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Brett’s Old Time Radio Show

Brett’s Old Time Radio Show

De: Brett Orchard
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 Let’s sit back, dim the lights and journey to the amazing old time radio shows of yesterday. Join me whilst we listen to some of the great shows from our radio archives right here on the South Coast of the UK. Outside it’s cold and dark, the waves are crashing on the rocks below but we’re sitting in front of a roaring fire with a hot drink, and I have some fantastic stories to share.Copyright 2022 All rights reserved. Drama y Obras Mundial
Episodios
  • Brett's Old Time Radio Show Episode 928, Dangerous Assignment, File No. 307

    Brett's Old Time Radio Show Episode 928, Dangerous Assignment, File No. 307
    May 21 2025
    Hello, I'm Brett and I'll be your host for these amazing Old Time Radio Shows :) Dangerous Assignment was a thrilling NBC radio drama that captivated audiences from 1949 to 1953, starring the dynamic Brian Donlevy as the fearless U.S. special agent Steve Mitchell. It was broadcast across a range of media, including a syndicated TV series in 1951–52, and even inspired a reimagined Australian radio version from 1954 to 1956. Both the radio and TV series kept viewers on the edge of their seats with fast-paced plots filled with espionage, deception, and international intrigue. Series Premise: Each episode followed Steve Mitchell, an American agent dispatched by "The Commissioner," the enigmatic head of an unnamed U.S. State Department division. Steve’s mission: to travel to exotic locations around the world to foil nefarious plots and uncover dangerous secrets. The show was designed to keep listeners in suspense, opening with a tantalizing scene before the action unfolded. Mitchell, posing as a suave foreign correspondent for an unspecified publication, navigated a maze of lies, betrayal, and violence—always emerging victorious by the end of the episode. Origins and Evolution: Dangerous Assignment was originally conceived as a summer replacement series for NBC in 1949. It quickly gained popularity, and its success led to a full radio series running until 1953. Brian Donlevy, who also narrated the show, brought an intense realism to his portrayal of Steve Mitchell, which contributed to the show’s gripping atmosphere. The only other consistent voice on the radio version was Herb Butterfield, who played "The Commissioner." Guest stars included famous actors like Raymond Burr, William Conrad, and Richard Boone, each lending their talents to create a unique cast of characters across the episodes. After the American radio series concluded, Dangerous Assignment continued its journey abroad with a 1954 Australian radio adaptation. This version used remade American scripts and introduced Lloyd Burrell as Steve Mitchell, broadcasting a total of 39 episodes. The 1949 Summer Series: Dangerous Assignment first aired as a seven-week summer series in the summer of 1949, running on Saturdays from 8:30 to 9:00 PM EST. The character of Ruthie, the Commissioner's secretary, was played by Betty Moran, hinting at a possible romantic backstory with Steve Mitchell. The show's first episodes took listeners on adventures to locations like Messina, Sicily, Saigon, and Paris, where Steve investigated everything from stolen relief supplies to millionaire murder conspiracies. The 1950–1953 Radio Run: The show’s popularity ensured its return to the airwaves in February 1950, although it faced some scheduling challenges. Over the next few years, Dangerous Assignment moved through various time slots, ultimately running for over 160 episodes. The radio series also attracted major sponsors, including Ford Motor Company, Wheaties, and Anacin, though it was largely supported by NBC itself. The episodes became more formulaic, often starting with Steve Mitchell being assigned a mission—usually involving espionage, sabotage, or international political conflict—followed by thrilling encounters with dangerous enemies. Syndicated Television Version (1951–1952): In 1951, Donlevy adapted the series into a syndicated television show. Rather than relying on a traditional TV network, Donlevy self-financed the production of 39 episodes, selling them individually to local stations across the country. This approach, aided by NBC’s distribution assistance, allowed the show to reach a wide audience despite limited network support. Each episode remained faithful to the original radio scripts, with Donlevy reprising his role as Steve Mitchell and Herb Butterfield again playing "The Commissioner." Production Team and Legacy: The television version of Dangerous Assignment employed a talented team behind the scenes, including assistant director William McGarry, production designer George Van Marter, and film editor Edward Schroeder, A.C.E. The show's episodes were often fast-paced, with each story revolving around Mitchell’s covert operations in places as diverse as Paris, Berlin, and the African jungle. Among the famous guest stars featured in the TV series were Hugh Beaumont, Paul Frees, and Michael Ansara, who appeared as a variety of different characters throughout the series. Notable episodes included titles like "The Alien Smuggler Story" and "The Atomic Mine Story," where Steve Mitchell faced off against spies, criminals, and saboteurs in a constant battle to protect U.S. interests overseas. The Man Behind the Character: Brian Donlevy: Brian Donlevy, born in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 9, 1901, was known for his tough, no-nonsense persona, both on screen and on the airwaves. With a career that spanned film, radio, and television, Donlevy brought a unique depth to his portrayal of Steve Mitchell. He was a familiar face in 1940s ...
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    31 m
  • Brett's Old Time Radio Show Episode 527, Sherlock Holmes, The Complicated Poisoning at Eeel Pie Island

