"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

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...   Featuring: 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.

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  

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Old-Time Radio Essentials returns with episode 45, the 8th installment of Season 4! Pete, Paul and Patte present Patte's pick (which is our annual Thanksgiving Special), an episode of Cincinnati, Ohio's station W-L-W comedy-variety series Fountain of Fun, called "Turkey Rationed"!  Come for the old-time radio, stay for the scintillating (that's one way of putting it) discussion afterwards!

As you listen, perhaps 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 forty-fifth number (but 8th official episode of S4), this episode of Fountain of Fun, from 11-22-42. 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 Paul's pick again for our annual Xmas show, and he'll decide later...

S2 E9 - The Golden Horseshoe, part 2

In the conclusion of this two-part adventure, the Tec returns to Tijuana, Mexico, to discover just who murdered his client. Once he arrives, however, there's any number of possible suspects. Story by Dashiell Hammett, adapted and dramatized by Pete Lutz.

CAST:

Pete Lutz as THE TEC

Noah Diamond as VANCE RICHMOND

Jeff Moon as ED BOHANNON

John Bell as THE FOUR WITNESSES

Rhiannon McAfee as KEWPIE

Mark Kalita as GOOSENECK

Dana Gonsalves as GORMAN

Ian Federgreen as HOOPER

Jason D. Johnson as O'GAR

With Darren Rockhold as THE ANNOUNCER GUY

Music by Ross Bernhardt. Post-production and mixing by Fishbonius Sound Design.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Old-Time Radio Essentials returns with episode 44, the 7th installment of Season 4! Pete, Paul and Patte present Pete's pick, an episode of the syndicated series Hall of Fantasy, called "Black Figurine of Death"!  Come for the old-time radio, stay for the scintillating (that's one way of putting it) discussion afterwards!

As you listen, perhaps 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 forty-fourth number (but 7th official episode of S4), this episode of Hall of Fantasy, from 1-26-53. 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 Patte's pick again, and she'll decide later...

THE CELLAR MS4 EP5: TWIN PEEKS

RATED PG

For adult language. LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED.

Welcome to the fourth miniseries of The Cellar! This is the fifth of five planned episodes of this long-running series, and in this, our finale, we bring you the pièce de résistance. We hope you've enjoyed all of our entries for this miniseries, and will come back next year for another one.

Episode 5, Twin Peeks, is set in the present day. Twins Judy and Jeff come back from a near-death experience, and each has a vastly different account of what they saw on the other side. Written by father and daughter team Pete and R. C. Lutz, and directed/produced by Pete Lutz.

CAST:

CADAVERA QUIVRY (Host): Angela Young

ANNOUNCER: Trevor Rines

REPORTER/ANCHOR: Carole Krohn

COP: Les Marsden

DOCTOR 1: Stephanie Stearns Dulli

YOUNG JEFF: Huck Dulli

CAPTAIN: Andy Hartson-Bowyer

FATHER PAUL: Pete Lutz

DOCTOR 2: Rhiannon McAfee

YOUNG JUDY: Piper Dulli

BROTHER MAXWELL: Tony Semczuk

TALK SHOW HOST: Tom Konkle

TEEN JEFF/TEEN JUDY: Mel Rose

PROFESSOR: Laura Mirsky

SCIENTISTS: Aileen Corpos, Mark Kalita

The Cellar theme by Tom Rory Parsons

Additional music by Dr. Ross Bernhardt 

THE CELLAR MS4 EP4: RETURN TO THE SABBATH

RATED PG

For adult language and depictions of violence. LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED.

Welcome to the fourth miniseries of The Cellar! This is the fourth of five planned episodes of this long-running series, and in our humble opinion, the plays keep getting better and better. 

Episode 4, Return to the Sabbath, is set in 1930s Hollywood. A film studio public relations man relates his negative experience with hiring a horror actor. Adapted from a short story by Robert Bloch, and directed/produced by Pete Lutz.

