Project Audion: Classic Audio Dramas for Modern Times
Network Radio of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s - the precursor to today's podcasting - was a golden era for Audio Theatre. Project Audion selects the most interesting examples of these vintage audio plays - often from lost scripts that haven't been heard or performed in decades - and recreates them in real-time using top-notch voice actors from across the country and vintage production techniques. The result: a timeless treat for your ears.
S5 E12 · Sat, April 12, 2025
"Wayfaring Men" recreation of lost 1933 audio drama serial - plus a behind-the-scenes podcast
What's more exciting than premiering a recreated lost episode of a classic audio drama? Premiering a completely unknown and lost show! Such is "Wayfaring Men," Project Audion's latest offering. "Wayfaring Men" was a dramatic summer 1933 CBS serial about the lives of the hoboes, tramps, and bums who were numerous during the Great Depression. Not a single recording of the show exists, and almost no background information either, but Project Audion came into a handful of original mimeographed scripts, and has selected one episode from June 1933 to bring back to life. But wait - there's more! Not only will you join the men (and women) who wandered over America's rails and roadways as they try to survive without money or jobs... Because this is the finale of our fifth season, we're first going to first take you behind the scenes for an extended look at how our shows are created, from script to rehearsals, from sound effects to recording and post-production, you'll discover what goes into each Project Audion episode. Heard (and seen) in THIS episode: Trevor Rines in Toronto canada Donna Patton in Tennessee Kim Titus in Texas Jack Ward in Nova Scotia David Ries in Georgia Larry Groebe produced and directed from Texas
Sat, March 15, 2025
"Our Miss Brooks: Handy Andy" tribute episode of classic mid-century sitecome radio show
Project Audion brings back another iconic mid-century situation comedy classic: “Our Miss Brooks.” In the 1950s, the character of Connie Brooks was everyone’s favorite English teacher - sassy and smart, but starry-eyed in her unrequited desire for biology teacher Mr. Boyton. Actress Eve Arden’s portrayal was so iconic she made the jump to television four years after the radio version launched in 1948 - and even filmed a movie adaptation in 1956. Robert L. Mills, writer for Bob Hope, has crafted a fresh episode of the show for Project Audion that matches the originals, laugh for laugh. So - step back in time to when school days were simpler! Rachel Pulliam in Missouri Robert L. Mills in California Pete Lutz in Texas Bob Beaumont in California Ken Jefferies also in California Mel Rose in New Jersey Robert L. Mills penned the script, and Larry Groebe produced, directed, and played the part of the studio audience.
S5 E12 · Sat, February 15, 2025
"The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" recreation of lost 1945 classic detective audio drama
Project Audion brings you "The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," recreating an episode which has remained unheard for eighty years. There's no more famous detective, real or imagined, than Holmes. His creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, pretty much defined the mystery-detective story, and 138 years later Holmes and Watson are still part of popular culture. In 1945, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce portrayed them weekly on the Mutual Radio network. Our selected script (which aired only once, on January 15, 1945) "The Curse of Doctor Anselmo," carries its own mystery - the secret identity of the man who co-wrote it pseudonymously. Will you discover whodunnit? Will Holmes fall under Anselmo's curse? Will the Petri family take the time to bring you good wine? All will be revealed in this delightful half hour audio drama, faithful to the original series' sound and spirit. Our cast: Craig Wichman in New York Paul Arbisi in Illinois Glenn Hascall in Kansas Jeff Billard in Massachusetts Jane Beverley in New Jersey Richard Durrington in Idaho and Vincent Caruso in New York while Production and direction were handled by Larry Groebe in Texas
S5 E11 · Sat, January 11, 2025
"The Burns & Allen Show" live tribute recreation of classic audio comedy of the 1940s