    Brett's Old Time Radio Show Episode 527, Sherlock Holmes, The Complicated Poisoning at Eeel Pie Island
    May 20 2025
    🎙️ Welcome to Brett’s Old Time Radio Show! 📻 Good evening, and a warm welcome back to the show! I hope you’ve had a fantastic day and that you're ready to unwind with another journey into the golden age of radio. I’m Brett, your host for this evening, speaking to you from my home by the beautiful Lyme Bay. It’s a perfect night looking out of my studio window across the bay, and I hope the week is treating you kindly wherever you’re tuning in from. Tonight, we’re once again dusting off the old studio archives to bring you another classic gem from the world of Old Time Radio. So sit back, relax, and let’s step into a world of adventure, mystery, and timeless storytelling. 📍 Find all my links at www.linktr.ee/brettsoldtimeradioshow 📸 Follow me on Instagram & YouTube: Brett’s Old Time Radio Show 📩 Send your feedback: brett@tourdate.co.uk Now, let’s turn the dial back in time and enjoy the show! #OldTimeRadio #Podcast #RadioDrama #ClassicMystery #RelaxAndListen #GoldenAgeOfRadio #sherlockholmes The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: A Legacy in Sound and Mystery In the golden age of radio, when families huddled around their receivers to be transported into worlds of intrigue and adventure, one voice cut through the static like a blade—Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes. His clipped diction, sharp intellect, and unshakable confidence paired seamlessly with the warm, affable presence of Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. Together, they brought Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective to life in The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a radio drama that captivated audiences from 1939 to 1950. Over 374 episodes, this series wove a tapestry of mystery, deduction, and thrilling escapades, yet much of it has been lost to time, leaving behind an enigmatic collection of surviving recordings scattered across the internet, their audio quality often as weathered as an old case file. A Broadcast Legacy Cloaked in Mystery The series was more than an adaptation—it was a reinvention, a fresh interpretation of Holmes’s cases that introduced new stories, altered titles, and crafted original twists on familiar tales. Some episodes, such as the radio adaptation of The Adventure of the Red Circle, were rebranded (Mrs. Warren’s Lodger), while others bore completely original plots infused with the essence of Doyle’s world. From its inception, the program underwent various rebrandings—Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, and other titles surfaced before it cemented itself as The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Its enduring popularity was fueled by its impeccable performances, immersive soundscapes, and writing that kept audiences on the edge of their seats. The Voices Behind the Violin At the heart of the series was the unparalleled chemistry between Rathbone and Bruce, who played the famed detective and his loyal companion across 220 episodes. Week after week, the duo invited listeners into the fog-drenched streets of Victorian London, where peril lurked in every shadow, and the sharp mind of Holmes could unravel any enigma. However, the role that defined Rathbone eventually became a gilded cage. Fearing typecasting, he stepped away from the show after The Singular Affair of the Baconian Cipher. The baton—or rather, the deerstalker—was then passed to Tom Conway, though Bruce retained top billing. Despite a valiant effort, their partnership lasted only 39 episodes before both actors exited, leaving behind a void that subsequent performers would attempt to fill until the series concluded in 1950. The Pen Behind the Pipe: Writing the Adventures The program’s early scripts bore the unmistakable touch of Edith Meiser, a passionate Holmesian who had already adapted Conan Doyle’s works for radio in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1930–1935). She masterfully balanced faithfulness to the original stories with the demands of the radio format, ensuring Holmes’s razor-sharp deductions and Watson’s earnest narration remained front and center. But in 1943, the landscape shifted. Meiser departed, reportedly over disagreements with a sponsor regarding the program’s level of violence. Enter Denis Green and Anthony Boucher, who took up the mantle, steering the show into a new era. Green, known for his meticulous plotting, and Boucher, an acclaimed mystery writer, crafted gripping narratives that upheld the intellectual rigor and atmospheric tension Holmes fans craved. Meiser briefly returned for the seventh season before passing the torch once more. The final season saw Denis Green return to bring the saga to a fitting close. From Hollywood to the World: A Wartime Companion Originally broadcast from Hollywood, The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes initially found a home on the Blue Network before transitioning to the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1943. During World War II, its influence extended far beyond American households—thanks to the Armed Forces Radio ...
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    31 m
  • Brett's Old Time Radio Show Episode 926, Suspense, Sorry Wrong Number