CAST:

CADAVERA QUIVRY (Host): Angela Young

ANNOUNCER: Trevor Rines

MILO MAYO: Andy Hartson-Bowyer

LESLIE KINCAID: Rhiannon McAfee 

EDWARD RELCH: David Ian

THE STUDIO BOSS: Nick Wommack 

BLESKIND: Austin Beach 

VITO: George Hatfield 

KARL JORLA: Tom Konkle 

THE REPORTER: Dana Gonsalves 

SYLVIA CHANNING: Carole Krohn

The Cellar theme by Tom Rory Parsons

Additional music by Dr. Ross Bernhardt 

THE CELLAR MS4 EP3: DEATH HOLDS THE POST

RATED PG

For depictions of war and murder. LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED.

Welcome to the fourth miniseries of The Cellar! This is the third of five planned episodes of this long-running series, and in our humble opinion, the plays keep getting better and better. 

Episode 3, Death Holds the Post is set in mid-20th-century Algeria. A remote outpost of the French Foreign Legion has a squadron missing, and they're hearing reports of a German scientist in the area, who has escaped from a sanitarium. Adapted from a short story by August Derleth and Mark Schorer, and directed/produced by Pete Lutz.

CAST:

CADAVERA QUIVRY (Host): Angela Young

ANNOUNCER: Trevor Rines

CRANE: Mark Kalita

RADIOMAN: Nick Wommack

PRAGEUR: Les Marsden

GASPARRI: Tony Semczuk

OURLET: Andy Hartson-Bowyer

PRETTWEG: Jason D. Johnson

VOICES OF SOLDIERS: Pete Lutz

"The Cellar" theme by Tom Rory Parsons

Additional music by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

THE CELLAR MS4 EP2: THE HANGING OF ALFRED WADHAM

RATED PG

For depictions of murder and execution. LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED.

Welcome to the fourth miniseries of The Cellar! This is the second of five planned episodes of this long-running series, and in our humble opinion, the plays keep getting better and better. 

Episode 2, The Hanging of Alfred Wadham is set in late 19th-century England. An author invites a Catholic priest to dinner and they talk about religion vs. spiritualism, plus a few other things. The priest tells about a recent experience with a young man who is wrongly accused of murder, and his experience after the execution. Adapted from a short story by E. F. Benson and directed/produced by Pete Lutz.

CAST:

CADAVERA QUIVRY (Host): Angela Young

ANNOUNCER: Trevor Rines

BENSON: Les Marsden

HANBURY: Karim C. Kronfli

KENYON: Dana Gonsalves

GUARD/WADHAM/CARDINAL/HOME SECRETARY: Pete Lutz

"The Cellar" theme by Tom Rory Parsons

Additional music by Dr. Ross Bernhardt

THE CELLAR MS4 EP1: INCIDENT IN THE LIGHTHOUSE

WARNING: RATED NC-17

For adult language, sexual situations, violence. LISTENER DISCRETION ADVISED.

Welcome to the fourth miniseries of The Cellar! This is the first of five planned episodes of this long-running series, and in our humble opinion, the plays keep getting better and better. 

Episode 1, Incident in the Lighthouse, is set in early 20th-century France, in a coastal town. Lighthouse-keeper Remy is a shy young man, very pious, whose older brother Remy, a sailor, is 180° different -- fun-loving, irreverent, and impulsive. When they get together, Remy brings along two women of questionable morals. When the brothers learn that their mother is in danger, will Remy deal with the stress in a positive way? TUNE IN AND FIND OUT!

CAST:

CADAVERA QUIVRY (Host): Angela Young

ANNOUNCER: Trevor Rines

FLEUR: Carole Krohn

LISETTE: Aileen Corpos

THE PRIEST: Chuck Wilson

ACHILLE: Mark Kalita

REMY: Ian Federgreen

PADRIG: Les Marsden 

Theme composed & performed by Tom Rory Parsons

Additional music by Dr. Ross Bernhardt