Long, long before George Burns became the senior citizen movie star of films like "The Sunshine Boys" and "Oh God!" he was familiar to radio and television audiences across the country as the grounded half of the comedy couple Burns and Allen, with real-life wife (and vaudeville partner) Gracie Allen playing the ditzy dame of the duo. Theirs was a 25-year run on the airwaves, and now for Project Audion, Pete Lutz has penned a fresh new Burns and Allen script that recalls the best of their radio work during World War II, right down to their sponsor of the time, Swan Soap. Much like Bob Hope and Jack Benny did, we find the two of them at a naval base entertaining the troops, along with guest stars Henry Fonda and Chico Marx. You'll be entertained by Audion's transcribed-live transcontinental cast of delicious, delirious vocal talents: John Bell in Alabama Mel Rose in Pennsylvania Dana Gonsalves in Texas Les Marsden in California Scott R. McKinley in New Jersey Pete Lutz in Texas Robert L. Mills in California Larry Groebe supervised the production
S5 E10 · Sat, December 21, 2024
"Philip Marlowe: The Three Wise Guys" live recreation of lost noir detective audio drama from 1948
Our Christmas present for you is a lost episode of the classic detective drama "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe" with a holiday theme! Because Audion's previous Philip Marlowe restoration became its most popular episode ever, we returned to our archives to unearth a Marlowe script which hasn't been performed or heard since December 19, 1948 -- "The Three Wise Guys." "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe" ran for three years on network radio, with new noir-ish tales from author Raymond Chandler's detective. In this episode, it was the night before Christmas and (as Marlowe says) "a sweet girl was in trouble. But that didn't mean a thing to the second-story man, the four-flusher in spats, and the ex-Chicago cabbie -- until, one way or the other, they all got into the spirit of the thing..." Our cast, which recorded this episode live in the classic radio drama style, included: Andy Hartson-Bowyer in Virginia Tom Konkle in California Hunter Adkins in Maryland Gregg Mcafee in California Jessica Matthews in Texas Rhiannon Mcafee in California Donna Patton in Tennessee Paul Kovit in New York Music, sounds, production, direction by Larry Groebe
S5 E9 · Sat, November 30, 2024
"The Jack Benny Program: Casablanca" tribute recreation of classic radio comedy show of the 1940s
The Jack Benny Program returns with a delightful all-new radio episode penned by former Bob Hope staff writer Robert L. Mills just for Project Audion. Jack and his regular gang - Mary Livingston, Phil Harris, Dennis Day, and Rochester - send up the movie classic "Casablanca" with some of the movie's original cast in guest starring roles. Jack takes the Humphrey Bogart part, inevitably. Join project Audion's talented transcontinental voice actors as they perform together in real time (like the old radio-drama days) this brand-new episode of the Jack Benny Program that sounds like it came from the 1940s! Our cast: John Bell in Alabama Paul Patterson in Georgia Julie Hoverson in Washington Mel Rose in Pennsylvania Pete Lutz in Texas Scott McKinley in New Jersey Bob Beaumont in California Ken Jeffries in California Written and directed by Robert L. Mills in California Produced by Larry Groebe in Texas
S5 E8 · Sat, November 09, 2024
"Johnny Dollar: The Damiani Diamond Matter" live tribute recreation of classic noir detective audio drama
"Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar" was the last detective standing at the end of radio drama's original classic era, outlasting everyone else - Sam Spade, Richard Diamond, Sherlock Holmes, The Saint, Phillip Marlowe and dozens of others. "America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator" is arguably better-loved now than he was in the middle of the 20th century. Now Project Audion presents a new Johnny Dollar script, written by Patrick Keating in the style of the original episodes, and transcribed live (via Zoom) in the classic audio drama manner. Johnny Dollar travels to Texas to learn about the Damiani Diamond and what has happened to it... Project Audion's cast includes: Pete Fernbaugh in West Virginia Kristen James in California Glenn Hascall in Kansas Lefty Rosenthal in Toronto Canada Caleb Fisher in Virginia Norman and Denise Cline in Kentucky with production by Larry Groebe in Texas
S5 E7 · Sat, October 12, 2024
"Lights Out: Burial Services" recreation of lost 1936 classic horror audio drama
