OT: Before the TV years - the Radio Days
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opryphantom1 — 12 years ago(December 11, 2013 11:40 AM)
I'm a BIG fan of "Pat Novak". His verbal battles with "Lt. Hellman" (Raymond Burr) were classic oral scenes. After Hellman searches a stiff's wallet for i.d. Patsy quips, "Better wash your hands Hellman, the green still shows."
In the curt Webb style of speaking, "I had as much chance as a pound of liver at a cat show." "Trying to get the license number off the get-away car was like trying to pluck a feather off an angels wing".
p.s. Webb had a similar, short run San Francisco waterfont p.i. character, "Johnny Madero Pier 23". There are few eps around, but never heard one.
30 -
telegonus — 12 years ago(December 11, 2013 08:52 PM)
The banter with Hellman is some of the funniest stuff on
Pat Novak
. I remember an episode when Lt. Hellman was warning Novak that he was going too far, if he continued working on a particular case things could turn against him and
Novak
would wind up in the gas chamber, to which Webb's Novak responded laconically "no worse than being locked in a phone booth with you".
The image of the equally deadpan Webb and Burr stuck together in a phone booth (remember those?) had me ROTLFing
, with Webb gagging on Burr's er
, gas fumes has stayed with me ever since.
I guess I have a weird sense of humor sometimes. -
opryphantom1 — 12 years ago(December 12, 2013 11:19 AM)
Once in a while the waterfront (Embarcadero) priest would come by seeking Novak's help to find someone (remember Joe *Feldman?) Novak says, "How do I find him, look for an ankle bracelet?"
Then there's Novak's friend "Jocko", who's always helping "Patsy". Jocko was a doc who started chasing a glass of whiskey with a jigger of beer.
So long, lover! -
babel_on_5 — 12 years ago(December 30, 2013 12:48 PM)
Interesting story about William Conrad. When Gunsmoke was moved to tv in '55 Mr. Conrad was first offered the role. I'm not sure if he was tired of the character or what, but he turned it down and suggested a young, fairly unknown actor by the name of James Arness. He's still has the longest running continuous role in television history.
Btw, and maybe not necessary, but the OTRCat CDs are all mp3. I listen to mine on either the computer or the dvd player.
Don't aim for the towers. Aim for the trolls! KILL THE TROLLS!!!
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opryphantom1 — 12 years ago(December 30, 2013 01:00 PM)
Conrad didn't get the Tv show for two reasons. First, there was a scene at the Long branch where he's sitting at a table and a guy yells a challenge and goes for his gun. Dillon starts to jump up and then *the chair rose with him. Scene got a big laugh.
Conrad wasn't offered much more than the radio folks paid, so why sweat "hitting
the mark" and memorizing scripts for not that much money. So, he stayed with the radio show. At least that was the Conrad version.
p.s. It was a movie cowpoke named *Wayne who suggested Arness. -
babel_on_5 — 12 years ago(January 02, 2014 09:26 AM)
You are right; I stand corrected. I'd never heard the chair story, but it's believable. I saw him during his "Cannon" years (he was huge) but I'm not sure I've ever seen a pic from the '50s. Thanks.
Don't aim for the towers. Aim for the trolls! KILL THE TROLLS!!!
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retpo — 12 years ago(January 02, 2014 11:43 AM)
I can remember as a kid, of about 8-10 years old, listening to The Inner Sanctum and Suspense.
My father worked from 6pm to 6am so it was just me and my mother.
My bedroom was off the kitchen and my mother would be in the kitchen listening to the radio. The creaking door of Inner Sanctum or the "Tales to keep you in suspense." Of course it was late at night and I was pulling the covers up over my head. To make matters worse the house was a six family tenement and the door to my room went out to the hallway, where anybody could be lurking!
Those shows could really scare the daylight out of you.
I have no cds or tapes of old shows. However I do have 33 1/3 vinyl. And the turntable to play them.
They include: War of the Worlds, The Story of The Lone Ranger, and a couple highlight albums with too many to list.
Have to go now, paper cup and string is ringing. -
MsELLERYqueen2 — 12 years ago(March 15, 2014 09:16 PM)
I'm just listening to
A Terrible Night
now.
So far, it's very good. Thanks for recommending it on the other board!
Nice to hear a radio play set in my country.and out in the woods as well! Very spooky!
After this one, I will hear more from
The Weird Circle
series.
~~
JimHutton (1934-79) & ElleryQueen -
telegonus — 12 years ago(March 16, 2014 01:11 AM)
Glad to hear it, MrsEQ. I found
A Terrible Night
literally haunting, even more so the second and third times around. The way the details pile up, piece by piece, and that ending!
The Weird Circle
was quite literary for the kind of show it was, and many of its better episodes take patience. I found some of their adaptations of well kknown literary works somewhat disappointing (just warnin' ya'), while some of the more obscure titles worked better for me.