    Brett's Old Time Radio Show Episode 926, Suspense, Sorry Wrong Number
    May 19 2025
    🎙️ Welcome to Brett’s Old Time Radio Show! 📻 Good evening, and a warm welcome back to the show! I hope you’ve had a fantastic day and that you're ready to unwind with another journey into the golden age of radio. I’m Brett, your host for this evening, speaking to you from my home by the beautiful Lyme Bay. It’s a perfect night looking out of my studio window across the bay, and I hope the week is treating you kindly wherever you’re tuning in from. Tonight, we’re once again dusting off the old studio archives to bring you another classic gem from the world of Old Time Radio. So sit back, relax, and let’s step into a world of adventure, mystery, and timeless storytelling. 📍 Find all my links at www.linktr.ee/brettsoldtimeradioshow 📸 Follow me on Instagram & YouTube: Brett’s Old Time Radio Show 📩 Send your feedback: brett@tourdate.co.uk Now, let’s turn the dial back in time and enjoy the show! #OldTimeRadio #Podcast #RadioDrama #ClassicMystery #RelaxAndListen #GoldenAgeOfRadio Suspense: The Theatre of Thrills That Kept America on Edge The golden glow of a radio dial. A hush in the living room. Then, a voice—low, measured, foreboding: "Suspense!" For over two decades, from 1940 to 1962, those eight letters sent shivers through millions of listeners as CBS’s Suspense wove tales of terror, mystery, and the macabre. Subtitled Radio’s Outstanding Theatre of Thrills, the series didn’t just tell stories—it trapped its audience inside them. You weren’t just a listener; you were the unsuspecting protagonist, caught in a web of deceit, horror, or a race against death itself. This was radio drama at its peak, a weekly exercise in nerve-shredding tension that featured Hollywood’s biggest stars and some of the most ingeniously crafted scripts ever broadcast. It was a masterclass in storytelling, its formula as simple as it was effective: a seemingly ordinary person thrust into an extraordinary, often life-threatening situation, with no easy escape—and no answers until the last possible second. A Hitchcockian Beginning Fittingly, Suspense began under the watchful eye of a man who knew how to manipulate fear like a puppet on a string—Alfred Hitchcock. In 1940, as part of the CBS audition series Forecast, Hitchcock directed an adaptation of The Lodger, a tale of suspicion and dread based on his own 1926 silent film. Starring Herbert Marshall, Edmund Gwenn, and Lurene Tuttle, the production was a success. Listeners, desperate to know the story’s resolution, flooded CBS with letters—some pleading, some outraged, all captivated. It was proof of concept: Suspense had its audience. Now, it just needed to keep them in its grip. A Voice in the Dark: The Man in Black When Suspense officially launched as a series in 1942, it came with a shadowy guide—the enigmatic Man in Black, a sinister narrator who introduced each tale with the air of someone delighting in the torment about to unfold. Played by Joseph Kearns and later Ted Osborne, his eerie presence set the mood: foreboding, relentless, inescapable. It was in these early years that Suspense cemented its legacy, with episodes like Sorry, Wrong Number, the tale of a bedridden woman (Agnes Moorehead) who accidentally overhears a murder plot and finds herself powerless to stop it. The story was so chillingly effective that it was performed seven times on the show and later adapted into a film starring Barbara Stanwyck. Lucille Fletcher’s The Hitch-Hiker, starring Orson Welles, was another unforgettable entry—an eerie road trip into madness and death. It was so powerful that it later found a second life as a Twilight Zone episode. Stars, Sponsors, and a Golden Age of Fear As Suspense grew, so did its ambition. The biggest Hollywood names flocked to its microphone: Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Ronald Colman, Henry Fonda, and even Jack Benny—often playing against type in stories that pushed them (and their audiences) to the brink. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, producers like William Spier and later Elliott Lewis honed the show’s signature tension, crafting intricate soundscapes and performances that crackled with urgency. The music, composed by legends like Bernard Herrmann, dripped with unease. The scripts, penned by master storytellers, turned ordinary settings—hotel rooms, train cars, suburban homes—into arenas of dread. Sponsors came and went: Roma Wines, Autolite Spark Plugs, Parliament Cigarettes. But the formula remained. Whether it was a death-row inmate’s last desperate gamble or an unassuming traveler who unknowingly steps into a killer’s lair, Suspense played a single, perfect note: danger is closer than you think. The Fall of the Curtain But the world was changing. The 1950s saw television lure audiences away from their radios, and by the time Suspense reached the twilight of its run, budgets had been slashed. Fewer big-name stars appeared. Writers repurposed ...
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    30 m
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