Brought back to life after nearly 90 years buried at the Library of Congress, Project Audion recreates the very first script Arch Oboler created for NBC's famous late night horror drama "Lights Out." Lights Out stories gave the listener free rein to imagine the worst. And in the hands of a master storyteller like Oboler, the worst could be terrifying indeed - like a good campfire ghost story, reinforced with sound effects. "Burial Services" took a simple, horrifying premise - being buried alive - and wrapped a moody story around it, one whose shock value comes as much from hearing the private thoughts of the attendees as what happens to the person in the coffin. When "Burial Services" aired June 3, 1936 it upset so many listeners that it was never produced again - but it launched Arch Oboler on a long and highly successful career. Only the original script of "Burial Services" survived, resting in peace in the archives of the Library of Congress. Project Audion was able to unearth the script, and our transcontinental cast (even including a licensed mortician) performs the episode in its original as-broadcast form for the first time in nine decades. Listen with the lights out...if you dare... Festuring Holly Adams, New York Patte Rosebank, Canada John Mauldin, Tennessee Grace Wagner, Illinois Doug Fain, Kentucky Greg McAfee, California Sharon Grunwald, New Jersey Vincent Caruso, New York Production, direction, and sound patterns were by Larry Groebe, Texas.
S5 E6 · Sat, September 14, 2024
"Romance: Pride & Prejudice" live recreation of 1947 romantic-comedy audio drama
For fourteen years beginning in 1943, the CBS Radio network brought its listeners "Romance" - an anthology of half-hour love stories both classic and new, serious and comic. A story like Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" would seem to be a particular challenge to condense to a single half-hour, but Romance captured the essence of the tale in a brisk, highly entertaining adaptation that was performed three times during the show's long run. The vintage mid-century recordings sound muddy and are not always well cast, so it became an ideal candidate for Project Audion to recreate. Enjoy the classic love match of Miss Bennet and Mr Darcy in this streamlined "Pride and Prejudice," recorded live in the authentic 1940s manner, but via Zoom using voice actors spread across the country. Our cast: Donna Patton in Tennessee Tom Konkle in California Jane Beverley in New Jersey Richard Durrington in Idaho Laura Mirsky in New Jersey Greg Vestal in Texas Les Marsden in California Larry Groebe handled production, direction, music, and sound.
S5 E5 · Sat, August 31, 2024
"The Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show" recreation of classic radio situation comedy series
In terms of sheer fun and laughter during radio's classic mid-century era, it's hard to beat the Phil Harris/Alice Faye show. A spinoff from Jack Benny, bandleader Phil Harris and his family found themselves in classic sitcom predicaments week after week. Now, Robert L. Mills, former writer for Bob Hope, has created another fresh script that brings all those characters -- including Frankie Remley, Julius, brother Willie, your friendly Rexall druggist and others -- back to life. Project Audion's talented voice actors came together live with a virtual studio audience to create a delightful - and delightfully accurate - recreation of a radio comedy classic. Here they are all: PETE LUTZ in Texas ANGELA YOUNG in Florida DUANE NOCH in New Jersey JULIE HOVERSON in Washington BOB BEAUMONT in California Mel Rose in Pennsylvania HARRY MIDDLEBROOKS in California RANDY KERDOON in Washington ROBERT L. MILLS, in California, who also scripted the show Production was handled in Texas by Larry Groebe
S5 E4 · Sat, August 10, 2024
"Matinee with Bob & Ray" - tribute recreation of the classic radio comedy duo
Project Audion invites you to some light summer fare: the Audion Original "Matinee with Bob & Ray." This is Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding like you've never heard before, because it's made of fresh sketches in tribute to "The Two and Only." For those who are NOT intimately familiar with Biff Burns, Komodo dragons, or the Slow Talkers of America, the comedic duo of Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding was formed (legend has it) by accident, in the mid-1940s when a baseball game broadcast was rained out and these two young men were thrown together to ad-lib on the air. That began a five-decade partnership that saw them on every radio network, on TV, films, and even Broadway. Their wit and deadpan characters influenced many later funnymen, including Bob Newhart, David Letterman, Jay Leno and others. Also Pete Lutz, who wrote this half-hour of new absurdly satirical routines. The droll style of "The Two and Only" returns to life in our "Matinee with Bob & Ray!" Bob Elliott - John Bell, Alabama Ray Goulding - Pete Lutz, Texas Organ - Ross Bernardt , Texas Production - Larry Groebe, Texas
