The Mutual Stage: A Cold Night's Death

The Mutual Stage returns with another exciting play, hosted by Jack Ward and starring the Narada Radio Company. This time, we present "A Cold Night's Death", adapted from a 1973 ABC-TV Movie of the Week and directed by Pete Lutz. NASA Scientists Robert Jones and Frank Enari are sent to the top of the world to take over a special primate-studies program on how extreme conditions affect life in space. Once they arrive, strange things start happening, that makes them wonder: are they studying the monkeys, or are the monkeys studying them?

CAST:

ANNOUNCER: Darren Rockhold

HOST: Jack Ward

VOGEL: Tom Konkle

 COOPER: Joe Stofko

CHAPPELL: Dana Gonsalves

ENARI: Gino Vianelli

JONES: Pete Lutz

PRIMATE SOUNDS: John Bell

MUSIC: Dr. Ross Bernhardt

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

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 (in TX) handling sounds, music, and production

COMING SOON from The Mutual Stage and 63audio: 

A COLD NIGHT'S DEATH

Based on the 1973 ABC Movie of the Week -- screenplay by Christopher Knopf

Adapted, directed and produced by Pete Lutz

With voice talents of: Darren Rockhold - Tom Konkle - Joe Stofko - Gino C. Vianelli - Pete Lutz - Dana Gonsalves - John Bell - Jack Ward

Music by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

LAUNCHES 2-25-24 RIGHT HERE!

S2 E7 - Women, Politics & Murder

Our hero is hired by the widow of a wealthy building contractor to find out who murdered her husband. The Tec soon finds out, however, that he has more suspects than he knows what to do with.

Starring The Narada Radio Company.

Adapted by Pete Lutz from the story by Dashiell Hammett.

CAST:

ANNOUNCER: Darren Rockhold

Pete Lutz as THE TEC

Geri Elliff as MRS. GILMORE

Rhiannon McAfee as THE MAID

Jason D. Johnson as O'GAR

Angela Young as CARA KENBROOK

Jeff Moon as STANLEY TENNANT

Frank Gugliemelli as THE CABLE CAR MOTORMAN and LT. McTIGHE

Paul Arbisi as OFFICER KELLY and

John Bell as the POLICE SERGEANT and OTHER COPS

Theme and incidental music by Dr. Ross Bernhardt, other music sourced from the Public Domain

Mixing and sounds by Fishbonius Sound Design

This production was supervised by Pete Lutz

Western hero Jake Dimes, Range Detective, is back for another very special holiday tale, "Santa Claus of Bitter Creek". Jake and his sidekick Briar Buck spin a Christmas yarn for their wives and in-laws when they all gather for the holidays: A cowboy who has lost his faith in Christmas gets it back in spades when he helps a youngster buy presents for his mother. It's a heart-warming tale that's perfect for Christmas! Written and directed by Pete Lutz – adapted from a short story by A. C. Abbott, and starring the Narada Radio Company.

With the voice talents of:

Dana Gonsalves as JAKE DIMES

Victoria Fancki as CHRIS GREENSLATE DIMES 

Austin Beach as BRIAR BUCK 

Nancy Bueler as MOLLY SUTCLIFFE BUCK 

Joe Stofko as FRED GREENSLATE 

Glenn Hascall as SLIM SUTCLIFFE and

Debby Gonzales Ramirez as LUPE; with

Philboyd Studge as JEFF MITCHELL 

Isla Braly as BUD

Pete Lutz as MIKE GABBY 

Paul Patterson as JIM BAILEY and

Lisa Michaud as BUD'S MOTHER 

The Jake Dimes Theme was composed by Pete Lutz, arranged and performed by Dr. Ross Bernhardt. 

Mindstream Players Christmas Special. Written, edited, mixed and directed by Tom Konkle

Starring Kurtis Bedford as Dr. John Watson

Tom Konkle as Sherlock Holmes

Stephanie Stearns Dulli as Mrs. Hudson, Lady Arabella, Penelope Chutney-Featherstone

Pete Lutz as Barnaby Winklethorpe

Jude Gerard Prest as Figgy

Gino C. Vianelli as Humphrey Carruthers

Bob Clendenin as Algernon Butterworth

And ? as Madam Zepyra.