Suspense
is really one of the very best of all. Its ratio of good to excellent eps is outstanding. There are some dogs (
Mortmain
is just dreadful) and eps that make something out of nothing, such as the Cary Grant-Betsy Drake starrer,
Country Road
(I think I've got that right, from circa 1949-50). I've listened to it three or four times just for the charm (for want of a better word) of the "set up". Radio horror works less well for me. The closer it is to straight horror, the less well it works; and yet there are
Suspense, Escape
and even
The Whistler
eps that can send shivers down my spine. I've yet to listen to a
Lights Out
or
Inner Sanctum
that had the same effect. -
MsELLERYqueen2 — 12 years ago(March 16, 2014 05:04 PM)
Oh yes. I've heard enough radio plays to know that there are some stinkers in the batch. Most are very well done, though.
So far, I've found the
Whistler
ones to be good, but somewhat predictable.
I listened to another one from
The Weird Circle
last night, one called
The Man Without a Country
, and although I liked the story, it wasn't mystery/horror.
~~
JimHutton (1934-79) & ElleryQueen -
telegonus — 12 years ago(March 17, 2014 02:11 AM)
Suspense
had its share of dogs, and it changed its style when a new producer came on board. The first three or four seasons used veteran radio actors or accomplished character players from films. Later on they relied more on well known guest stars. It was still good, but it lost a bit in emphasizing actors with already well known personas. Lloyd Nolan appeared in a couple, and I generally like him, but he svcked on ice on
Suspense
. If the story is a Cornell Woolrich or Lucille Fletcher one, you almost can't go wrong.
You might want to stick with
The Whistler
. I love it. One has to get into the spirit of the thing; and that the Whistler himself is so enigmatic and All Knowing the gimmick (and it
is
a gimmick) can be off putting. OTOH, the stories are often masterfully developed. The settings are at times highly evocative (I haven't listened to it for a few years); and I remember eps set on islands, in beach houses, during snowstorns; and creaking boards, chirping birds, wind, howling dogs, train whistles, etc. The sound effects weren't overdone, either; just there, and used well. -
MsELLERYqueen2 — 12 years ago(March 17, 2014 02:41 AM)
Oh yes, I plan on sticking with those
Whistler
stories.
They do seem to be more about atmosphere than anything. Have you seen the movies (starring Richard Dix)? Some were very good, but they were a bit on the slow side.
~~
JimHutton (1934-79) & ElleryQueen -
MsELLERYqueen2 — 12 years ago(April 02, 2014 08:53 PM)
I just finished listening to
The Furnished Floor
. It was well done, but I have to admit that it was extremely predictable. Also, Agnes Moorehead didn't do any of the voices here at all. I appreciate the recommendation.
This radio play reminded me a bit of a play which I read once, about tenants who eventually take over the house and lock the landlady in the attic. Obviously this radio play has a different ending.
Thank you again!
~~
JimHutton (1934-79) & ElleryQueen -
telegonus — 12 years ago(April 03, 2014 12:03 AM)
You're right. There was absolutely no surprise in
Furnished Floor
. The presentation was all; and that's what I loved about it. How's you like Don DeFore's reniditon of (I think it was)
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
?
I think that's what he was singing at the end. It was a novel way to tell a story, and I always enjoy it when writers, directors and actors do some stretching on those shows. -
MsELLERYqueen2 — 12 years ago(April 03, 2014 03:18 PM)
Oh yes, he was excellent in the role, and his rendition of that song was spot on.
The movie really was more about the atmosphere than anything.
I remember reading a play in which the tenants eventually take over the house, locking the landlady in the attic. It starts out with one tenant only, and then he brings his girlfriend, then some friends, and suddenly the landlady has lost all control.
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JimHutton (1934-79) & ElleryQueen -
MsELLERYqueen2 — 12 years ago(April 02, 2014 10:53 PM)
I did look up
The Three Skeleton Key
(starring Vincent Price). It's part of the
Escape
series. A bit too gruesome for me. I only listened to about 2/3 of it before I had to give up on it. This is a Gentlemen's radio program, I think.
All those ratsnot for me! Still, I think that Vincent Price was excellent in the leading role. Normally I find his voice irritating, but he was perfect in this radio play.
If this radio play had been about snakes, I wouldn't have gotten past the first minute or so. I have a deadly fear of snakes.
In the other thread, you recommended an
Escape
radio play called
Nightmare in Wax
. I couldn't find such a title, but I did notice one called
Study in Wax
. Is that the one you were thinking of? I'd still like to hear it.
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JimHutton (1934-79) & ElleryQueen -
MsELLERYqueen2 — 11 years ago(May 26, 2014 08:27 PM)
Have you ever heard any of the Philo Vance radio plays? I had no idea that they existed until someone mentioned them to me. I'm listening to a couple of them now, and I recommend them to you.
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JimHutton (1934-79) & ElleryQueen -
MsELLERYqueen2 — 12 years ago(February 01, 2014 11:15 PM)
So far, the shortest radio plays I've been able to find are the Ellery Queen minute mysteries. Basically Ellery solves the case just by pointing out a flaw in a brief statement presented to him.
~~
JimHutton (1934-79) & ElleryQueen