S5 E3 · Sat, July 13, 2024
"Philip Marlowe" live recreation of lost 1949 episode from classic noir detective radio drama
In the long lineup of fictional hard-boiled detectives, Philip Marlowe stands out as one of the earliest and best. Raymond Chandler's creation first reached print in the early 1930s, then went on to memorable adaptations in film, television, and of course radio. "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe" had a solid four-year run of well over 100 episodes on CBS. Still, a handful of recordings are lost today. Now Project Audion recreates one of these missing episodes - "The Quiet Number" - directly from the original script, exactly seventy-five years after it was broadcast. "The Quiet Number" wasn't penned by Chandler, but we meet the son of the man who wrote this and most of Marlowe's other radio adventures. Then our transcontinental voice cast performs this gritty story of lost love in a hot Los Angeles summer via a live transcription that sounds just like 1949. Our versatile voice actors were: Andy Hartson-bowyer in Virginia Richard Durrington in Idaho Gary Layton in Texas Lothar Tuppan in California Kristen James in Nevada Holly Adams in New York Kyle Bonn in Oregon Larry Groebe produced and directed from Texas
S5 E2 · Sat, June 15, 2024
"Jack Benny Program: The Man Who Knew Too Much" tribute recreation of classic radio comedy series
Project Audion once again brings you laughs, with an all-new original episode of the Jack Benny Program sponsored by Lucky Strike cigarettes. This Audion Original was written for us by former Bob Hope staff writer Robert L. Mills. Jack Benny was his childhood comedy inspiration, and once again Mr. Mills has recreated that classic Benny style and humor so faithfully it's like discovering a lost episode! This week, Jack has snagged Jimmy Stewart as his guest star, so the Benny gang (Mary Livingston, Dennis Day, Phil Harris, Mel Blanc, and the rest) can stage their send-up of the Alfred Hitchcock film "The Man Who Knew Too Much." Also, after a trying violin lesson with Professor LeBlanc, Jack faces a tax audit which requires a trip to the IRS to explain some of his more mysterious deductions. Performing live in our virtual Zoom studio, our coast-to-coast cast and crew once again capture the sound of the Benny show right down to the studio audience. Tune in and join in the laughter! JOHN BELL In Alabama SCOTT MCKINLEY in New Jersey ANGELA YOUNG in Florida PAUL PATTERSON in Georgia PETE LUTZ in Texas BOB BEAUMONT in California RACHEL PULLIAM in Missouri KEN JEFFRIES in California LARRY GROEBE produced and directed from Texas
S5 E1 · Sat, May 11, 2024
"Suspense: The Life of Nellie James" recreation of lost 1942 classic audio drama
Suspense is one of classic radio's most highly-regarded dramas -- with good reason. It sustained a remarkably high quality level of dramatic tension for 20 years, as the many surviving recordings attest. But a handful of episodes are lost - and Project Audion now recreates one of them. "The Life of Nellie James" was intended as Suspense's premiere, but circumstances pushed it back to the third episode. It was performed once, live, on July 1, 1942, but never heard again. Until now -- as Project Audion, kicking off its fifth season, brings together a transcontinental cast in a live transcription of "The Life of Nellie James" from the original 1942 script. A dreadful murder takes place in the Simon James home, and justice is done ...or is it? It's a tale well-calculated to keep you in ...Suspense! Before the show, there is an interview with Suspense scholar Dr. Joseph Webb, where we discuss what makes "Suspense" so special. Our cast features a mix of players, including folks returning from Project Audion episode #1 and professional voices who are brand-new to Audion. Patte Rosebank in Canada Tim Burns in Kansas Andy Hartson-Bowyer in Virginia Richard Huitema in Florida Mel Rose in Pennsylvania Pete Lutz in Texas Art Brown in California Denny Thompson in Colorado Frank Guglielmelli in Pennsylvania Sharon Grunwald in New Jersey while Larry Groebe produced and directed from Texas
S4 E13 · Sat, April 13, 2024
"The Man Called X" recreation of the lost debut episode of this 1944 comedy-mystery audio drama