Old-Time Radio Essentials is back with episode 40, the 3rd installment of Season 4, and our fourth Holiday Special! Pete, Paul and Patte present an episode of the long-running Mutual series Nick Carter, Master Detective. This time it's Paul's pick, called "Nick Carter's Christmas Adventure"!  Will Pete dwell on technical details and miss the historical context? Will Patte compare this to something Canadian? Tune in and find out!

And since we're on the subject of finding things out, while you listen you'll learn if we feel this entry 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 fortieth number (but 3rd official episode of S4), this episode of Nick Carter, Master Detective, from 12/25/43. 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! 

Please show your support of the podcast by doing any of the following...

To comment on how we might improve OTR-E, or give suggestions for future discussions, please write to us at [email protected] . Put the word "Essentials" in the subject line.

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

Next Time: It's Pete's pick again, and he'll bring an episode of The Henry Morgan Show!

SANTA'S STOLEN TOY SACK, A Jake Dimes Christmas Number

In this special Christmas Western adventure, originally released in 2020, Range Detective Jake Dimes returns to tell a heartwarming tale of the Old West, so have a seat and lend us yore ears, pard'ners! Adapted, produced and directed by Pete Lutz, from a pulp Western story written by S. Omar Barker. Starring THE NARADA RADIO COMPANY.

CAST:

Dana Gonsalves as JAKE DIMES

Glenn Hascall as MR. PINKELSON

Austin Beach as BRIAR BUCK

John Bell as POP JECKLIN

Owen McCuen as OLD JOE McGILLIS

Agnes McCuen as CAP

Eloise McCuen as KITTY

Aubrey Miller as MARTHA and

Sebastian Ruiz as EDDIE

with additional voices by Lisa Michaud, Philboyd Studge, Ana Ruiz, Evy Elizondo, Crosby Miller, Eva Huckaby, Ian Robertson and Jacqueline Robertson.

Music passages came from "The Winter's Passed" by Wayne Barlow, plus the traditional Christmas carols "Wexford Carol" and "The Holly and the Ivy".

The Jake Dimes Theme was composed by Pete Lutz, arranged and performed by Dr. Ross Bernhardt.

THE CELLAR Miniseries 3.5: Far Below

The Cellar's third miniseries concludes with this adaptation by Pete Lutz of one of the most famous pulp-horror tales to appear in Weird Tales magazine! Robert Barbour Johnson's story of a special squad of the NYPD, assembled to combat strange subterranean creatures in the subway tunnels, was voted the best story ever to appear in those pages. Mr. Lutz's adaptation takes a few liberties with the story, but only enough to keep it moving along at a good clip. We think you'll approve! Thanks for joining us for this year's miniseries, and be sure to come back next year for our fourth outing in...The Cellar! NARADA RADIO COMPANY

Announcer: Trevor Rines Cadavera Quivry (Your Ghostly Host): Angela Young   INSPECTOR CRAIG: Pete Lutz LIEUTENANT: Dana Gonsalves DR. BLOOM: Paul Arbisi HAGGERTY: Nick Wommack CAPTAIN RICHTER: Les Marsden THE VOICES OF "THEM": Sarah Leight, Larry Cashion   Theme by Tom Rory Parsons Incidental music by Ross Bernhardt Produced & directed by Pete Lutz

THE CELLAR Miniseries 3.4: The Renegotiation

The Cellar Miniseries continues with this thrilling retelling, by Kevin Kordis, of an old folktale. In order to save the people of his village from marauders, a blacksmith must enter into an agreement with the agent of a mysterious figure. Some years later, he feels that he should revisit this situation with the agent. The agent doesn't agree, but the smith is...quite persuasive. Mr. Kordis wrote this play for the 2019 Cellar Scriptwriting Competition, and received Honorable Mention. We're very proud to be finally presenting it.  This episode has the added thrill of having been edited and mixed in a single marathon production session lasting approximately 10 hours! We hope you enjoy it.

Announcer: Trevor Rines Cadavera Quivry (Your Ghostly Host): Angela Young   Nick Wommack as The ORATOR Jason D. Johnson as The SMITH Chuck Wilson as The ELDER Orlando Segarra as The AGENT

The Cellar theme by Tom Rory Parsons

Incidental music by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

Produced & directed by Pete Lutz