 LTD station wagon. I may have to down load some. Thanks for sparking fond memories. 
Posted on 7/9/12 at 10:25 am to ipodking
Funny you mention that. I just got a Quiet, Please iphone app that has 1947-1949 seasons for either $.99 or $1.99. I've only listened to two episodes but it reminds me a little of twilight zone.
I've been looking up old time radio stuff myself the last week or so.
I've been looking up old time radio stuff myself the last week or so.
Posted on 7/9/12 at 11:40 am to Kafka
Hey Kafka! Thanks for bumping this thread
I've read about Dimension X but I haven't listened to any episodes yet, I'll check out the links you posted.
quote:
Dimension X / X Minus 1, science fiction.
I've read about Dimension X but I haven't listened to any episodes yet, I'll check out the links you posted.
Posted on 7/9/12 at 11:42 am to crash1211
quote:
I just got a Quiet, Please iphone app that has 1947-1949 seasons for either $.99 or $1.99
I didn't know they had an iPhone app, I'll have to buy that. The tunein radio app has a bunch of OTR shows you can listen to
Posted on 7/9/12 at 10:09 pm to ipodking
Sorry, Wrong Number
The most famous radio play (after Orson Welles' infamous War Of The Worlds). Later filmed with Barbara Stanwyck, but it works better on radio.
Agnes Moorhead doing Sorry, Wrong Number:
A year earlier SWN author Lucille Fletcher had written an equally superb episode, The Hitch Hiker, starring Orson Welles in a tour de force performance.
The Hitch Hiker
Orson Welles:
Lucille Fletcher:
If the story sounds familiar it was later filmed for The Twilight Zone.
The most famous radio play (after Orson Welles' infamous War Of The Worlds). Later filmed with Barbara Stanwyck, but it works better on radio.
Agnes Moorhead doing Sorry, Wrong Number:
A year earlier SWN author Lucille Fletcher had written an equally superb episode, The Hitch Hiker, starring Orson Welles in a tour de force performance.
The Hitch Hiker
Orson Welles:
Lucille Fletcher:
If the story sounds familiar it was later filmed for The Twilight Zone.
Posted on 7/9/12 at 11:12 pm to Kafka
these have always been my favorite
Johnny Dollar
The Jack Benny Show
Philip Marlowe
Johnny Dollar
The Jack Benny Show
Philip Marlowe
This post was edited on 7/9/12 at 11:13 pm
Posted on 7/9/12 at 11:25 pm to illinitiger
I'm a huge Jack Benny fan
Jack in the Twilight Zone -- with guest star Rod Serling!
I love the Philip Marlowe series, as I posted earlier
I've only heard a few Johnny Dollars. They're OK I guess, but IMHO not in the same league as Philip Marlowe.
Jack in the Twilight Zone -- with guest star Rod Serling!
I love the Philip Marlowe series, as I posted earlier
I've only heard a few Johnny Dollars. They're OK I guess, but IMHO not in the same league as Philip Marlowe.
Posted on 7/10/12 at 12:42 am to ipodking
I read this thread, and was looking for something to listen to since I'm in the car for 2-3 hours a day.
So I checked out Demonid and downloaded a file with 5.3 gb of OTR suspense and dramas.
So I checked out Demonid and downloaded a file with 5.3 gb of OTR suspense and dramas.
Posted on 7/10/12 at 12:47 am to Napoleon
quote:
downloaded a file with 5.3 gb of OTR suspense and dramas
what shows were in it?
Posted on 7/10/12 at 12:55 am to Kafka
quote:
This is the Ultimate Collection of The Old Time Radio program Suspense. This collection spans 20 years divided into 10 volumes. I truly enjoy listening to the Golden Era of Radio plays and I hope that you will enjoy this also. If you like my torrent please leave a friendly comment. In this Ultimate Collection from The Golden Age of Radio, there are such jewels as " The House in Cypress Canyon" " The Lodger " " A Pretty Face " and one of my personal favorites " Zero Hour " With over 900 radio plays, I'm sure you will find a favorite or two. Happy Listening
Plus the entire series of the OP's show.
Posted on 7/10/12 at 1:08 am to Napoleon
So it's the program Suspense. I've listened to some episodes -- "Sorry, Wrong Number" and "The Hitch Hiker" which I linked to above are both from Suspense.
Also check out "Wet Saturday", which like many Suspense stories was later done for TV on Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
I linked to a version of Bradbury's "Zero Hour" from X Minus 1. Definitely check out it and Dimension X.
900 episodes of Suspense and 200 from Dimension X / X Minus 1 should keep you busy for awhile...
Also check out "Wet Saturday", which like many Suspense stories was later done for TV on Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
I linked to a version of Bradbury's "Zero Hour" from X Minus 1. Definitely check out it and Dimension X.
900 episodes of Suspense and 200 from Dimension X / X Minus 1 should keep you busy for awhile...
Posted on 7/10/12 at 8:46 am to ipodking
quote:
Old Time Radio shows
Welllllllll... It's not a true "old time radio show", but it follows the genre and always amused me: Chickenman - the first episode, Chickenman - ignore the youtube video.
I used to listen to this every morning on FM102(Monroe) on the way to school.
This post was edited on 7/10/12 at 8:48 am
Posted on 12/5/12 at 7:48 am to ipodking
quote:
Quiet, Please! is an old-time radio fantasy and horror program created by Wyllis Cooper
Earlier Cooper had created a famous radio horror series:
quote:
Lights Out is an extremely popular American old-time radio program, an early example of a network series devoted mostly to horror and the supernatural, predating Suspense and Inner Sanctum. Versions of Lights Out aired on different networks, at various times, from January 1934 to the summer of 1947 and the series eventually made the transition to television.
Wikipedia article on Lights Out
Wyllis Cooper
86 Lights Out episodes for free download
Arch Oboler
Posted on 12/5/12 at 8:38 am to Kafka
Ha Kafka found another paw paw to talk about old shite with. Good for you.
Posted on 12/5/12 at 8:45 am to Byron Bojangles III
quote:
Bryon Bojengles III
LSU Fan
Member since Nov 2012
Posted on 12/5/12 at 9:49 am to ipodking
ipodking,
Coincidentally, our group NOLA Voice Talent is putting on just such a show shortly - a 1940's radio drama-style 'on-stage' production of "It's A Wonderful Life" in front of a live audience on Saturday, Dec. 15 at the Deutsches Haus in Metairie.
It will also be simulcast on WGSO 990 AM and on the internet.
Perhaps you would be interested in seeing it as we will have the sound effects and music from the film, professional actors, 1940's apparel, a chorus, food, and bar!
www.nolavoicetalent.org/iawl-2012
Metry
Coincidentally, our group NOLA Voice Talent is putting on just such a show shortly - a 1940's radio drama-style 'on-stage' production of "It's A Wonderful Life" in front of a live audience on Saturday, Dec. 15 at the Deutsches Haus in Metairie.
It will also be simulcast on WGSO 990 AM and on the internet.
Perhaps you would be interested in seeing it as we will have the sound effects and music from the film, professional actors, 1940's apparel, a chorus, food, and bar!
www.nolavoicetalent.org/iawl-2012
Metry
This post was edited on 12/5/12 at 9:50 am
Posted on 12/5/12 at 10:06 am to Kafka
Hey my name isn't Jonathan.
Posted on 12/5/12 at 1:45 pm to Kafka
I'll check Lights Out, I listened to the majority of the Quiet Please shows and enjoyed them.
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