A spy caper always makes for a good show. Start with a suave man of mystery, sprinkle in some far-off exotic locales, and stir in some evil enemies of democracy and beautiful women. The result: James Bond? No, "The Man Called X" -- which broadcast several hundred episodes on network radio from 1944 through 1952. Unflappable British actor Herbert Marshall originally played American agent Ken Thurston, AKA the man called X. Project Audion now recreates the very first episode of "The Man Called X," from a script which has not been heard since its premiere in July 1944! The action of "The Cage of Europe" is set in wartime Lisbon (you know, where Ilsa flew off to in "Casablanca." Audion's recreation features voice actors performing live on both sides of the Atlantic for this half hour of what was described as in 1944 as a "comedy-mystery," and which eighty years later is still highly entertaining! Featuring -- David Ault in England Jack Ward in Canada Laura Mirsky in New Jersey George Taylor in Tennessee Jane Beverley in New Jersey Jeff Billard in Massachusetts Caleb Fisher in Virginia Joe Mendell in England Robert Stevenson in Indiana Larry Groebe produced and directed from Texas
S4 E12 · Sat, March 09, 2024
"The Damon Runyon Theatre" tribute recreation of classic 1949 radio audio drama series
The "Damon Runyon Theatre," a syndicated radio series from 1949 relating stories of New York's "guys and dolls" -- mobsters and dames, gamblers and frails, saints and sinners -- which newspaperman and sportswriter Damon Runyon colorfully brought to life in decades of short stories. They may have been gangsters, but they often had hearts of gold underneath - plus a unique present-tense way of speaking which has come to be known as "Runyonesque." The Damon Runyon Theatre recorded 52 charming half-hour versions of his stories, and those got writer Casey Keller (Beakman's World, The Love Boat) wanting more. So he's written a new episode, and Project Audion brings you the world premiere of his Runyonesque tale, "Ringside Rosie." Our transcontinental cast is captured live in performance, just like they things did 1949, for a delightful story about a doll who loved boxing, and the guy who loved her. Our cast includes: Duane Noch in New Jersey Don Paul in California Andy Hartson-Bowyer in Virginia Jacob Palka in Illinois Stanley Dyrector in California Paul Arbisi in Illinois Reg Platt in Texas Susan Platt in Texas Casey Keller in California with the production under the supervision of Larry Groebe in Texas
S4 E11 · Sat, February 24, 2024
"Jack Benny Show: Witness for the Prosecution" tribute recreation of classic radio comedy series
Just premiered for the International Jack Benny Society annual convention, and now available to all: a "new" episode of the classic Jack Benny radio show newly penned exclusively for Project Audion by Bob Hope comedy writer Robert L. Mills. Here, Jack and the gang do a send up of the movie "Witness for the Prosecution" - with W. C. Fields in a guest-starring role. Here's what Mr Mills said after hearing the final product: "This as near perfection as any living humans could possibly recreate a 75-year-old radio show. You performed miracles producing this and the program will take its place among the best work you've ever done." As Jack would say... "Well!” That's a tribute to the cast and crew. Go ahead - join our virtual studio audience and laugh at the efforts of these talented voice actors... John Bell in Alabama Pete Lutz in Texas Ken Jeffries in California Carl Thomas in Texas Bob Beaumont in California Angela Young in Florida Harry Middlebrooks in CA Norman Cline in Kentucky Bob Mills wrote the script in LA While back in Texas, Larry Groebe oversaw the production
S4 E10 · Sat, February 10, 2024
"Crime Classics" live recreation of audition script of classic 1953 true crime audio drama
Premiering tonight (2/9) at 9 PM Eastern, Project Audion recreates a shocking tale of love, hate, conspiracy, and murder - all the more so for being a true story that took place in 1778. "The Crime of Bathsheba Spooner" tells the story of the first woman executed for murder in the United States. It was the audition script for a new CBS radio drama series - "Crime Classics" -- a sort of mid-century predecessor to today's true-crime podcasts, created by some of radio's finest actors, writers, directors, and musicians. Audion's rendition of "The Crime of Bathsheba Spooner" works from the uncut audition script, including material that never aired seventy years ago. In addition, we visit with Andrew Noone, author of a recent book on the 1778 murder, trial, and execution. Join us and listen to the modern passions that inflamed Revolutionary America!
S4 E9 · Sat, January 13, 2024
"Mystery In The Air" Tribute recreation in the style of 1947 Peter Lorre audio drama
Peter Lorre is an actor with such a distinctive voice and presence that even now, 60 years after his death, he's still instantly identifiable. It's surprising he didn't do more radio dramas, but he did host and star in "Mystery In The Air" in 1947. As a summer replacement show, there were only 17 episodes, and only 8 or so recordings exist -- so Project Audion asked Pete Lutz to create a NEW Mystery in the Air script. The result is both light-hearted and supernaturally spooky, and thanks to our transcontinental cast of talented voice actors, sounds just like an unheard episode from this terrific vintage series: Pete Lutz in Texas Lothar Tuppan in California Jeff Billard in Massachusetts Geri Elliff in Texas Angela Young in Florida John Bell in Alabama Bob Beaumont in California with Larry Groebe handling sounds, music, and production
S4 E8 · Sat, December 09, 2023
"The Big Story: Joe Saldana" recreation of true-crime audio drama from December 20, 1950
EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it! Big Story radio drama recreated by Project Audion! Newspaper reporters were once heroic figures - exposing rackets and corruption, taking down the powerful and giving voice to the powerless. The "Big Story" series from audio drama's original classic era (the mid 20th century) celebrated the newspaper reporter - selecting true headlines and converting them into gripping dramas, much like Dragnet did with police. Audion's December offering is a story set during the Christmas holiday, and while there IS an appearance by Santa Claus and a happy ending - this is a drama, pure and simple - of murder, greed, and redemption. Hmmm...maybe a Christmas theme after all! Our cast reaches from Canada to across the United states to recreate this lost original script just as it was done back then, so you can hear it for the first time since December 20, 1950! Our cast: David Phillips in Virginia Donna Patton in Tenessee Trevor Rines in Canada Sean Massey in Texas Julie Hoverson in Washington Dana Gonsalves in Texas Scott McKinley in New Jersey Ken Raney in Texas and Larry Groebe produced, directed, and handled sound and music.
S4 E7 · Sat, November 11, 2023
"The Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show" tribute recreation of classic Golden-Age radio comedy series
In the late 1940s and early 1950s the Phil Harris-Alice Faye radio series was a masterclass in radio comedy. Harris (charming, egotistical, smooth, Southern) and Faye ( grounded, smart, and only occasionally the movie star) were surrounded by eccentric regulars like Elliot Lewis as Phil’s band buddy Frank Remley, and Walter Tetley as the little kid Julius - and each week the happy result could be heard in the gales of laughter from the live studio audience. Today, Harris is best remembered as the voice of Ballou the Bear in Walt Disney's Jungle Book, but former Bob Hope comedy writer Robert L. Mills fondly recalls the Harris-Faye radio shows of his youth, and has penned a pitch-perfect recreation for our coast-to-coast Project Audion cast to perform. We promise you a half-hour's classic entertainment! Our cast -- Pete Lutz (Phil Harris) JoAnne Kurman (Alice Faye) John Bell (Frank Remley) Bob Beaumont (Willie / Mr. Scott) Angela Young (Julius / Miss Bluecross / Customer) Ken Jeffries (Announcer) Robert L Mills (Druggist, Scriptwriter) Larry Groebe (Producer/Director)
S4 E6 · Sat, October 14, 2023
"Lights Out: The Dark" Recreation of January 19, 1938 episode
Who was it who made that phone call to the emergency room -- the one that set off the horrible chain of events that took place in The Dark? Project Audion recreates the episode "The Dark" from LIGHTS OUT - one of classic radio's most imaginatively gruesome shows. It's an episode show that hasn't been heard in its complete form since January 1938! "Lights Out" was the work of master radio dramatist Arch Oboler, and he memorably redid "The Dark" 25 years later as a highly abridged adaptation for an LP called "Drop Dead" - the only recording you could hear until now. But Project Audion worked from the original half-hour 1938 script to deliver extra thrills and chills, and leading to a climax where -- well, that would be telling, wouldn't it? Who's afraid of The Dark? You will be! Our cast features: Jacob Palka in Illinois Douglas Herrman in California Denise Cline in Kentucky Robert Stevenson in Indiana Sounds, production, and direction by Larry Groebe in Texas
S4 E5 · Sat, September 09, 2023
The Lone Ranger: Episode 266, October 12, 1934
The Lone Ranger has got to be the most famous fictional character to come out of old time radio...every generation knows him, even if they don't know his radio origins. And those radio origins go WAY back - the Masked Man has been around 90 years, since 1933! But the radio version of the Lone Ranger has hundreds of episodes we'll never hear - because the show wasn't recorded from 1933-1937. A shame, because these earliest years would let us listen to the series and characters evolving into the forms everyone knows. A 1934 episode simply wasn't the same as a 1954 episode in story, characters, and even sound. But thanks to historian Martin Grams, Jr. , who provided us with some scripts from 1934, Project Audion actors have now recreated one. We selected episode #266 (October 12, 1934), a story of a cattle rancher, the coming of the railroad, and a "greasy half-breed" named Magdalena - yup, definitely less sensitive and streamlined than subsequent shows. You'll hear the show as we think it would have sounded in 1934...from the original 78rpm music cues to a period-accurate Silvercup bread commercial. Our cast even includes one actor who performed on Ranger radio shows during the 1950s. Now 93 years young, Chuck Daugherty is a living link to those thrilling days of yesteryear...
S4 E4 · Sat, August 12, 2023
"Pat Novak for Hire: A Trunkful of Trouble"
The short-lived noirish radio detective series "Pat Novak for Hire" is probably better loved now than it was in the late 1940s, thanks to its darkly-comic quips and the dry-as-dust performance of Jack Webb in the title role, just before his breakout turn on "Dragnet." Pat Novak - the man, like the show - was one of those "hard-boiled" types - he may bounce or crack, but he doesn't break easily. Pat Novak shows are famed for their Raymond Chandler-esque plots and style, where the lead character never met a crook or a lady he couldn't describe with a delirious simile. Project Audion presents a brand-new episode penned for Project Audion by long-time network television writer Casey Keller. Mr Keller's script and Project Audions transcontinental cast matches the late-1940s originals blow for blow, dame for dame, gunshot for gunshot, metaphor for metaphor. Step into the perpetual foggy night of the San Francisco waterfront to meet "Pat Novak, For Hire." Pat Novak: PETE FERNBAUGH (WV) Jocko Madigan: TOM KONKLE (CA) Inspector Helleman: TEE QUILLAN (TN) Hannah Gordon: JOANNE KURMAN (CA) Stripper 1: DONNA PATTON (TN)) Stripper 2: JULIE HOVERSON (WA) Jack Silver: KIM TITUS (TX) Announcer/Goon: LOTHAR TUPPAN (CA) Goon: BOB MILLS (CA) Coroner: CASEY KELLER (CA) Written by Casey Keller Sound, Direction, and Production by Larry Groebe
S4 E3 · Fri, July 14, 2023
Tales of Tomorrow: "Syndrome Johnny"
It's the year 2090. There are signs that a pandemic is coming - a pandemic which will kill millions of innocent people - again. Because it's happened before. But this time, just maybe, we know what - or who - is causing it...and a chance to stop it. That's the setup for "Syndrome Johnny," a lost episode from a nearly-forgotten science-fiction anthology radio drama from 1953 called "Tales of Tomorrow." The television version of "Tales of Tomorrow," which actually came before the radio edition, is considered one of the first serious scifi video series. The TV edition spawned the radio offshoot, which hoped to fill the void of the recently-cancelled and now-classic series "Dimension X," adapting stories from Galaxy Magazine. Failing to find a sponsor, it only lasted a few months. The sound quality of the few recordings that survive is mostly quite poor, and our recreation "Syndrome Johnny" doesn't survive at all.Our transcontinental cast performs in the classic audio drama tradition - live in one uninterrupted take - to recapture the spirit of this pioneering science fiction show for a national audience for the first time in 70 years. In our cast: Trevor Rines, Canada Tim Burns, Kansas Jack Ward, Canada Greg McAfee, California Rhiannon McAfee California Gary Layton, Texas and Larry Groebe, Texas
S4 E2 · Sat, June 10, 2023
"Fibber McGee & Molly": A brand new episode based on the classic 1940s radio comedy show
Project Audion revisits one of the funniest, most beloved radio comedies of the 20th century. Fibber McGee and Molly tickled the radio audience for so long - more than a quarter of a century - that it spawned the very first-ever spinoff shows... and recurring gags like Fibber's hopelessly overstuffed closet and quips like Molly's "t'ain't funny, McGee" remained part of shared American pop culture long after the series left the airwaves. Part vaudeville act, part sitcom, the series stared real-life couple Jim and Marion Jordan who were indeed former vaudeville comics. Don Quinn's scripts and a large cast of supporting characters who stopped by 79 Wistful Vista kept the laughs rolling. Now, Robert L. Mills (former comedy writer for Bob Hope) has wonderfully recreated the style of the show at its peak in a new script penned just for Project Audion. In it, Fibber thinks he's come up with a brilliant and practical new invention - for once, does his boasting have merit? Listen to our transcontinental cast and laugh! Our cast: Fibber McGee: John Bell, AL Molly / Teeny: Holly Adams, NY Harlow Wilcox: Ken Jeffries, CA Wallace Wimple: Dana Gonsalves, TX Mayor LaTrivia: Bob Beaumont, CA Doc Gamble: Frank Guglielmeli, PA Old Timer: Harry Middlebrooks, CA Gildersleeve: Larry Groebe, TX Leroy: Carolyn Threlkeld, KY Produced, directed, and mixed by Larry Groebe
S4 E1 · Sun, May 21, 2023
Suspense: "The Witness on the Westbound Train"
Project Audion recreates an extraordinarily rare, early lost episode of the classic audio drama "Suspense." When CBS premiered the the show in June 1942, it wasn't immediately evident that it would become one of the all-time great radio dramas, running for 20 years and nearly 1000 stories. Indeed, in this (just Suspense's fifth-ever episode, from July 15, 1942), while all the typical ingredients are in place (in this instance, a murder aboard a moving train) the show hadn't quite yet settled into the style that would soon define classics like 1943's "Sorry, Wrong Number." Heard for the first time in 80 years, our recreation of this lost Suspense episode -- "The Witness on the Westbound Train" -- is taken from the single known surviving script. It features the same transcontinental cast of vocal actors who appeared in Project Audion's very first episode, along with additional talented voices who have appeared in Project Audion shows during the past three years. The cast: MARK: Pete Lutz, TX JOE: Doug Fain, KY DORIS: Patte Rosebank, Canada CONDUCTOR: Denny Thmpson, CO LAWRENCE / RANDOLPH: John Mauldin, TN BILL / BAGGAGEMAN: Dick Huitema, FL ANNOUNCER / WAITER: Robert Stevenson, IN DIRECTION / PRODUCTION / SOUND: Larry Groebe, TX
loading...